CedarCreek Estate Winery’s 2014 Platinum Block 3 Riesling was named Best Canadian White Wine over 15£ at the prestigious Decanter World Wine Awards in London. Rated 95 Points, the win follows last year’s Decanter World Wine Award for their 2012 PlatinumBlock 2 Pinot Noir as Best Canadian Red Wine over 15£.
Both Block 2 and Block 3 are located in the steep-sloped, CedarCreek Home Block Vineyard in South Kelowna, where the aspect of the land creates even higher light intensity than is usual in the Okanagan Valley an intensity only found in Central Otago, New Zealand.
The Block 3 Riesling is the oldest block planted at CedarCreek and dates to 1991. The soil beneath the vines is composed of sandy loam with a clay base. Because of the age of the vines, the roots have now reached the clay layer from which they are able to extract moisture. As such, the vines receive little to no additional water during the growing season which is unusual in the dry, arid Okanagan Valley and only intensifies the site-specific nature of the wine.
“It took us 21 years to make a single block Riesling at CedarCreek,” said winemaker Taylor Whelan. “It took that long for the grapes to start to express what we really felt was the characteristic of our land, and that is the philosophy behind our single block Platinum tier of wines. If they don’t meet that level, we can still make an excellent Riesling, but it’s not to a Platinum standard. There’s no question—Our Wine is Our Word.”
The win is further reinforcement of CedarCreek’s decision to lead the way in the Okanagan toward more and more block-specific wines. “We’re really invested in a deep understanding of what our land is capable of in nuanced ways,” says Whelan. “As our vines continue to mature, most date to the 90s, and their roots reach deeper, we’re starting to see characteristics that are distinctly and unmistakably CedarCreek. We’re also blessed by an exceptional viticulture team, some of whom planted these vines and continue to nurture them. We’re starting to see the real aspects of both people and place in our wines.”
With Canada the theme at 2017 Vancouver International Wine Festival, and Pinot Noir and Riesling the featured varietals, CedarCreek is leading the way toward the high-profile spotlight on Canadian wine. Approximately 450 cases of the Platinum Block 3 Riesling were produced in 2014.
Very limited quantities of the Platinum Block 3 Riesling are available for sale, call 778-738-1027 and the 2012 Platinum Block 2 Pinot Noir is available in the collector’s box set. Order online at cedarcreek.bc.ca.
