Canada — wine

Lillooet

The Fraser Canyon's most northerly wine zone, centred on the town of Lillooet at the junction of the Cayoosh and Fraser rivers. Extreme heat — summer temperatures rival the south Okanagan — intense sun, and minimal rainfall create the paradox of viticulture at this latitude. A genuine frontier: handful of pioneer producers working with syrah, merlot, and riesling with results of startling warmth and concentration.

Year Rating Notes
2024 92 Lillooet's 2024 was a powerful season in pristine conditions. The canyon's extreme heat and diurnal variation, free of wildfire smoke, produced wines of the appellation's maximum concentration and natural freshness.
2022 91 Ideal heat accumulation with clean harvest. Lillooet's high-altitude vineyards achieved the balance of ripeness and acid retention that defines the region at its best.
2021 86 Extremely hot season well-suited to Lillooet's desert climate. Late-ripening red varieties achieved full phenolic maturity for the first time in several seasons.
2014 90 Lillooet's 2014 was exceptional by the standards of this remote Interior BC wine region. The canyon's extreme diurnal temperature variation in a warm vintage produced wines of surprising freshness and concentration, particularly in red Bordeaux varieties.
2013 90 Lillooet's 2013 season delivered the canyon's natural heat in conditions of excellent balance. Bordeaux varieties achieved outstanding ripeness while the diurnal variation preserved freshness in what was a textbook Interior BC vintage.
2012 89 Lillooet's 2012 was shaped by the canyon's natural heat and drought conditions — an excellent season for Bordeaux varieties in this extreme Interior BC location.
No products catalogued for this region yet.