There is something about the purity of Riesling that keeps us wrapped around its finger; but pure doesn’t always equate to great. It still needs plenty of fostering in the vineyard and delicate handling in the cellar to allow its presence to shine through unimpeded.
Our flagship Riesling is a testament to our team’s dedication to our farming and cellar practices, and above all else, the pursuit of balance in this noble variety.
Pale lemon in colour, the wine has bright aromas of white flowers, lemon peel, mandarin flesh and gala apple with a hint of guava and pomelo. Fresh and vibrant on the palate with flavours of lime flesh, lemon oil, orange zest and white grapefruit with fresh kiwifruit and a lingering mineral acidity. A touch racier in style than recent vintages, which is a true reflection of the cooler growing season of 2022.
WINEMAKER'S NOTES
Our flagship off-dry Riesling is comprised of all our Tantalus home block vines planted in 2005 and 2009 as well as other vineyards in East Kelowna. All grapes where whole bunch pressed to 1.2 bar and the juice was settled naturally for two days before inoculation with a variety of Riesling specific yeasts. Ferments lasted between 30 and 45 days at temperatures that did not exceed 15 degree C. The final blend was balanced with just the amount of sweetness (15 g/L of residual sugar remain) to maintain the lovely tension we seek in this wine, year after year.
ACCOLADES
Gold Medal - National Wine Awards of Canada
93 points - Michaela Morris, Wine Align
"Cool tropical fruit collides with white peach, golden apple and fragrant lemon blossoms. The palate boasts exuberance, structure and depth along with flavours of white grapefruit pith and sunbaked stones. Tantalizing sweetness plays an exhilarating tug-of-war with racy acidity - the latter ultimately winning out on the penetrating finish."
92 points - Michael Godel, Wine Align
"Orchard fruit juicy, terpenes and then so much more, including mandarin orange, fine tannins and serious at the top of the pops extract. Some phenolic-metallic moments both proper and subtle."
92 points - Anthony Gismondi, Gismondi On Wine
"Year after year, it presents a nervy mix of peaches and lemon pith with a squeeze of green apple and wild flowers on wet stones and orange peels. Long, complex, and electric, it is a wine for the ages. One you can drink now or twenty years from now."
92 points - David Lawrason, Wine Align
"This is a splendid riesling and huge value. It boasts impressive fruit presence from the excellent 2022 vintage - with an almost opulent nose of fresh yellow plum, peach, lemon and floral notes. It is medium weight, dry but rounded with a hint of sweetness, and excellent base acidity. It fills the palate with flavour and goes to excellent length."
TECHNICAL INFO
Varietal: 100% Riesling
Alcohol: 12.9%
Residual Sweetness: 14.7 g/L
pH: 2.88
Total Acidity: 11.51g/L
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VINTAGE NOTES
2022 was a very 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 and meant that we were able to produce our first icewine since 2017.
