It is no secret that the last two winters have been tough on BC wineries. We at Clos du Soleil have been hard at work revitalizing our vineyards in the Similkameen which have, fortunately, proven to be very resilient! In the interim, and while they continue to recover beautifully, like many of our friends in […]
It is no secret that the last two winters have been tough on BC wineries. We at Clos du Soleil have been hard at work revitalizing our vineyards in the Similkameen which have, fortunately, proven to be very resilient! In the interim, and while they continue to recover beautifully, like many of our friends in the industry we are using this as an opportunity to “pivot, pivot, pivot”! So, without giving away too much right now (more details to come soon), we are excited to announce the following…
Next year, we will release three exciting wines from Washington State: a Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay, and a Rosé. To produce these wines, we began our search for the perfect vineyards early last Spring, before the growing season really started. After travelling to WA a handful of times to find the the ideal vineyard blocks for our plans, we partnered with two exceptional growers in premium regions – one in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA and another in Yakima Valley AVA. (AVA being an American Viticultural Area, indicating a designated wine grape-growing region with distinct climate and soil characteristics.)
How will this mesh with our existing lineup and winemaking philosophies?
At Clos du Soleil we specialize in terroir-driven wines that reflect the unique origins of our grapes. As such, these new wines will represent the unique terroir conditions of their origins in Washington State. At the same time, they will be made in the Clos du Soleil style: using minimal interventionist-winemaking techniques, and the very highest-quality viticulture, to produce crisp dry wines with bright acidity and liveliness. With this approach in mind, we have chosen vineyard sites with cooler conditions and rocky soils reminiscent of the Similkameen Valley. What’s more, our winemaking team is intimately involved in every step of the growing, harvesting, and shipping processes of the grapes grown specifically for us in our chosen vineyard blocks.
We are incredibly excited to show you what our team can do with grapes from a new region. We know these wines will resonate with you and are excited to share them with our wine club members first, followed by a wider release as supplies last. We will release more information in the coming weeks, and if you have any questions in the interim, please do email us at [email protected].
Clos du Soleil has partnered with two exceptional growers in premium regions in Washington state. Our winemaking team is intimately involved in every step of the growing, harvesting, and shipping processes of the grapes grown specifically for us in our chosen vineyard blocks.
Clos du Soleil Assistant Winemaker Michael Consolo at work in the Clos du Soleil Sauvignon Blanc vineyard block just outside Prosser, WA.Sangiovese, to be used in our 2024 Clos du Soleil Rosé, part way through veraison.Clos du Soleil Sauvignon Blanc harvest in Horse Heaven Hills.Clos du Soleil has partnered with two exceptional growers in premium regions – including one in the Horse Heaven Hills AVA.Row marker indicating the vineyard block specifically reserved for Clos du Soleil wines.
For more information, high resolution images, and questions, please email [email protected].
Clos du Soleil is expanding its portfolio – and its potential to bring even more beautiful Similkameen wines to your glass – with a new certified organic vineyard development. Previously a certified organic orchard, the newly named Three Winds Vineyard is currently undergoing an exciting transformation: the land is being converted into a vineyard that […]
Clos du Soleil is expanding its portfolio – and its potential to bring even more beautiful Similkameen wines to your glass – with a new certified organic vineyard development.
Previously a certified organic orchard, the newly named Three Winds Vineyard is currently undergoing an exciting transformation: the land is being converted into a vineyard that aligns with Clos du Soleil’s commitment to producing exceptional wines through sustainable practices.
Situated on the Middle Bench of the Similkameen Valley, within the town of Keremeos and just minutes away from Clos du Soleil’s original Estate Vineyard, this 10-acre property promises to showcase terroir expression and increase the winery’s potential to increase production of their award-winning wines.
The majority of the vineyard was planted this spring (2024), with Merlot and Cabernet Franc already in the ground. These carefully chosen varietals are expected to flourish in the vineyard’s gently sloped terrain, with both its location and soils ideally situated for grape-growing excellence.
The team has, however, chosen to leave a couple of blocks unplanted, allowing them options to experiment with some new varieties that could be planted in 2025. “Given the extreme weather our industry has been facing in recent years, presumably as a result of climate change, it is more important than ever that we can be flexible and innovative in our viticultural practices,” explains Michael Clark, Winemaker and Managing Director of Clos du Soleil. “Our development of this vineyard is giving us an opportunity to do exactly that.”
“The fact that this property has been farmed organically for decades is also of real importance to us – healthy living soils, which are the outcome of organic practices and thoughtful, intentional farming, are one of the keys to terroir expression,” adds Vineyard and Operations Manager Steve Roche. “Plus, starting a new operation from scratch is always exciting, as it enables us to plan and execute our vision for the property with 100% attention to detail, which will ensure the best possible fruit being produced in the future. The soils on this new development are a beautiful deep, dark sandy, loam, with a huge fraction of riverine rocks in the subsoil, enabling super deep root penetration into the soil. By achieving deeper rooted vines, we are able to extract the more subtle nuances and minerality from the soil into our wines.”
“All of these facets combine to mean that we think this site has excellent potential for unique terroir expression,” continues Clark. “Wines that are a true expression of ‘where from’ as opposed to ‘what from.’ Expressive, uniquely Similkameen – something we seek to preserve and promote in all of our wines at Clos du Soleil.”
For more information, high resolution images, and questions, please email [email protected].
