Is that Code for something?

Yes, it's for deep enjoyment. A wine review of Code Wines 2022 Chardonnay.

At some point in your wine obsession life there’s a moment when you’re a couple glasses in with like minded folk around the dining room table or out on the deck and you suddenly truly believe you’ll start looking for some dirt and plant some vines and sell some wine.

For 99% of us, that all goes by the wayside next morning. I’m not sure if that’s the way it was with Shay and Harlee Code but it sure seems like it. Except, they pulled it off. They are living the wine dream that many people fantasize about. Are there moments of exquisite sublimity? No doubt. But there’s gut loads of hard work and, occasionally, disappointment.

This spring, Code Wines narrowly averted complete disaster when a fire in an adjoining orchard jumped the fence and tore through a portion of their vines. It could have been a lot worse than it was without quick action by the proprietors and a visiting guest who happened to have some significant experience fighting fires.

The Code vineyard with a couple penned in circles showing the area where the fire took its toll. Threatened a few of those houses bottom right, too.

In any case, it was a grievous blow in a year when vineyards throughout the Okanagan and Similkameen valleys are reeling from substantial winter damage.

I have no doubt these challenges produce adversarial conditions that would lower the boom on some operations. But that’s not happening with Code Wines.

When you make an appointment and head in to Okanagan Falls for your tasting, you’re greeted with some upbeat and optimistic owners, who understand that farming and winemaking throw curveballs all the time. They seem to be taking it all in stride.

Given the circumstances, if you’re the kind of wine appreciator that recognizes when good people need a leg up, it would be great if you booked your own case-buying visit today.

I tasted through the available lineup and was impressed at every glass. This is a great moment to experience any new winery; I get the sense the production is moving through the experimental and style development stage and entering the defining character phase. To me that means the wines are approaching a time when their personality will replicate from year to year as proven cultural practices in the vineyard and cellar settle in. With allowances for vintage variation, of course.

My focus today is the 2022 Chardonnay. We’ll talk about the Pinot Noir another time. Or maybe the Syrah Rosé ? We shall see.

Sure, we call it white wine, but it’s not, is it?

There’s no indication of any time spent in oak barrels. This will please some folks who have no affinity for barrel fermenting and aging, but it surprised me. The overall impression from a textural perspective is smoothness and mouth-filling body, something I associate with barrel work. But I’ve been fooled before and I’ll be fooled again and I would prefer to be fooled this way anytime.

Nerd alert: Part of the reason for the lush feel may be the level of acid. Despite having an admirable 3.32 pH, the titratable acidity (TA) remains under five grams per litre. I hope that structure allows for some positive evolution over time. If not, drink it sooner.

The Wine:

In the nose - I’m reminded of a stroll down a city street bathed in early morning sunlight. Perhaps there are cobblestones. I pass a bakery specializing in pastries. From the open door the aromas of peach, apple, and something with a lift of spice with some caramelized notes in the mix. Somewhere out back, a match is struck.

The palate - green apple and preserved lemon in the attack, creamy with a suggestion of salinity, snap pea and lime in the mid. There’s a wraith doing a bitter dance on the periphery of the experience but with minimal impact. I thought the finish was a little abrupt until I realized I was tasting some persistent and pleasant lime pith a couple minutes down the road.

Score: 8.7

A thoroughly enjoyable Chardonnay that disappears a little too quickly. We did managed to pair it with some risotto with spring veg and grilled pork tenderloin (the other white meat as the ads used to say) in a caper sauce and it was a very complimentary. Stood well against the energetic capers and charmed the pants off the Parmesan in the risotto.