Our Further Afield Series has emerged out of a desire for our winemaking team to explore British Columbia’s most revered varieties, beyond our vineyard borders. Sourced from compelling sites but crafted with a Tantalus perspective.
Cabernet Franc was a natural next choice for this series as it’s a variety we have long admired in BC. The expressions we’ve enjoyed across the province have varied from more buoyant and candied to a touch more dark and rich. We like to think ours falls somewhere happily in the middle.
A bright ruby in the glass, our first release of Cabernet Franc is a complex one. The nose is layered with tomato leaf, cardamom, fresh tobacco, and crushed rocks complemented by a red fruit profile of juicy raspberry and pomegranate. The use of whole bunches gives punch and lends a subtle floral and ripe herb character. The palate is awash with plum and raspberry with more tobacco and pomegranate coming through to pair with the aromatic profile. Great length with a core mineral line, this speaks to the high-quality vineyard from which it comes.
WINEMAKER'S NOTES
Sourced from a certified-organic vineyard in Osoyoos, farmed by the Sekhon family, the terroir of this site is remarkably different from our East Kelowna home site, only two hours north. With more growing degree potential and sandier soils yet at lower elevation, the fruit has the opportunity to gain complexity and reach full ripening potential effortlessly. Separate batches of fruit were vinified, each one fermented at slightly different temperatures with some batches wild and others inoculated with a classic Bordeaux yeast.
Stem inclusion, by way of up to 40% whole cluster use (depending on the batch) was used. Ferments took place over various lengths of time to gain layers and complexity. The wine was then pressed and settled to French oak barrels (all aged oak). Further élevage took place in barrel for 11 months of maturing before racking and a gentle filtration. The wine was bottled in the fall of 2023.
ACCOLADES
SILVER MEDAL - National Wine Awards of Canada 2024
91 points - Anthony Gismondi, Vancouver Sun and Gismondi On Wine
"Expect an attractive, juicy red that is a nod to Loire but made with the sensibility of a pinot specialist. Patterson has tamed the herbaceous, savoury notes and pushed the ripe blueberry and black fruits to the foreground, all sitting on a silky tannin structure that melts in your mouth. Fresh, smooth, intense, and it finishes clean and long, this is Next World cabernet franc. Considerable value."
91 points - David Lawrason, Wine Align
"This is not a highly structured, deep cabernet franc but it does capture the grape's flavours very nicely and presents them in a fresh, lively, slightly brittle and youthful ambiance. It is a style very much commercially on point at the moment. Expect medium pale colour, a nose featuring raspberry/currant fruit, fresh BC herbs and subtle wood spice. It is really quite delicious and very well balanced, earning this rating with ease. Very good to excellent length. Tantalus delivers varietal veracity and balance so well. Tasted July 2024."
TECHNICAL INFO
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Franc
Alcohol: 13.0%
Residual Sweetness: .23 g/L
pH: 3.72
Total Acidity: 5.0 g/L
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VINTAGE NOTES
Weather patterns in the Southern Okanagan Valley weren‘t too far off what we experienced in our neck of the woods here in Kelowna. Above average rainfall in May charged the soil with water and gave the vines everything they needed to hit the ground running after a long winter and late bud break. The rain continued into June meaning no irrigation was needed for the vines till much later than average and allowed the cover crop to flourish.
Summer was mild though some hot spells in late July and early August helped push the season along. September and October were perfect for developing flavours in the grapes while not having too much sugar produced. This resulted in balanced wines with moderate alcohol.
