Our Old Vines Riesling is made for those seeking a wine with elegance and a sense of place. Made exclusively from a single block of our 1978 Riesling plantings, its purity conveys all that is special about our historic, old vineyard – coupled with our team’s constant pursuit to craft world class wines.
A fresh green gold in the glass, aromatics gently emerge as the wine opens from its two-year bottle slumber. Notes of beeswax, mandarin skin, wet river rock, moss, lemon oil with granny smith apple and a hint of white flowers all play their part.
A beautiful balance persists on the palate with big notes of key lime pie, mandarin and fresh white peach. Year after year this wine carries remarkable length and finishes with a classic Tantalus nervy character and intriguing minerality. Built to age.
WINEMAKER'S NOTES
Our “Block 5” of 1978 plantings, sits on a north facing slope of deep, silty soils. This two-acre parcel of Clone 21B Riesling is bordered by a mature Ponderosa pine forest on its western and northern edges. The tall stand of pines bufer the late afternoon and evening sun, offering dappled light exposure and therefore slower ripening in late summer and early autumn.
We haven’t changed much about the winemaking behind this Riesling since its 2005 inception. We take the gently whole bunch pressed juice from our 1978 plantings of Riesling. We settle and then ferment at 11-12 deg C for 45 days. Very simple winemaking. Nothing added and nothing taken away. As always, the wine has rested in bottle in our cellar for 2 years before its spring release.
ACCOLADES
94 points - Anthony Gismondi, Gismondi On Wine
"The attack is intense, with plenty of citrus and some unusual upfront tropical pineapple. Otherwise, the savoury, wet stone, and bright, juicy acid flood the palate and carries you through the finish. Iconic, unique and as compelling as it gets for Candian riesling, you can serve this with anything or solo. Real Wine and an incredible value."
93 points - Treve Ring, Gismondi On Wine
"You are tasting the magic of site, and time. Savoury crushed stones are woven with lime pith and peel, crunchy green apple, and scrubby desert flowers. Acidity is juicy and well placed, easily lofting this through a lingering saline, white pepper finish. Nothing is out of place here, even now in youth, and this will continue to harmonize over the coming years. Incredible value."
TECHNICAL INFO
Varietal: 100% Riesling
Alcohol: 12.6%
Residual Sweetness: 8.94 g/L
pH: 2.82
Total Acidity: 10.79 g/L
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VINTAGE NOTES
Although challenging, 2020 gifted us some of the best quality fruit we have seen in years. Mirroring the winter of 2019, a cold snap of under -20 C in late February harmed several vines and buds but fortunately damage was not extensive. Above average rainfall in May charged the soil with water and gave the vines everything they needed to hit the ground running after bud break. A period of cool and wet weather in early July coincided with flowering, unfortunately resulting in uneven berry set across the property.
Summer was rewarding: lots of sunshine, warm temperatures but not too much excessive heat. Vine growth caught up but we eased into harvest a week later than usual, in the second week of September. Luckily, smoky skies on the early days of harvest quickly dissipated so that we enjoyed clear days for the remainder of harvest. Unlike in previous years, the first frost (and snow!) did not arrive until late October, and we escaped harvesting our last bunches in whiteout conditions by only 12 hours!
