Tasting Note This is a solid, barely off-dry riesling — a classic actually, wherein the natural acidity of this far north appellation plays nicely off the almost tropical apricot fruit from the hot summer days in the Fraser Canyon. Real ying-and-yang tension, but gently so. The nose also shows sage, honey and minerality. It is light to mid-weight at a keen 12.5% alcohol, but the residual sugar is way in the background — a mere suggestion. The finish shows bitter lemon, minerality and florals. The length is excellent.

Backgrounder Dutch founding partners Rolf de Bruin and Heleen Pannekoek settled in Lillooet, with their young family in 2009 to establish the region’s first commercial vineyard on the sandy, sage-covered benches above the Fraser River. I visited in the summer of 2017 and witnessed the incredible heat that can accumulate in the valley. 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. This riesling is 100% estate grown from the Dry Creek Vineyard (planted in 2009) and Red Rock Vineyard (planted in 2019). A long natural fermentation took place in a combination of 225-litre and 400-litre French oak barrels, and then a small portion matured seven months in second fill French oak barrels, with the rest in neutral oak. Very well-conceived riesling winemaking. 

Accolades: Silver, WineAlign National Wine Awards. Silver, Decanter World Wine Awards.