Lock & Worth winery
British Columbia, Canada
Matt Sherlock and Ross Hackworth (of both Lock & Worth winery and Nichol Winery) are legends in the Okanagan. They’ve both been in the wine business for a long time and have seen many changes across the valley and in BC. Ross has made Nichol one of Canada’s iconic wineries over the last two decades and knows Naramata as well as anyone. Matt not only runs the 2 wineries with Ross but also owns one of Canada’s great wine importing companies, Sedimentary Wines. Their winemaking is pragmatic and informed by the European wines they love to drink, which is to say that the vineyards are the main focus, not the winery.
The two will tell you that they don’t know where they are going to end up each year. With no “house style” they have different wines each year. What is most important at Lock & Worth is having healthy vineyard sites, which are farmed organically and Biodynamically. At Lock & Worth they only produce single vineyard wines in order to realize the Terroir of each site they work with.
As such the wines come from multiple vineyards, some of which are contracted out to their friends and others that they farm themselves. All vineyard work is done organically and by hand and spreads across the whole of Okanagan Valley.
Vineyard sites that have more than one grape variety produce blended wines. The fruit is picked and fermented separately but blended into barrel together for aging. Pressing is typically done during the ferment but towards the end. The natural Co2 present will help protect the wines this way, so they don’t have to add any preservatives at this stage. They use a small 1 tonne basket press. Matt says this slower process is gentler and easier on the wine. The press is light, and they strive for low extraction from their fruit making sure they seeds always stay inside the berries.
Natural ferments are the norm and are carried out in 2 tonne open top fermenters sometimes with a stainless steel start. All wines see old, neutral oak barrels before release and are never pumped over or racked excessively during elevage. Sulphur use is low. The wines are not fined or filtered. These are some of the most drinkable Canadian wines we have tasted.
Sauvignon Blanc & Semillon
77% Sauvignon Blanc + 23% Semillon. 6 acres planted in 1999 on dry river bed (gravel) in Oliver. Raised in neutral French oak for 6 months.
Semillon “Kelowna”
100% Semillon, single vineyard, planted in 1995 in Kelowna. Whole cluster pressed, natural ferment, raised in neutral French oak for 14 months on full solids with very little lees stirring. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Chardonnay “Lusthorn”
From an organic site in OK Falls. Whole cluster pressed then fermented and raised in 5+ year old 500L barrels for 7 months. This is not a big buttery New World Chardonnay nor is it a lean steely Chablis style - more a combination of the two. Clear, bright straw colour. Melon, pear and oats with a medium bodied palate and fresh driven acidity. Delicious
Cabernet Franc Rose
1.5 acres on Naramata Sand. Whole cluster pressed (3 hours of skin contact). Raised in neutral French oak for 6 months. 100% Cabernet Franc. This is a single vineyard rose wine, not exactly common.
Merlot
2 acres planted in 1995 on Naramata Sand. Gently de-stemmed with 5 days of skin contact. Basket pressed and fermented in neutral French oak for 7 months.
retail
Calabria Market
De Luca Fine Wines
Ellement Wine & Spirits
Jones & Co. Wine Merchants
Kenaston Wine Market
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