Blend: 38% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc, 8.5% Malbec, 6.5% Petit Verdot
Analysis:
Alcohol: 14.0% | PH: 3.72 | Titratable acidity: 6.16 g/L
Bottling Date: August 2022
Cellaring: 10+ years
Tasting Notes:
A vibrant and powerful blend showing aromas of blackcurrant, raspberry, plum, blueberry pie, ripe black cherry, vanilla, dark chocolate and orange zest with hints of dried herbs, cedar and violet. The palate is nicely balanced with a full body, firm acidity and ripe tannin giving structure for ageing. Flavours of blackberry, sage, thyme and paprika meld into a graphite minerality on the long finish. Pair with grilled tenderloin with a peppercorn sauce or black bean ragù with grilled portobello mushrooms.
– Rhys Pender, Master of Wine
Wine Making:
The 2020 growing season was a rather average one characterized by certain weather events. Spring’s arrival was delayed, followed by bouts of rain in late May and early June which led to slightly lower yields and resultingly high-quality grapes. August added ideal summer heat, ripening the grapes slowly which extended into September. Sunny, clear skies in the fall helped make up for the late start to the season and benefited flavour development in the grapes while cool nights helped retain acidity.
All five grape varieties were harvested by hand from our Burrowing Owl vineyards between mid-October and early November. They were vinified and barrel-aged separately for 15 months during which time the final blend was discovered, satisfied that we had found the most accurate expression of the vintage and terroir. The blend was then put together and returned to barrel for another three months. The wine was then bottled and left to further mature in a temperature-controlled environment before its release.
