We’ve long been dedicated to our love of Chardonnay, and like anything worth its weight, this small but mighty piece of our portfolio has gradually and rightfully emerged as a touchstone for us; alongside its noble cousins, Riesling and Pinot Noir.
A shimmery gold in the glass, this wine has aromas of lemon curd, fresh orange zest, buttered popcorn, and hazelnut praline, all topped off with a wonderful lift of flinty minerality. The palate is concentrated and textured with white peach, green papaya, ambrosia apple, and lemon oil. There is just enough acidity to balance the weight perfectly and, as always, a support of French oak envelopes the profile, but does not over power the fruit.
WINEMAKER'S NOTES
The principal composition of the wine is built from our estate’s 2006 and 2013 Chardonnay plantings, with the remaining wine hailing from a beautiful sloped site just up the road in our sub-appellation also planted in 2013. The fruit was gently whole bunch pressed and run to a combination of new and seasoned barriques and puncheons before undergoing wild fermentation in barrel as well as partial wild malolactic fermentation. It was then aged for 10 months on fermentation lees in those same barrels (with 20 to 30% new oak incorporated) before bottling and an additional 6 months in the cellar before its release. Clonal make-up: Clones 95,96,76 and 589.
ACCOLADES
SILVER MEDAL - National Wine Awards of Canada 2024
91 points - Anthony Gismondi, Vancouver Sun Wine Columnist
"Tantalus is famous for its Old Vine Riesling, but you can see plenty of love for chardonnay too. A green gold colour pulls you into a glass brimming with ripe, exotic fruit, flecked with orange, roasted nuts, sweet peaches, and ripe ambrosia apples. A tiny sugar bump in a warm year opens the wine up to a broader spectrum of chardonnay lovers who will still benefit from a lesson in balance and elegance. Watch this bottle disappear in minutes at any gathering."
90 points - David Lawrason, Wine Align
"Winemaker David Paterson is really nailing balance in his wines. Yes, they are also vivid portraits of grapes and place - the cool climes of South Kelowna in BC's Okanagan Valley - but it is the exacting interplay of acid, alcohol and subtle sweetness that makes this wine work. There is generous, bright ripe chardonnay yellow apple, citrus and subtle oak and lees underpinning, but it is the crunch of Okanagan acid that is most apparent. There is also a sourish edge adding vitality. Something very satisfying here, and the length is very good to excellent. Tasted July 2024."
TECHNICAL INFO
Varietal: 100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 13.7%
Residual Sweetness: 4 g/L
pH: 3.47
Total Acidity: 5.9 g/L
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VINTAGE NOTES
2022 was a challenging season, but it produced some exceptional quality grapes and resulting wines. The winter of 21/22 was harsh, with many vines exhibiting primary bud damage following a cold snap of -26.5 around Christmas. 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. A cold snap in early November just after all the sparkling and still wines had been harvested meant that we were able to produce our first icewine since 2017.
