The Grand Cuvée Reserve is a big ‘bella’, figuratively and literally. Made only in 2013 and 2014, this wine blended four different chardonnay vineyards Jay Drysdale was working with at the time (Cerqueira, Secrest, Kamloops, and Keremeos) and bottled in magnums only. The blend spent 11 months in neutral oak before heading to bottle with champagne yeast EC1118 and some sugar to kickstart the second fermentation, before resting on lees for 46 months before disgorgement in November 2018, with a dosage of 2017 King Family Vineyards pét-nat. Oxidative notes throughout, with peach melba, toast, yellow and red apple, and a bitter, sharp finish. You can feel the oak on the weightier palate. 2014 (still unreleased) tweaked the vineyard blend for a more lively and vibrant result — another serious wine for BC’s leading sparkling wine house.