“In this series we bring you our #FavouriteThings Holiday Gift Suggestions which we personally recommend”
Long a favourite we are glad to have Poplar Grove back again this year on our #FavouriteThings Holiday Gift Suggestions list. This trio of red wines is pretty hard to beat and would make a wonderful gift for a wine lover on your list this year.
Merlot 2017
85% Merlot, 7% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc
Tasting Notes
Medium ruby red. Cranberry and red cherry with notes of sage and baking spice. Flavours of dark cherry and bramble with fennel and vanilla on the finish. Medium plus tannins and acidity offer excellent structure. Pair with red wine and herb braised chicken dishes.
Harvest Notes
A cold Canadian winter, unusually wet spring, and dry summer yielded wines with excellent balance and distinct varietal flavours. Crops were lighter than normal, but the vintage will be remembered for unprecedented food and drought conditions, and a persistent haze from nearby forest fires.
While not directly affecting our grape-growing areas, the haze blanketed the sun coverage, preventing the customary heat spikes and positively impacted the growing season by slowing down the grape ripening periods and flavour development. Ripening was assisted by the rigorous leaf plucking and bunch thinning of our dogged, never-say-die vineyard crew. Ultimately, slightly lower yields and phenomenal fruit quality delivered an excellent 2017 vintage, characterized by high flavour concentration, moderate alcohol, balanced tannins, complexity and natural acidity.
Winemaking Notes
Berries were hand-picked and sorted prior to crushing, then cold-soaked for four days. Alcoholic fermentation took place at controlled temperatures in stainless steel tanks; breaking and soaking the cap through twice daily pump-overs allowed for full integration. Next came a long post-alcoholic maceration of the submerged caps for a further 14 days before pressing into barrels. Malolactic fermentation occurred in barrel over the winter & finished in the spring of 2018. 21 months aging in 25% new oak. The remainder was aged in a combination of 1 to 3- year-old French oak barriques and bottle aged for one year.
Cellaring Notes
Drink now through 2030.
Cabernet Franc 2017
87% Cabernet Franc, 8% Malbec, 3% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Notes
Deep ruby red. Aromas of dark berry fruits, tobacco, cedar wood and leather. Cassis and black cherry with notes of vanilla on the palate. Fine medium tannins with medium-plus acidity knit together allowing the 2017 Cabernet Franc to come alive on the palate. Perfect with rich duck and game dishes.
Harvest Notes
A cold Canadian winter, unusually wet spring, and dry summer yielded wines with excellent balance and distinct varietal flavours. Crops were lighter than normal, but the vintage will be remembered for unprecedented food and drought conditions, and a persistent haze from nearby forest fires. While not directly affecting our grape-growing areas, the haze blanketed the sun coverage, preventing the customary heat spikes and positively impacted the growing season by slowing down the grape ripening periods and flavour development. Ripening was assisted by the rigorous leaf plucking and bunch thinning of our dogged, never-say-die vineyard crew. Ultimately, slightly lower yields and phenomenal fruit quality delivered an excellent 2017 vintage, characterized by high flavour concentration, moderate alcohol, balanced tannins, complexity and natural acidity.
Winemaking Notes
Traditional Bordeaux vinification techniques have been used to create an elegant and age-worthy Cabernet Franc. For each of the component lots, bunches were handpicked and sorted in the vineyard. The berries were crushed separately and cold soaked for two days before fermentation. Malolactic fermenta tion occurred in barrel over the winter and finished in the spring of the following year. The wines from each vineyard lot were kept separate in 25% new oak and a combination of two to three year old French oak barrels for twenty one months. Our Cabernet Franc was further developed in bottle for twelve months prior to release.
Cellaring Notes
The 2017 Cabernet Franc will develop for well over a decade. Drink now through 2035.
The Legacy 2016
33% Cabernet Franc, 25% Malbec, 15% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Petit Verdot
London Wine Competition GOLD MEDAL (96 pts)
$70.00 The Legacy 2016 will be released January 1st
Tasting Notes
Medium Ruby Red with a thin garnet rim showing graceful aging. Aromas of leather, red plum and cigar box with hints of vanilla. Rich berry fruit and dark chocolate with subtle notes of fennel and caramel on the finish. Medium-to-full bodied with fine tannins create a soft yet structured mouthfeel and an elegant finish. This age worthy blend will become more expressive with time.
Harvest Notes
In 2016, spring arrived very early and warm, with bud break four weeks ahead of normal. A late April snowstorm in South Osoyoos took the thriving vines by surprise, destroying a tiny fraction of our petit verdot vineyards. The summer that followed
turned out to be wetter and cooler than expected, which slowed fruit development and forced increased vineyard management. Luckily, the long, warm fall season that saw a gradual cool down in temperature week after week, gave the grapes extra time to
achieve full ripeness and flavour characteristics. The extended fall season was instrumental in preparing the vines to survive what was to be the coldest winter the Okanagan Valley has seen in 50 years. The slow cooling process throughout fall allowed the vines time to enter a gradual dormancy, turn woody and store their reserves for hibernation. Overall, the 2016 growing season was long, weathered and embraced by the team. We are grateful for the persistence and patience of the vineyard crew and Mother Nature, which resulted in yet another fantastic vintage.
Winemaking Notes
The Legacy is a singular wine defined by the sum of its parts. Elegant and refined, the 2015 version marries power and finesse, with serious density and grip. Bordeaux-inspired perhaps, but with the suppleness and freshness that is purely Okanagan. All component varietals were estate grown and hand-picked for their specific characteristics, then rigorously sorted prior to fermentation and extended macertion. The various lots were aged in 100% traditional French barriques for 21 months before the final blend was assembled, and then matured in-bottle for 2 years prior to release.
Cellaring Notes
Fresh and vigorous upon release, The Legacy 2016 can be cellared for up to 15 years. Drink before 2031.
Poplar Grove Winery
Founded in 1993, Poplar Grove Winery is one of the original five wineries on the Naramata Bench. Tony and Barb Holler purchased the winery in 2007 with the long-term vision and commitment to building one of the most respected wine growing estates in Canada. Their sons, Chris, Andrew, Matthew and Eric farm more than 100 acres of estate vineyards with care. Together, they share a commitment to express the incredible diversity of the Okanagan Valley. The Hollers are leading the journey to put Okanagan Valley wines on the map with an unwavering commitment to traditional farming and winemaking principles.
Poplar Grove is widely recognized for crafting benchmark Pinot Gris and Cabernet Franc as well as multiple varietals and exceptional blends. Their flagship Okanagan blend of red Bordeaux varieties, The Legacy, first produced in 2003, is a wine that has the rare quality of being good at any age.
The family philosophy: great wine brings us together.
Tasting notes and images courtesy of the winery. I received complimentary bottles of wine to facilitate this feature.
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