#FavouriteThings Holiday Gift Suggestions

“In this series we bring you our #FavouriteThings Holiday Gift Suggestions which we personally recommend”

Always on our list is Tantalus. The wines just get better every year and I am pleased to personally recommend these two wines for your holiday gift giving this year.

Be sure you buy a few of these classic wines for yourself too this year. The Chardonnay is a newly released vintage and of course you can never go wrong with the Pinot Noir. Think turkey!

2018 Chardonnay

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 bright golden colour, this wine exhibits classic Chardonnay notes of hazelnut, crème brûlée, lemon curd moving through to spicy notes of clove and rye. The lemon curd carries through to the palate juxtaposed with juicy, white grapefruit and white peach cobbler. Beautifully well-balanced with nice weight up front and bright, mineral-driven acidity that carries the lengthy finish.

The backbone of our flagship Chardonnay is sourced from estate 1985 plantings alongside younger components of Dijon clones, planted between in 2006 – 2007. The 2018 fruit was picked during a handful of days in mid-September at optimal ripeness. After pressing, underwent 100% wild fermentation and was then aged for 10 months in primarily neutral oak barriques and puncheons, with 30% new oak incorporated. Clonal selection: 76 & 95.

$27.83 available online

2018 Pinot Noir

Each vintage, our flagship Pinot Noir most beautifully captures the evolving maturity of our vineyard; offering us a wonderfully natural expression of our unique terroir in Southeast Kelowna.

Deep crimson in colour, this wine juxtaposes sweet berry and lifted floral aromas against notes of fresh earth and mushroom. Hints of anise and fennel round out the complex aromatic profile. The earthy character follows through on the palate along with dusty cocoa, black plum, chokecherry and baking spice. The finish is long and structured with a vein of minerality and promises a long, age-worthy life for this wine.

Crafted from multiple clones and all sourced from our single vineyard estate, select Pinot Noir blocks were handpicked and vinified in small lots using 100% wild fermentation. Each block was fermented separately, with a light working once a day through fermentation, mainly by way of gentle foot-treading. Anywhere from 20- 40% whole bunches were included.

Once the wine had finished primary fermentation the must was gently pressed after between 18-35 days on skins depending on the block. The wine was then aged in oak barriques (25% new) for 11 months, at which time it was “blended” and returned into neutral barrels on fine lees for another winter (15 months total). Bottling, unfined and unfiltered, took place in February 2020. Although enjoyed in its youth we see this wine aging gracefully over the next 7 to 10 years. Clonal selection: 115, 667, 777, 828, 37, 943.

$30.44 available online