We are incredibly excited to announce our April and May wine features will be Burrowing Owl.
2014 Burrowing Owl Cabernet Franc
Tasting Notes:
A ripe yet elegant nose showing a complex range of floral violet notes, five spice, sage, plum, black cherry and liquorice with a subtle hint of dark chocolate infused with orange zest. The palate is medium in body, elegant and refreshing with crisp acidity, soft round tannins and intense raspberry, plum, blackberry and spice on a long finish that shows some complex graphite minerality. Try with seared duck breast or chicken thighs grilled over charcoal. – Rhys Pender, Master of Wine
Wine Making:
The 2014 season presented the ideal profile for the production of intensely aromatic and concentrated wines for both whites and reds. The dry and warm Spring favored blossoming, and exceptional levels of heat during summer time provided for an even ripening. Finally, the beautiful late season gave us time to pick the grapes at will, when they had reached our optimum standards of maturity.
The grapes were harvested by hand from Burrowing Owl’s Vineyards in Oliver and Osoyoos from October 22nd to 30th. They were destemmed and gently crushed before being gravity fed into stainless tanks for skin maceration and alcoholic fermentation, with temperatures ranging from 17 to 28 Celsius. Both free run and pressed wine were then moved into barrels for the malolactic fermentation followed by 18 months’ ageing. The selection of barrels helped round out the tannins and contributed to complex notes such as smoky, savory and spice.
After the blending of the barrels, the wine was bottled unfiltered and left to mature in bottle until its release.
Ageing: 70% French oak, 25 % American, 5 % Hungarian with 22% new barrels and 15% one-year-old.
2013 Burrowing Owl Merlot
Tasting Notes:
A mix of brambly red berry fruit on the nose with paprika, roasted red pepper, stewed plum, black cherry, dark chocolate and violet along with some sweet vanillin pastry crust. The palate is dry, full bodied and has nice vibrant mixed red and black brambly berry fruit, crisp acidity, the punch of blackberry, juiciness of plum, blueberry, smooth tannins and dark chocolate, dried thyme and some dusty earth. Try with venison sausages with a sweet cassis sauce. Rhys Pender, Master of Wine
Wine Making:
The 2013 early spring allowed for an even bud break, flowering and fruit set. Summer heat ripened the grapes nicely and the cool autumn provided conditions for the acidity to be retained giving the wines a lively freshness to balance the ripe fruit.
The grapes were harvested by hand from Burrowing Owl’s Vineyards in Oliver and Osoyoos, from October 15th to 18th. They were destemmed and gently crushed before being fed by gravity flow into stainless tanks for cold soak (4 days) and alcoholic fermentation (10 days).
Both free run wine and pressed wine were then moved into barrels for malolactic fermentation followed 18 months’ageing. The selection of barrels helped round out the tannins, and contributed complex savoury, toasted and spicy notes. After the blending of the barrels, the wine was bottled unfiltered and left to mature in bottle until its release.
Ageing: 75% French, 17 % American, 8% Hungarian - 34% new oak, 16% neutral
2014 Burrowing Owl Chardonnay
Tasting Notes:
The 2014 Chardonnay shows the ripe fruitiness of the 2014 vintage with winemaking restraint. It has ripe peach, nectarine, tropical pineapple and papaya notes on the nose with some well integrated subtle toasty oak and fresh mandarin and lemon citrus notes to add complexity. The palate is full-bodied and rich textured but with crisp balancing acidity. Lemon, lime, peach, toasted nut, pineapple, caramel, vanilla, mango and green melon make for a complex palate, heightened with well integrated oak. The finish is crisp and refreshing. Try pairing this with Dungeness crab or scallops sautéed in brown butter.
Wine Making:
The 2014 season presented the ideal conditions for the production of intensely aromatic and concentrated wines: the dry and warm Spring favored blossoming, exceptional heat during summer time provided for an even ripening and the beautiful late season gave us time to pick the grapes at will, when they had reached our optimum standards of maturity.
The estate grown Chardonnay grapes were handpicked and hand sorted and then dropped whole-cluster into our pneumatic press for a gentle extraction of the juice. Drained by gravity into tank, the juice was chilled overnight to remove excess solids. 40% of the juice was fermented in tank while 60% fermented in oak barrels. Each method has advantages: fermentation under temperature-controlled tanks produces vibrant and lean wines while barrel fermentation brings savoury and oaky undertones with rounded texture due to lees stirring.
Partial malolactic fermentation (60%) was followed by 10 months ageing. Then the wine was filtered and cold stabilized prior to bottling. It was allowed to further age in bottle before its release.
Aging: 80% French oak with 30% new oak
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