Tightrope Winery’s estate Fleet Road Vineyard on the Naramata Bench was converted from an apple orchard in 2007. Led by viticulturalist and co-owner, Graham O’Rourke, the vineyard has been farmed sustainably since the get go.
Penticton, Canada’s 4th driest city, and the largest city on the Naramata Bench, receives only 346 mm of precipitation each year. This lack of rain combined with almost constant breezes mean disease pressure is low, and less vineyard intervention is needed to maintain healthy fruit. Graham approaches the vineyard as a steward of the land, farming without insecticides or herbicides. In the winery, winemaker and co-owner, Lyndsay O’Rourke takes an equally holistic approach. For instance, Lyndsay takes marc, the pressed grape skins, pulp, seeds, and stems left after fermentation, and turns it into compost that’s later spread in the vineyard.
Fleet Road Vineyard’s silt clay soils and slightly rolling terrain create many different micro-climates. This allowed Graham and Lyndsay the opportunity to only plant the best varieties for each of the vineyard’s zones over a two year period in 2007 and 2008. With Pinot Noir in mind, the Okanagan’s intense heat can easily bake out its nuance. Wanting to avoid that while preserving Pinot’s delicate flavours, Graham and Lyndsay planted their Pinot Noir on a cooler north facing slope.
Tightrope’s 2023 Pinot Noir came from Fleet Road Vineyard and Tightrope’s newest vineyard on the Naramata Bench, Marmot Vineyards. Wild fermented in stainless steel, the wine spent 10 months in French oak (30% new).
Tasting Note
Tightrope’s 2023 Pinot Noir opens with light forest floor notes flecked with spicy clove and black fruit. Black cherries, plums, and raspberries stream across the palate before tobacco and mushroom notes ripple through the wine’s finish.
Food Pairing
Tightrope’s 2023 Pinot Noir has enough weight that it won’t get lost in a cedar plank grilled salmon while still being a delicate enough wine to not overpower the fish. This Pinot walks the balance of plushness and vibrancy.