Blend: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
Analysis:
Alcohol: 14.0 % | PH: 3.88 | Titratable acidity: 5.53 g/L
Bottling Date: August 2023
Cellaring: 5+ years
Tasting Notes:
A deep, powerful and concentrated Cabernet Sauvignon showing pure cassis, blackberry, dusty sage, mint, black plum, roasted red pepper and dark chocolate aromas. The intense palate is full-bodied and structured with firm tannins, crisp acidity and complex flavours of mixed dark berries, mint chocolate, espresso, grilled rosemary, orange zest and graphite minerality on the finish. Pair this with grilled rib-eye with black olive compound butter or grilled Mediterranean vegetables with black olive tapenade.
– Rhys Pender, Master of Wine
Wine Making:
After a mild winter, the 2021 growing season got underway with early bud break occurring in March followed by timely fruit set. 2021 will be remembered as a very hot year with record-breaking temperatures in late June. Less frequent cooler nights coupled with the heat led to efforts to retain acidity in the grapes by picking earlier. While yields were somewhat impacted by the exceptional temperatures, phenolic ripeness was more easily achieved in the grapes harvested.
The grapes were harvested by hand from Burrowing Owl’s vineyards in Oliver and Osoyoos between October 13th and November 2nd. High temperatures and dry conditions during the growing season led to smaller-than-average berry sizes and bunch weights. This, combined with warm weather in the early fall resulted in early ripening and high levels of grape ripeness. The grapes were destemmed and gently crushed before being gravity-fed into stainless steel tanks for skin maceration and alcoholic fermentation. The wine was then moved into barrels for malolactic fermentation followed by 18 months of oak ageing.
