Merlot 2008
Released: May 2011
Colour: Crimson.
Bouquet: Cherry, milk chocolate, nutmeg and a hint of
truffles.
Palate: Well-structured wine with Merlot's typically soft
chalky tannins, modest intensity and wonderful length.
Food Pairings: Best enjoyed with steak, tomato based pasta dishes, salads with vinaigrette, and Mexican fare.
Cases Produced
Cases Remaining Online
Harvest Notes
The warm summer and naturally low crop yields of 2008 helped ensure that our reds reached optimum maturity. Careful leaf removal throughout the season helped to maximize colour and flavour development. Close attention was paid to the maturing fruit, to not only ensure that sugars and ripe flavours were developing, but that tannins were maturing, ensuring a velvety full bodied texture in the finished wine. Our Merlot is 100% estate grown, and was harvested during the cooler days of mid-October.
Winemaking
The Merlot was handpicked and then sorted whole cluster and whole berry before being transferred to tank. Once in tank the whole berries were left to macerate for 4-7days. During this period the cap was punched down by hand twice a day. When the fruit completed its cold soak, the must was warmed and inoculated with a specific yeasts strain. Fermentation lasted a further 10-14 days. After fermentation was completed the must was kept warm and the cap was allowed to sink. This process allowed the tannins to polymerize and soften before the Merlot was pressed off and racked into barrel. The free run and pressings were kept separate and aged in barrel where the wine underwent malo-lactic fermentation and was aged for 14 months. The wine was racked and blended before it went through our crossflow filter prior to bottling.
Gold - All Canadian Wine Championships 2012
Gold - OWFS Fall 2006
Gold - All Canadian Wine Championships 2004
Silver - Canadian Wine Awards 2010
Silver - All Canadian Wine Championships 2009
Silver - Canadian Wine Awards 2007
Silver - OWFS Fall 2007
Silver - LA County Fair 2006
Finalist - The Lieutenant Governor's Award for Excellence in British Columbia Wines 2009
Best Canadian Red - International Value Wine Awards 2006
Highly Recommended - OWFS Spring 2007
Highly Recommended - OWFS Spring 2006
Highly Recommended - OWFS Spring 2005
Bronze - Canadian Wine Awards 2012
Bronze - BC Wine Awards 2012
Bronze - OWFS Fall 2009
Bronze - Canadian Wine Awards 2006
Bronze - Canadian Wine Awards 2005
Bronze - Canadian Wine Awards 2004
