Tasting Note – When tasted directly beside the also-excellent Cabernet Franc 2022, this showed the same sense of poise, fragrance and delicacy, that I assume really pleased the judges at home and abroad. The difference in the winemaking is the inclusion of 12% cabernet sauvignon in this Reserve, and upping the percentage of French oak to 61%. The oak resin, vanillin and spice does suppress the ripe raspberry/blackcurrant fruit a bit, but the signature sage from the local vegetation is very much in play.  It is medium-full bodied at 14.1%, the texture is almost satiny, the acidity energizes and tart-edged. Tannins are quite fine and the length is excellent. This should perform well for a long time.

Backgrounder – Dutch founding partners Rolf de Bruin and Heleen Pannekoek settled in Lillooet, with their young family in 2009 to establish the first commercial vineyard on the sandy, sage-covered benches above the Fraser River. There was much interest in the opening of this virgin region, which in mid-summer can be a heat sink. When I visited in June 2017 the canyon temps edged close to 40C.  In my mind, wine quality really jumped, and awards began to accumulate with the arrival from of viticulturalist Christopher Marquardt in 2020, then South African winemaker Alessandro (Alex) Nel in January 2021. He had spent several years at Cederburg in SA, one of my favourite Cape wineries. The grapes for this wine here were harvested fairly late in the season (after slow spring start). It was given a two-day cold soak, fermented, then macerated for nine days. Ageing in 10% new French oak lasted for 15 months.

Accoldades: Double Gold Global Wine Challenge, Silver National Wine Awards of Canada