Wine |
Burrowing Owl Estate Winery Meritage 2005 |
Appellation |
Okanagan |
Grape Varietal |
Merlot (64%), Cabernet Franc (25%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%), Petit Verdot and Malbec (1%) |
Alcohol % |
14.4 |
Price |
$45 |
Quantity |
1,455 cases produced |
You have a choice with Burrowing Owl wines: buy them direct when they are available or wait until the restaurants have them all, and then pay double. You will not regret paying $90 for this fabulous red but you will be a lot happier if you buy two bottles for the money. It sells by the case from the winery’s website but surely you have a few friends to share a case with. They’ll be your friends forever.
Burrowing Owl has made a Meritage – fancy name for a blend of Bordeaux varieties – since 2000. While the winery also offers Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignons as excellent single varietals, the blend always seems to offer a little more of everything. Which is the point of blending these varieties.
This wine is rich, with an inviting aroma of vanilla, cassis and plums. That leads to flavours of chocolate, plums and currants. The long, ripe tannins and the bold oak flavours contribute to the satisfying, mouth-falling textures of this wine. The finish lingers forever, showing elegance and balance. The wines shows very well now but should age nicely for another five years. 90-91 points. |
