Domaine Artema came onto my radar recently. Located on the Black Sage Bench near Oliver in the South Okanagan, the 14-acre estate was formerly Desert Hills, which was originally established in 1992. Under Domaine Artema, the estate bills itself as South Okanagan's First Gamay and Chardonnay House and following the French tradition they make and label wines under village and cru. The wines are made by Stefanie Dylla who has worked in Ontario and New Zealand.
The 2024 top tier Pinot Gris was fermented in stainless steel and inoculated with a yeast strain to promote creaminess. After fermentation it was aged in a combination of neutral oak and stainless before blending. As much as I really liked all the village wines from the estate, this Pinot Gris was unexpected. I didn't get classic Gris character it's quite mute with oaky aromas underscored by spice citrus and if I stretch, maybe a hint of Asian pear. It has an interesting angular creaminess, and again oak seems to dominate the palate along with spice, tealeaf and herbal flavours. The alcohol, although not high, seems to stand out a little awkwardly.
Price N/A
©copyright 2012 Daenna Van Mulligen
Wine Scores reviewed - 2025-11-22 00:14:43.0
