Tightrope has chosen four great wines to feature here for #ShiptoSip. All four wines reflect reasonable pricing because, we, and the winery, know that things are a little bit upside down right now.
Our campaign is designed so everyone who loves #BCWine will have options for wine shopping online. We enjoy these wines and if you are already a fan you know how much you will enjoy them too. For those of you who are new to Tightrope wines or are looking for something you haven’t tried before, check out these four wines for your sipping pleasure.
Due to the Covid19 outbreak and the need for self isolation we are offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders of 6 or more bottles. Use promo code ShiptoSip when ordering.
2018 Riesling
The grapes were picked in two separate lots, one week apart to maximize ripeness and flavour. The 1st lot of grapes were whole-cluster pressed, with 14 hours of skin contact, before pressing. The wine was then stainless steel fermented with minimal intervention. The fermentation was at a low temperature between 11 – 14 ⁰C and took 30 days to complete. As with our other Rieslings, the fermentation was stopped to leave a small amount of residual sugar to balance out the acid in this wine.
On the nose there are aromas of orange blossom, pear and green apple. The palate has flavours of lemon zest, papaya, honeydew melon with a touch of minerality leading to a crisp, lingering finish.
Silver-InterVin International Wine Awards 2019
The grapes for our Riesling is 100% estate grown, hand-picked and made with limited intervention to show a true expression of the vintage. The grapes were picked in two separate lots, one week apart to maximize ripeness and flavor.
Winemaker Notes
The 1st lot of grapes were whole-cluster pressed, with 14 hours of skin contact, before pressing. The wine was then stainless steel fermented with minimal intervention. The fermentation was at a low temperature between 11 – 14 ⁰C and took 30 days to complete. As with our other Rieslings, the fermentation was stopped to leave a small amount of residual sugar to balance out the acid in this wine.
Pan fried sole, waldorf salad
2018 Chardonnay
At the winery, the grapes were whole cluster pressed and juice was cold settled for three days before being racked off solids. The juice was then racked to French oak and stainless steel barrels for fermentation. The fermentation was carried out at 14-16 °C, and took 14 days to complete. This wine was barrel fermented and aged on lees for 7 months, with extensive lees stirring. A third of the wine went through malo-lactic fermentation.
The bright fruit flavours and minerality shine through, with restrained use of oak & malo-latic fermentation. There are aromas of honeysuckle, lemon zest & vanilla, continuing with flavours of pomelo, poached pear & baking spice. Aged in barrel, for 7 months on lees, the mouthfeel is soft, and the finish is lingering.
This Chardonnay is grown in small lots.
The grapes were whole cluster pressed and juice was cold settled for three days before being racked off solids. The juice was then racked to French oak and stainless steel barrels for fermentation. The fermentation was carried out at 14-16 °C, and took 14 days to complete. This wine was barrel fermented and aged on lees for 7 months, with extensive lees stirring. A third of the wine went through malo-lactic fermentation.
2017 Pinot Noir
The grapes for this wine came from the Tightrope Vineyard and the adjacent Garagan Vineyard (formally Hermitage). Extensive work was done in both vineyards to make this wine. Fruit dropped to one cluster per shoot and the shoulders are removed. Both shoots and leaves are thinned to ensure good light penetration and even ripening. The irrigation is strategically managed to control canopy growth, berry size, guarateeing good ripening of grapes.
The care taken in the vineyard, continues in the winery, where the grapes were hand picked and then processed immediately. The grapes were de-stemmed, but not crushed, directly into small half ton fermenters where they were cold soaked for five days, before a wild ferment commenced. In total the grapes spent about 21 days on skins before being pressed. The wine was aged in French Oak, 30% new, for 10 months before being bottled.
On the nose there is an elegant balance of dried cranberries, plums and dark cherry. The palate continues with flavours of vanilla, tobacco and spice. This is a medium to full-bodied Pinot Noir, with soft silky tannins.
Silver-InterVin International Wine Awards 2019, Bronze-BC Lieutenant Governor’s Wine Awards 2019, Bronze-National Wine Awards of Canada, 2019
The grapes are all hand-picked for this wine and come from the Tightrope Vineyard and adjacent Hermitage Vineyard. Extensive work was done in both vineyards to make this wine. Fruit dropped to one cluster per shoot and the shoulders are removed. Both shoots and leaves are thinned to ensure good light penetration and even ripening. The irrigation is strategically managed to control canopy growth, berry size, guarateeing good ripening of grapes.
The grapes were hand picked and then processed immediately. The grapes were de-stemmed, but not crushed, directly into small half ton fermenters where they were cold soaked for five days, before a wild ferment commenced. In total the grapes spent about 21 days on skins before being pressed. The wine was aged in French Oak, 30% new, for 10 months before being bottled.
Cedar planked BC wild salmon, roasted duck breast
Drink now through 2026 $30.35 online
2017 Syrah
All the grapes for this Syrah were sourced exclusively from the Naramata Bench and is co-fermented with Viognier (3%), which accounts for its deep colour and floral hints on the nose. This wine was fermented in small lots, of approximately 1 ton each and was cold soaked for 5 days, before fermentation was begun. The wine was barrel aged for 10 months, in mostly French oak, with a small percentage of American oak, for added complexity.
On the nose there are violets, black pepper, blackberry and dark cherry. The palate has flavours of plum, anise, & blackcurrant along with, spice, leather and savory notes, all balanced with soft, siilky tannins.
Silver-InterVin International Wine Awards 2019, Bronze-WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada 2019
All the grapes for the Syrah were sourced exclusively from the Naramata Bench
This wine was fermented in small lots, of approximatley 1 ton each and was cold soaked for 5 days, before fermentation was begun. The wine was barrel aged in barrel for 10 months, in mostly French Oak, with a small percentage of American oak, for added complexity.
Vension stew with polenta, rosemary crusted rack of lamb.
Drink now through 2026 $30.35 online
Due to the Covid19 outbreak and the need for self isolation we are offering FREE SHIPPING on all orders of 6 or more bottles. Use promo code ShiptoSip when ordering.
A family run winery in the Okanagan Valley
Graham and Lyndsay O’Rourke have had a passion for the fine art of winemaking for years. From the snowy slopes of the Coastal Mountains, into the semi-arid desert of B.C., the couple has brought their outdoor enthusiasm to the Okanagan Valley, expressing their expertise in the realm of vine growing and winemaking with the culmination of their new wine label, Tightrope.
Tasting notes, bottle shots and feature image courtesy of the winery.