At Clos du Soleil we have a passion not only for winemaking, but farming too. The land, the grapes, the people. The result? Wines which tell a clear story on the palate of our love for our particular rocky piece of Similkameen land, the grapes that grow there, and our minimal-intervention approach to the winemaking […]
At Clos du Soleil we have a passion not only for winemaking, but farming too. The land, the grapes, the people. The result? Wines which tell a clear story on the palate of our love for our particular rocky piece of Similkameen land, the grapes that grow there, and our minimal-intervention approach to the winemaking itself.
Given our all-encompassing approach to, and passion for, the wine that ends up in your glass, it makes sense that we want as much control over our grapes and our vineyards as possible. Over the last few years, we have been incredibly fortunate to be given the opportunity to purchase additional vineyards to add to our original Estate Vineyard. We now own four vineyards, all farmed biodynamically, and all certified organic, to ensure that every sip of Clos du Soleil wine you take is one of pure Similkameen beauty.
Read on for a quick overview of the vineyards owned and farmed by Clos du Soleil.
The Organic Vineyards owned by Clos du Soleil
Clos du Soleil’s Estate Vineyard
Clos du Soleil Estate Vineyard
Certified Organic✅
Our original vineyard, dating back to the founding of Clos du Soleil in 2006, the Estate Vineyard is Certified Organic, and has been managed Biodynamically for over a decade. In fact, it is in the process of achieving Biodynamic certification. Nestled right up against the sheer rocky backing of the mountainside, it is a very rocky vineyard, with a significant portion of the vineyard composed of what are known as “Stemwinder soils”. These very stony soils lend a distinct character and flavour, that positively screams “Similkameen”, to the wines grown here.
Our Tasting Room and licensed picnic area are located in the middle of this vineyard, so when you visit us at Clos du Soleil, you can see it up close.
These grapes, those wines We grow all five of the Bordeaux reds in our Estate Vineyard: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, with the grapes from this vineyard going into our Estate Reserve wine, as well as forming an important portion of Signature.
Les Collines Vineyard, purchased in 2017
Les Collines Vineyard
Certified Organic✅
Purchased in 2017, the name “Les Collines” (a French term meaning “the hills”) is a nod to Clos du Soleil’s French influence and the unique topography of this uniquely Similkameen parcel of land.
Over 10 acres in size and located a short distance west from the winery’s Estate Vineyard, Les Collines began life as an organic orchard. Winemaker Michael Clark and his Clos du Soleil team converted this to an organic vineyard and began farming the grapes grown there biodynamically as well, operating on the firm belief that living soils are crucial to maintaining vine health and for producing grapes that most truly represent their place. As Michael puts it, “My single-minded mission at Clos du Soleil is to produce the very highest quality wines that are complex, elegant, age-worthy, and that transparently speak of the land in which they were grown.”
Like our Estate Vineyard, Les Collines calls the Upper Bench home, nestled right up against the steep, rocky slopes at the base of the mountainside. Aside from the high quality viticultural characteristics this location ensures, it also gives the vineyard an extreme physical beauty quite unique to this region: rugged and majestic with breath-taking views over the whole valley.
These grapes, those wines The hilly terrain of Les Collines is comprised of several steep ridges, making it ideal terroir for growing the Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon grapes used to produce Clos du Soleil’s flagship white wine Capella.
La Côte Vineyard, purchased in 2018
La Côte Vineyard
Certified Organic✅
We are delighted to announce that our La Côte vineyard is now also officially certified organic. Purchased in 2018 and located just down the road from the Clos du Soleil Estate Vineyard on the Upper Bench of the Similkameen Valley, La Côte exhibits exactly the same terroir characteristics as our other two Upper Bench vineyards: well-draining stony soils, with water-holding capacity and some organic matter.
The similar soils, similar location, similar slopes and similar aspect means that the grapes grown here showcase the Similkameen superbly.
La Côte already boasts mature vitis vinifera vines, over 10 years in age, giving us the ability to produce extremely high quality fruit from this site. The varieties already planted in this vineyard have allowed us to create brand-new small-lot wines (like our Chardonnay and Viognier), however, in line with our long-time focus on Bordeaux varieties, we will progressively convert select blocks of the vineyard to more of the same over time. This will supplement our core focus on elegant and age-worthy wines blended from Bordeaux varieties but tasting unmistakably of the Similkameen.
These grapes, those wines La Côte is currently home to Malbec, Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The Malbec in particular is very exciting as it gives us a constant source of the grapes we use to make our annual sell-out Malbec Rosé. We also recently removed a cherry orchard and planted a whole new block of Syrah vines in the spring of 2022.
Whispered Secret Vineyard, purchased in 2020
Whispered Secret Vineyard
Certified Organic✅
Clos du Soleil has been working with grapes grown in the Whispered Secret Vineyard since 2014, developing a deeper relationship with this vineyard over the years. Where initially the winery purchased just the Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown here, as the years passed the team made the decision to lease the vineyard and farm it themselves. As more time passed, Clos du Soleil became more and more enamoured with this secret pocket of land. So, when we were afforded the opportunity to purchase the entire property in 2020, we jumped at the chance.
Situated on the other (South) side of the valley to our Estate, Les Collines and La Cotes vineyards, Whispered Secret Vineyard is on a much cooler site, near the river, making it ideal for the style of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris grapes that we grow here.
These grapes, those wines For many years now this vineyard has provided some of the highest quality Sauvignon Blanc grapes going into our flagship Capella white wine. In addition, it has provided 100% of the grapes for our late-harvest Saturn wine, as well as our more recent Winemaker’s Series Pinot Gris. Whispered Secret Vineyard is also home to a block of Merlot. (Watch this space for more on that!)
