Wow, we haven’t opened this much wine in months, since way before my knee surgery. But it was our anniversary wine celebration – and these three bottles were excellent choices. In honor of BC wine month, we began with 2019 Tantalus Blanc de Blancs, a simply stunning sparkler of 100% Chardonnay with fine bubbles, bright acidity and salinity. Next came 2018 Liminal High Canyon Syrah, WeatherEye Vineyard. This impressive 100% Syrah is a silky, smooth special-occasion wine. And to round out the night, Two Vintners 2019 Oliver, which includes 70% Grenache from WeatherEye Vineyard, along with 20% Syrah, and 5% each of Petite Sirah and Cinsault. What a cool blend. Oh, what a night!

Anniversary Wine

Tantalus Vineyards

What better way to start an anniversary celebration than with an award-winning sparkler? Tantalus 2019 Blanc de Blancs is, quite simply, a stunner. This 100% Chardonnay sparkling wine caught our attention last November at a Wines of British Columbia tasting in my hometown of Vancouver. We loved it so much, I ordered two bottles for two of our celebrations in April. (Stay tuned for the second.) Adding to the fun, it’s a perfect wine to honour BC Wine Month in April. Specifically, this is a traditional method sparkling wine, with fine bubbles and pretty aromas that evolve in the glass. Scents of wet stone, freshly baked bread, and citrus lead into flavors of lemons, apple crisp, tangerines, and hints of grapefruit and licorice. Elegant, with bright acidity and salinity, this sparkler is crisp and dry, yet still has a creamy texture.

Liminal

We always open a special bottle of wine on our anniversary, and this year it was 2018 Liminal High Canyon Syrah, WeatherEye Vineyard. This 100% Syrah was grown on a steep block in the High Canyon section of WeatherEye. This outstanding Syrah is so silky smooth. It has depth, balance and a finish that goes on and on. Textured layers of flavors made me think of blueberries, blackberries and figs, with notes of bacon, olives, pepper, black licorice, espresso, crushed stone and minerality. Introduced in 2020, Liminal is another amazing project by excellent WA winemaker Chris Peterson and business partner Marty Taucher, known for Avennia Wines. What a great choice!

Two Vintners Oliver

Two Vintners Oliver is a unique Rhône blend named after rock-star winemaker Morgan Lee’s son. Consequently, the first vintage was 2009, the year Oliver was born. What a cool blend – 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, and 5% each of Petite Sirah and Cinsault. WeatherEye Vineyard – which is getting so much buzz lately (for good reason!) – sourced the Grenache. Olsen Vineyard produced the remaining varieties. You will want to linger over this impressive full-bodied wine. Brooding aromas of cherries, dark berries, spices and herbs mirror the palate. Gorgeous. Keep in mind, as we’ve said before and will say again, we’ve never met a wine from Morgan Lee that we didn’t like. Or love. And we’ve been drinking his beautifully balanced and standout wines – Two Vintners, Covington Cellars, Block Wines and Starside – since 2007.

Summary: Anniversary Wine

In conclusion, we had a wonderful anniversary celebration!

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Cheers!
Margot and Dave