Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
Handcrafted in small lots and available exclusively at our estate, this Storied Series Cabernet Sauvignon expresses fresh black current and cherry, as well as scented cedar and nutmeg. A savoury palate follows of ripe blackberries, along with rich vanilla and cloves. An elegant yet full bodied wine accentuated by firm tannins and a lingering finish. Try with a NY striploin, or smoked beet, lentil and blue cheese burger.
Vineyard Notes
From a winemaking perspective 2020 was an exceptional vintage in the South Okanagan. Early spring started out colder than average but by mid-to-late June, temperatures were at or above average. Following a summer that began a little later than usual, September was very warm resulting in our vineyards seeing a smaller than average crop with smaller grape bunches. The vines benefited from a dry September, with a smaller berry size contributing to concentrated flavours. The warm weather in late September and early October enabled the grapes to reach ideal phenolic ripeness, with our white varietals all handpicked and fermenting in tank by the first week of October. Following a warm start to fall, the weather turned and we saw a rare snowfall and a freezing event in the valley on October 23rd. Fortunately, the majority of our red grapes were harvested by this time. From a temperature perspective, the 2020 vintage was the 5th warmest in growing degree days in the last 2 decades. Overall, the 2020 season delivered exceptional quality grapes of a smaller berry size with abundant ripe fruit and beautifully enhanced flavour profiles. It is a year where the quality will be talked about for years to come, producing wines that are cellar worthy.
Winemaker Notes
A beautiful reflection of our historic terroir, this wine’s story begins in blocks 7 and 8 of our Golden Mile Bench vineyard. Planted over 16 years ago, our Cabernet Sauvignon vines prefer limited irrigation, yielding small, concentrated berries. The grapes for this vintage were handpicked into bins, sorted and destemmed. The whole berries were cold soaked for 4 days in our Ganimede fermenters for ideal extraction of aromatics and flavours. Following fermentation on the skins, the wine was gently pressed and underwent malolactic fermentation. This wine saw only French oak, with tight grained barrels used, and was aged for 16 months on fine lees. Saint Martin and Alain Fouquet barrels are our our main cooperages from France. After aging, the barrels were racked and the lots blended with 500 cases bottled in May 2022. A well-balanced wine of structure and grace.
