Okanagan Trip, Part Ten! Up the hill we go to Tantalus! And a Gretzky!

After our wonderful and long tasting at Summerhill, it was perfect to head up to Tantalus to taste what they have to offer....they have good stuff, and not that much of it, so we knew this tasting would be quite a bit shorter than the last one.

Prices are pre-tax.

Tantalus 2014 Rose ($19.04)

A blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, this pink-hued blush brings notes of strawberries, and raspberries  on the nose. The berries follow through on the palate, with some hints of pink grapefruit. Very dry. 87.







Tantalus 2014 Riesling ($19.91)

Some wild floral notes on the nose, along with the sharp citrus and orange traditional with a Riesling from Tantalus. Red and green apples on the palate, with some pineapple thrown in the mix. Ages beautifully, we picked up one of these to put away for around a decade. 90.






Tantalus 2014 Riesling Lab ($16.43)

Lemon, pineapple and apples open up on the nose. Pears, melons and grapefruit on the palate with bright acidity and minerality. A real bargain at this price. 88.








Tantalus 2012 Chardonnay ($26.00)

Light and fruity, very light notes of oak. Lemon and nutmeg on the nose and palate. Medium bodied with hints of nectarine on the palate as well. Another Chardonnay that rejects the big, bold, buttery Chardonnay that used to dominate. 86.






Tantalus 2013 Juveniles Pinot Noir ($21.65)

Made from a single vineyard of newer plantings (hence the "Juveniles"). Violet notes with a tad of chocolate and cinnamon on the nose. Red fruits mingle on the palate alone with a touch of mocha. 87.







Tantalus 2012 Pinot Noir ($26.00)

Raspberries and violets dominate the nose. Just a hint of earthiness. Plum, vanilla and chocolate notes on the palate. 87.







Tantalus 2014 Riesling Icewine ($65.13)

Oh boy. OH. BOY.

Some of the juiciest notes of pineapple on the nose and palate. Apples and caramel on the nose as well, and hints of honey, peach and lime join the pineapple on the palate. Very long and bright finish. Simply extraordinary. 99.

This was my favorite Icewine ever from a winery that makes fabulous icewine; in fact I think I have a 2012 in my cellar. We bought one of the 2014 and the only negative thing I can say about it is that we already drank it! It certainly earned the "Gretzky".

Tantalus 2014 Syrah Icewine ($65.13)

What do you do when you can't get your Syrah plantings to ripen enough to make a quality table wine? Well, you make icewine, of course!

Berries, apples and even some roses on the nose. Raspberry, blackberry jam and ripe cherries on the palate. Also a very lovely icewine. 94.




Well if you read my last blog, you know I mentioned that Tantalus had the highest-rated wine from our trip, so now you know that this trip is going to end with no perfect 100-point wines... but keep reading, because there is still some great stuff to come!

Next up, we head back towards home base in Kelowna and a stop at Volcanic Hills!