“If more people knowledgeable about wine tasted our Thadd Springs Pinot Noir, they would be surprised,” says Sébastien Hotte, the winemaker at Harper’s Trail Estate Winery.
Situated on the north bank of the South Thompson River on the outskirts of Kamloops, just north of the 50-degrees⁰ latitude mark, Harper’s Trail strives for excellence despite challenging, cool climate conditions for growing major Vitis vinifera grape varieties.
Business travels in South America and around the world gave owners Ed and Vicki Collett the opportunity to visit wine producing areas and develop an interest in wine and food. Wineries at the base of the Andes Mountains in Chile inspired the couple to consider the Thompson Valley as a suitable place to produce wine. At the time of the launch of Harper’s Trail in 2012, Ed Collett said, “We could not see any reason that Kamloops could not grow and produce top quality wines that reflect the local climate and soil. When a 125-acre parcel became available in 2007, we did not hesitate to jump right in.”
Originally part of the vast, storied Gang Ranch in the 19th Century, it was archetypal grass and sage-covered cattle country.
“Unlike the Okanagan, our valley running east-west rather than north south takes full advantage of daylight hours,” Collett says. “At an elevation of 1,100 feet, Kamloops boasts semi-arid conditions, mild winters and long summers with temperatures that rank among the hottest of any city in Canada. At 1,402, average growing degree days are comparable to Okanagan Falls.
Temperature extremes are an ever-present danger to grape growing in the Kamloops area. These include cold snaps in winter which can go below -20⁰C, frosts during bud break and excessive temperatures in summer that can be detrimental to grape ripening and health.
The well-drained soil is composed of clay, silt, sand and gravel with a vein of limestone that runs through the property. In 2008, the Harper’s Trail team planted seven acres of Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Gewürtztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Gamay Noir and Cabernet Franc. Today’s Thadd Springs Vineyard encompasses 25.5 acres of vines and grows the same varieties, except for Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot which have been removed as not being suitable to the conditions.
In the case of the Gamay Noir block, planted in 2013, young vines planted in the sand seam did not do well, in part because roots stayed close to the surface, according to Collett. Mitigation steps included replacing vines with a different clone and strategically adding drip lines to nourish those plants.
Photo by Mary Putnam
Harper's Trail Harvest
Enter Sébastien Hotte, Harper Trail’s talented winemaker, who joined the winery in the late summer of 2020. The decision to hire Hotte was made by the Colletts in collaboration with Penticton-based vineyard management and winemaking consultant Pascal Madevon. An acclaimed Bordeaux-trained winemaker, Madevon offers professional advice on vineyard management, wine production and marketing of wine. Madevon’s approach to wine says it all: “The potential, the spirit of a wine emerges from its terroir, but there is also an important human element that drives a wine’s final creation.”
Hotte began his studies in Québec at the renowned École Hôtelière des Laurentides, which included in-house training at Bistro à Champlain, which boasted, until its closing in 2015, a wine cellar of stellar proportions. As a sommelier, he worked the floor in many top restaurants, including The Pointe Restaurant at the Wickaninnish Inn in Tofino, and participated in sommelier competitions.
Called to learn the secrets of crafting wine, Hotte studied winemaking and viticulture on-line at Washington State University while interning at a variety of small, artisanal wineries in the Okanagan.
Arriving at Harper’s Trail on the threshold of the 2020 harvest, Hotte faced unusually challenging conditions in the vineyard. “Except for three weeks in the 30’s, conditions were wet and rainy with below average temperatures,” he says. “Keep in mind that bud break takes place two to three weeks later than the Okanagan. For Riesling and other whites, achieving ripeness was not an issue in 2020. The reds had a harder time achieving phenolic ripeness. We took all the necessary steps such as opening the canopy, 100% on the morning side, especially for the reds. Prior to harvest, we went into the vineyard, and removed everything not appropriate, including whole clusters. After sorting on the crush pad, we only kept the best.”
Cold weather during the harvest introduced another test for Harper Trail’s team. “Desperate to pick the grapes, there were no workers available in the Kamloops area. When we reached out to the community with an ad in Facebook, ten local people and our tasting room staff came out to support us,” he says.
Even in a “normal” year, “the vines have the best chance to achieve proper ripeness if yields are kept at about two tons per acre,” Hotte says. As well, “It is necessary to do things at the right time, leaving no margin for error,” not unlike walking a tightrope or threading a needle.
Photo by Mary Putnam
Harper's Trail owners
Ed and Vicki Collett co-owners of Harper's Trail winery in the vineyard.
The issue of ripeness is not exclusively a chemical test for Hotte. “Every winemaker has their own opinion when it is achieved,” he says. “For me, tasting grapes in the vineyard as the season progresses is essential.
Ninety percent of the time, even when grapes are technically ripe, you still want flavour development. It has to do with the style of wine you are looking for."
In the case of Harper’s Trail, the emphasis is on wines made in a lighter, more delicate style, wines with lively fruit and finesse over big, bold wine types. This approach is ideal for Hotte, who brings a preference for minimal intervention in the vineyard and on crafting terroir-driven wines.
Committed to biodiversity, the winery is in the process of becoming certified as fully organic, starting with the vineyard. “It’s not a huge adjustment. What we’re doing now – we don’t use a lot of chemicals - already fits in with organic grape growing.” Going forward, “wine making will become more and more hands-off and more reflective of the grapes we grow,” he continues. Also on the table, land to the west of Thadd Springs Vineyard, now used to grow alfalfa, is being prepared for an additional 100 acres of vines.
Hotte’s comments on several of Harper’s Trail wines are instructive. Pinot Noir 2019 showcases the winery’s elegant style and gentle approach to winemaking. “It is fermented in small lots and aged mainly in neutral oak barrels before blending and bottling,” he says. “In the winter, the vines benefit from the Alpine climate and the warming influence of the Thompson River.”
Chardonnay Sparkling 2016 spends three years on the lees before disgorging and acquires a note of brioche from the aging. “Made in a dry, elegant style, its rich, creamy body soothes the clean, crisp acidity,” he says.
Gamay 2019 has a flinty, mineral spine and a complex palate with succulent fruit and spicy nuances. “Don’t overdo the winemaking,” he says. “Treat Gamay like a serious wine, not tutti frutti.” Field Blend White 2019 is a happy mix of Pinot Gris, Riesling and unoaked Chardonnay. “The friendly, fruit-driven palate emphasizes Chardonnay’s leesy character to create complexity”, he says.
