Desert Hills is getting their 2015 whites ready for the busy season. Winemaker Anthony Buchanan is ready to make sure that the Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Viognier, Chardonnay, and Cactus White are all ready for the beginning of the season. Buchanan has been consulting since November but recently came onboard full-time as winemaker. “There’s room to grow here,” says Anthony. “Working with 100% estate fruit is going to be a lot of fun.” With his experience in producing top flight award-winning Pinot Noir, is there going to be a new wine in the Desert Hills portfolio? “Absolutely!” says Anthony. “We will have a Pinot Noir starting from the 2016 vintage.”
A preview of tank samples shows that the 2015 vintage was nothing short of spectacular at Desert Hills. Even when extremely chilled, the Cactus White is intensely aromatic. Here are a few tasting notes for what to expect:
2015 Viognier
Beautiful nose full of peaches, flowers, and orange blossom while the palate is dry with big peaches, nectarines, and honeysuckle.
2015 Cactus White
Nothing can keep this wine’s aromas down. Huge floral, mango, and peach aromas with similar flavours on the palate. There’s a lot of energy in this wine that will make you want to dance!
2015 Rosé
A beautiful bright light purple in the glass, this wine has big aromas of maraschino cherries, fruit salad, and strawberries. The palate is slightly off-dry with fruit salad and sweet cherry flavours.
~ Luke Whittall