Textbook Page-Turner 2016

Vintage 2016 was unseasonably cool and led to late bud break and later than normal harvest. Modest shatter occurred but not to the extent of 2015 and so while harvest was smaller than average, we look at it as quite normal. The longer season allowed for perfect flavor development in Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot across Oakville.

Bright, clean and refreshing, this wine’s caress of cherryliqueur richness is tamped down by the green edges of the fruit, bringing notes of strawberry leaves along with the berry flavor. It’s a saturated cabernet, bold and juicy, even as its structure remains lean. This is mostly merlot (79 percent) from a vineyard in the western benchlands of Oakville, blended with cabernet sauvignon from the base of the eastern hills.