Stratus Riesling Icewine 2020

Region: VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada

Grape: Riesling (100%)

Rating: Multiple Gold Medals International Competitions, World's finest Icewine recognition

When to drink: Ready to enjoy now and will continue to develop beautifully over the next 15-20 years. This exceptional Icewine shows remarkable complexity in its youth whilst possessing the concentration and acidity for extended cellaring. Best served well-chilled at 6-8°C.

Tasting: Beautiful golden colour displaying classic Niagara Icewine aromatics of lime, grapefruit, honey and stone fruits. Reserved and subtle with an exquisite balance of texture, acidity and freshness. The palate reveals bright apple, lemon and tropical fruit with hints of baking spice, all balanced with elegant texture and vibrant acidity. Intense honeyed sweetness is perfectly balanced by bright tangerine, passion fruit, honey and quince notes. The wine showcases vibrant concentration with classic petrol notes emerging, creating a luscious, syrupy texture that melts beautifully on the palate with a long, intensely sweet finish.

Pairing: This exceptional dessert wine pairs magnificently with Sturia Beluga Caviar or Sturia Oscietra Caviar, where the wine's sweetness creates an extraordinary contrast with the caviar's salinity. Excellent with premium Blue Cheeses or aged Parmigiano Reggiano, whilst its concentrated sweetness makes it perfect with premium chocolate desserts or crème brûlée. The wine's bright acidity also makes it surprisingly versatile with foie gras or serve simply as a contemplative dessert wine to appreciate Canada's most famous sweet wine style.

Producer: Stratus Vineyards, established in 2000 and opened in 2005, is a pioneering sustainable winery located in the heart of historic Niagara-on-the-Lake. As the world's first fully LEED-certified winery, Stratus represents the pinnacle of environmental responsibility and winemaking innovation. Founded by David Feldberg, CEO of Teknion, the 62-acre estate vineyard benefits from diverse soil types and a unique microclimate moderated by Lake Ontario and the Niagara River. Under winemaker Dean Stoyka's guidance, Stratus has become one of the benchmarks for quality within Canada's flourishing wine industry, producing Icewines that showcase the distinctive terroir of the Niagara Peninsula.

Vintage: The 2020 Icewine harvest required patience and precision, with grapes left on the vine until temperatures dropped below -8°C for the mandatory freeze. Harvested in January 2021 during frigid conditions with 95 km/h winds, this Icewine represents the culmination of an entire growing season's work concentrated into a few precious hours of harvest. The natural freeze-thaw process concentrated the sugars and acids to create this liquid gold, embodying the unique climatic conditions that make Niagara Peninsula one of the world's premier Icewine regions.

ABV: 14%

Vol: 37.5cl

Contains Sulphites