Tantalus Vineyards

Tantalus is the winery leading the Riesling renaissance in British Columbia. It has an advantage over most of its peers – old vines. Riesling (the Weis 21-B clone) was planted here in 1978 by the Dulik family, the former owners of the vineyard. The previous winery here, called Pinot Reach, began the production of Old Vines Riesling, making a wine that won acclaim from British wine writer Jancis Robinson, who is now also showering praise on the Tantalus Rieslings.

Tantalus took over the property in 2004, installing a young Australian winemaker named Matt Holmes. His mastery of the variety is such that his first-ever icewine, a 2005 Riesling, was as outstanding as the table wines.

This is his second Old Vines Riesling. It is a daring, edgy, bone-dry wine. The almost piercing acidity of its youth is the hallmark of a great ageworthy Riesling. At this stage in its life, it has tangy lime flavours framed by the slatey mineral notes that only old vines can deliver. The wine is intensely focussed, brilliantly fresh and crisp now. It is bottled under screw caps, an assurance that the zesty aromas and flavours will still be there a decade from now. 91 points.

Reviewed July 16, 2007 by John Schreiner.