Tantalus Vineyards really does show off the best of BC Wine Country’s old and new vines. The vineyard and tasting room overlook mountains, terraced vines and Lake Okanagan. The winery in East Kelowna is an authentic estate producer, using grapes only from its contiguous vineyards.
The anchor vineyard here is Pioneer Vineyards which has been farmed with vines since 1927. It is just two years younger than the Sperling family’s Pioneer Ranch, which is nearby and which is the oldest vineyard in the Okanagan farmed continuously by the same family.
The Tantalus property was farmed for much of its history by the Dulik family who started a winery here in 1997, called Pinot Reach Cellars. It has been owned since 2004 by Vancouver investment dealer Eric Savics, who rebranded it to Tantalus.
Tantalus may derive its name from the legendary Greek king who for his crimes was condemned in Hades to stand in water that receded when he tried to drink, and with fruit hanging above him that receded when he reached for it. It could also stand for a case in which bottles may be locked with their contents tantalizingly visible!
The branding of the wines included labels featuring masks carved by artist Dempsey Bob, a renowned Tahltan/Tlingit artist born in Prince George. In 2013, Bob was named as an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of his contributions to the wood carving community. Eric Savics began collecting his art before he acquired the winery.
The Winemaker
David Paterson is Tantalus’ winemaker. David is a Kiwi with a Canadian connection, having been born in Vancouver. He received his winemaking degree from Lincoln University NZ and worked in the local industry. David travelled the wine world gaining experience at premium wineries in Oregon, France and Australia.
Although David is well-acquainted with other grape varietals, in his words, he’d “be quite happy making Riesling, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay for the rest of my life.” Prior to joining Tantalus, David was working with celebrated South Australian producer Henschke Cellars. I have spent many happy hours in the Barossa Valley sipping a big and bold Henschke Shiraz when we visited OZ.
Vintage 2016
In hindsight, last year was just a little too hot. Great wines have come out of the 2015 vintage but overall I think that 2016 is better. We started with a very early and warm spring which got the vineyards off to a great start. Unlike 2013-2015 vintages, July and August were not blisteringly hot months and the grapes had more time to slowly mature, giving great depth of flavour and concentration without accumulating a huge amount of sugar. In short the grapes this year have flavour and intensity at lower than average potential acid level. The long Indian summer without intense heat allowed the grapes to stay on the vine longer and accumulate better phenolic ripeness than we have seen in the previous hotter vintages. The wines from the 2016 vintage have depth and complexity, intense flavours and colour without harsh tannin and high acid. A very good to exceptional vintage overall.
David Paterson
Vintage 2017
After a cold winter with high snowfall, the 2017 growing season got off to a slower start compared to seasonal averages. True bud break took place during the first week of May; slightly later than seasonal averages. In contrast, the summer was hotter than average and sunny days made up for the late spring.
Although smoke haze from regional fires was present during parts of summer, it actually mitigated hot temperatures. The result was a slowing of the ripening phase, preventing sugar from accumulating too quickly over such a hot period. Smoke taint was a concern for some areas of the valley, however, we saw no influence on our wines. Overall our crop was slightly lower than average, leading to beautifully concentrated wines with great pedigree and ageability.
Davis Paterson
The Wines
Here are two exceptional Tantalus wines:
Tantalus Old Vines Riesling 2018 (SOLD OUT)
This wine is a little drier and a great deal more intense than the “regular” Riesling because the fruit comes from a two-acre block of Riesling planted in 1978.
Block 5 sits on a north slope of deep, silty soils. This block is bordered by a mature Ponderosa pine forest on its western edge – which offers dappled late afternoon and evening sun exposure. The fruit was handpicked at optimal ripeness and gently whole-bunch pressed and fermented cold for 45 days. The wine spends 4 months on lees and 2 years in bottle before release. Although delicious now, its long cellaring capability will richly reward those who wait.
Pale lemon in colour, the aromatics are at once intense, yet subtle and complex. From lime leaf and lemon zest to hints of wet slate and chalk, the aromatics are beautifully highlighted by a briny oyster character. The palate is juicy and developed with apricot, nectarine and fresh lemon all playing their part.
The wine competes with Sperling Vineyards for the title of the best Old Vines Riesling in the Okanagan.
2021 BC Lieutenant-Governor’s Awards Wine of the Year
Tantalus Juveniles Chardonnay 2017
All sourced from a single vineyard estate, the young gun Chardonnay block was handpicked and vinified in small lots using entirely wild fermentation. The wine was crafted in a combination of stainless steel and neutral barrels, this ensured the purity of the fruit was maintained.
A classic Chardonnay with aromas of green apple, lemon rind and a touch of fresh oyster shell. Flavours of ripe apple and Meyer lemon with just a hint of oak. Super mouthfeel with well-balanced acid. A light crisp chardonnay that will really hit its stride on a hot BC day. Amazing wine for only 6-year-old vines…that’s Kelowna wine country for you! A suggested pairing with neutral “undressed” Gone Crackers. Here is the link to where you can buy these excellent saltines. Also works well with shrimp or fish tacos.
For the complete portfolio of the Tantalus BC wines please visit their website.
If you are visiting Kelowna, a stop at the Tantalus Winery is a MUST.