#FavouriteThings Holiday Gift Suggestions | Phantom Creek

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

It is a privilege to welcome Phantom Creek Estates to our #FavouriteThings Holiday Gift Suggestions list of wineries we are recommending. This is an opportunity to give a gift that is as unique as the wine lover you are gifting. Something a bit special they may not be expecting. Surprise and delight someone on your list this year with a Phantom Cuvee.

2017 Estate Petite Cuvée

ESTATE VINEYARDS

Select barrels were chosen from across our Estate vineyards to create a distinct and full-bodied red wine. Our 2017 Petite Cuvée is a true expression of the South Okanagan’s unique terroir, showcasing a vibrant core of ripe fruit with plum and desert sage This wine is bright and juicy with red fruits and complexity in oak spices and aromatics. Fine-grain tannins carry through an impressively long and fresh finish – a tribute to the art of the blend.

2017 Cuvée

BECKER VINEYARD

It has now been 25 years since Becker Vineyard was replanted to Cabernet family varieties, proving that late ripening red varieties could thrive in the South Okanagan. The 2017 Becker Vineyard Cuvée is a Merlot dominant blend, and is a true expression both of this historic vineyard and the 2017 vintage.

Viticulture

Our winemaking truly begins in the vineyard. We farm our estate grapes with the aim of expressing the character of each vineyard in the final wine. And then we get out of the way.

Harvest

From sampling each individual block to meticulously hand-harvesting each cluster, our goal is to ensure fruit is brought into the winery at optimal ripeness. We pick earlier than most, a crucial step to retaining freshness and achieving balance once bottled.

Winery

Our red wines are first hand sorted, then optically sorted; each berry must meet our standards before it’s pressed and fermented in Rousseau oak casks and small French oak barriques. Our whites are pressed whole cluster, wild fermented in custom Stockinger oak casks. Our goal with every one of our wines is to achieve optimal texture, layers of complexity, and integration with oak.

History

1977, Becker Project Begins

Led by renowned viticulturist Helmut Becker, over 30 different grape varieties were specifically planted at (what’s now) Becker Vineyard as a demonstration that traditional European vines could survive in British Columbia. And not only did they survive—they thrived.

1993, Bordeaux Varieties Introduced

Becker Vineyard was one of the first in the South Okanagan to showcase the potential for late ripening Bordeaux reds, putting it at the forefront of the shift that would soon take place in the region’s winegrowing philosophies.

1996, Phantom Creek Vineyard

Phantom Creek Vineyard was planted by leading Okanagan viticulturist Richard Cleave to Cabernet family varieties and Syrah. Today, our namesake vineyard is recognized as one of the best in the country, and has produced the “Best Red Wine in Canada” on three separate occasions.

2005, Kobau Vineyard

Kobau Vineyard was originally planted as an apple orchard in 1929, shortly after irrigation was introduced to the South Okanagan. Located on the Golden Mile Bench, the acclaimed vineyard was planted to Cabernet family varieties, Viognier, and Syrah in 2005.

2016, Bai Family Founds Phantom Creek Estates

Driven by a love of Bordeaux-style wine, Richter Bai purchases Becker and Phantom Creek Vineyards, where his dream of starting a winery in the famed Okanagan Valley begins.

Today, Phantom Creek Estates

With the aim of setting the benchmark in Canadian viticulture and winemaking, Phantom Creek’s estate vineyards are now in transition to organic and biodynamic farming practices. We’ve got a foot firmly rooted in the past with our vision to the future.

Tasting notes; Viticulture, Harvest, Winery, and History information all courtesy of the winery. Images MyVanCity. I received complimentary bottles of wine to facilitate this feature. Any opinions are my own.

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