Callisto was discovered by Galileo in 1610 and is the second largest moon of Jupiter after Ganymede.  It’s also the third largest moon in our solar system.  I’d had no idea about this – until I drank this wine and wondered about the naming convention.

But!  I learned that Callisto was also a nymph – daughter of Lycaon, King of Arcadia.  She was transformed into a bear and then turned into a constellation.  Ahhh, hello Ursa Major, or ‘Great Bear’ wines.  I get it now.

This wine was a wild ferment in oak barrel with 10 months in French oak and then stainless steel for 3 more after that.  It has been lightly fined, but was not filtered.

It’s got a golden hazy tone with a nose so heavenly, I just enjoyed it for the first 20 minutes.  The aromas show canned Bartlett pear, Ambrosia apple, clover honey, and as it warmed, soft oak.

The flavours are beautifully developed and sherry-like when first opened with jasmine and ripe apple tart brushed with lemon.  As it warms in the glass, creme caramel, white pepper and wooded spice fill the glass.  The lengthy finish shows coconut cream pie.

Unctuous and deep, yet balanced and juicy, if this is what 13 months of age does, sign me up for more.  Only 125 cases of this were made, so run to your closest Cascadia liquor store in BC, as it will surely sell out.

This wine was made at the Okanagan’s Desert Hills Winery on Oliver’s Black Sage Bench by the inimitable Rajen Toor.

*This wine was provided gratis