Analysis:
Alcohol: 14.7% | PH: 3.81 | Titrable acidity: 6.38 g/L
Bottling Date: August 2016
Cellaring: 5+ years
Tasting Notes:
A ripe yet elegant nose showing a complex range of floral violet notes, five spice, sage, plum, black cherry and liquorice with a subtle hint of dark chocolate infused with orange zest. The palate is medium in body, elegant and refreshing with crisp acidity, soft round tannins and intense raspberry, plum, blackberry and spice on a long finish that shows some complex graphite minerality. Try with seared duck breast or chicken thighs grilled over charcoal. – Rhys Pender, Master of Wine
Wine Making:
The 2014 season presented the ideal profile for the production of intensely aromatic and concentrated wines for both whites and reds. The dry and warm Spring favored blossoming, and exceptional levels of heat during summer time provided for an even ripening. Finally, the beautiful late season gave us time to pick the grapes at will, when they had reached our optimum standards of maturity.
The grapes were harvested by hand from Burrowing Owl’s Vineyards in Oliver and Osoyoos from October 22nd to 30th. They were destemmed and gently crushed before being gravity fed into stainless tanks for skin maceration and alcoholic fermentation, with temperatures ranging from 17 to 28 Celsius. Both free run and pressed wine were then moved into barrels for the malolactic fermentation followed by 18 months’ ageing. The selection of barrels helped round out the tannins and contributed to complex notes such as smoky, savory and spice.
After the blending of the barrels, the wine was bottled unfiltered and left to mature in bottle until its release.
Ageing: 70% French oak, 25 % American, 5 % Hungarian with 22% new barrels and 15% one-year-old
