This year marks 2021 as being our 10th official anniversary of crafting wine in the Similkameen Valley. In celebration of this, we present an exciting new label that pays homage to the surrounding mountains, the Similkameen River, and the stony terroir of our valley. Each bottle is adorned with a hand waxed top that is then carefully stamped with our signature spiral. The new look of TALUS reflects the high-bank alluvial and talus slopes that create the charisma and character of our vineyards, and where our wines are born.
The Similkameen is rugged, windswept, and pristine- TALUS is our finest expression of this unique terroir.
45% Merlot ♦ 28% Cabernet Franc ♦ 21% Cabernet Sauvignon ♦ 4% Malbec ♦ 2% Petit Verdot
Hand grown, hand harvested, unfiltered & unfined. 100% estate grown grapes.
100% Similkameen Valley.
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
"Talus is the top drop at Corcelettes, an all-estate vineyards blend of geologies and about half merlot with decreasing proportions of cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, malbec and petit verdot. It's easily the ripest, sweetest and most polished of the winery's 2019 reds, declaring 14.5% alcohol. Fruit verges on jammy but stays just this side, delivering ample blackberry and spiced plum compote with the added toast of barrel ageing. Tannins are broad and supple, acids ripe and creamy. Length and depth are excellent overall. it has the sort of precision and polish one would expect from, say, fine Napa Valley cabernet, with a degree more freshness. Surprisingly engaging now, but surely best from about 2023-2034." -John Szabo, MS
Ratings
94 points- John Szabo, MS.
94 points- Daeena Van Mulligan, Wine Diva.
93 points- Michael Godel, WineAlign.
92 points- David Lawrason, WineAlign.
Vineyard Notes
100% Corcelettes Estate Vineyard - Stemwinder Soil
Winemaker Notes
"Naturally, this being our flagship wine, people often ask “Charlie how is it made?”. When I tell people that it’s easy, they are always surprised by that answer – “the process starts early in the year. Some rows just seem to bloom a little earlier or we get to particular plant work at the perfect time. Perhaps it’s the perfectly timed irrigation shift or perhaps we skipped one on that block and a light rain passed. Although we try, soil fertility and general vine health is not perfectly homogenous across vineyards – we address what we can but we also take pride in keeping this simple. Perhaps it comes down to the individual(s) that pruned, shoot thinned, tucked or leaf pulled and adjusted crop in those particular rows just right, perhaps it’s a combination of all these things that connect us to our vineyards – this methodology, or selection process, is applied to the dozens of micro blocks we have that are planted to Bordeaux varietals – after making an initial ‘cut’, what if I said that only half of the resulting wines could make the conversation for TALUS? It’s pretty simple in the sense that it’s the result of your very best efforts in all aspects of wine growing, then analytically and sensorially reduce it to the most elegant and generous of our barrel lots. We then trial several blends over several months to capture and balance the very best of the participating varietals. The whole must be larger than the sum of its parts, that is the art of blending. The goal? To share the beauty and potential of our valley and our passion for wine in every glass. The reward? TALUS." -Charlie Baessler, Winemaker
Food Pairing Notes
Blue cheese veggie burger, steak sandwich, or your favourite cut of slow roasted beef.
Production
Fourteen and a half barrels *355 cases crafted.
Other Notes
Approachable on release, or cellar for 5-10 years.
