2019 Maija Pinot Noir

Vibrant and full of life, our Maija Pinot Noir is a true expression of this poetic variety, and named after Tantalus proprietor Eric Savics’ daughter.

The palate is warm and inviting with a firm but juicy structure. Notes of plum, cranberry and dark cherry are complemented by hints of sandalwood and blueberry. Our signature Tantalus minerality is here in spades, which leads to a surprisingly long finish for a wine from such youthful vines. 

The palate exudes juicy red fruits - sun-warmed plums, ripe raspberry and a splash of cranberry, all brought together with a wisp of French oak. Our signature Tantalus minerality is here in spades, which leads to a surprisingly long finish for a wine from such youthful vines.

Fruit for this Pinot Noir was handpicked from our youngest estate blocks of Dijon plantings, complemented by fruit sourced from a neighbouring vineyard in South East Kelowna of impeccable quality.

Vinified in small lots using 100% wild fermentation, the small batches were then placed into a selection of new (20%) and seasoned French oak barriques for 11 months and blended, just prior to bottling.

TECHNICAL INFO

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 13.5%
Residual Sweetness: 2.43 g/L 
pH: 3.70
Total Acidity: 5.85 g/L

  • VINTAGE NOTES

    Our 2019 growing season was not without its challenges. Winter started unusually warm and dry but took a turn late in the season with sustained temperatures below -20 C arriving in February. Vines suffered from a range of winter damage. As a result, drawn out and uneven bud break was evident in several of our vineyard pockets. Conditions turned more favourable in May allowing delayed shoots to catch up. However, rain set in towards the end of June and periods in July, keeping the vineyard team on their toes regarding crop protection and canopy work. A warm and dry August gave us ideal ripening conditions and set us up for harvest to begin on schedule.

    Dodging rain showers throughout the rest of September, harvest continued until early October when the first frost caused the vine canopy to drop and us to bring in the remaining parcels of fruit. Although yields are shy from 2019, the wines have so far emerged as beautifully nuanced with restrained alcohols and purity of fruit.