Field Collection Red Vertical

What it is
A barrel-aged blend of 86% Merlot, 12% Pinot Noir and 2% Zweigelt

Where it was grown
Merlot and Pinot Noir from Arrowleaf Estate in Lake Country
Zweigelt from Ritchie Farm in Lake Country

When it was grown
2020 was a year of ups and downs in the vineyard. An unusually warm stretch of winter weather started the year off in a pleasant way until an arctic cold front moved in and damaged a lot of the fruitful buds on the vines. This resulted in a 40% reduction in overall yield. The silver lining, of course, is that with reduced yield generally comes exceptional quality. It turned out that the vines needed a light load this vintage as the summer and fall were cooler than normal causing the fruit to ripen late. All in all, 2020 is a stellar but scarce vintage.

How it was made
Harvested in late October, the grapes were crushed and cold-soaked for a week before fermentation to gently extract colour and tannin. After fermentation, the wine was filled into 225 L Eastern European and American oak barrels for 12 months of aging.

Serving suggestions
Serve with a slight chill (10 minutes in the fridge prior to serving).

Technical Details
Residual Sugar 1.3 g/l
Acidity 5.9 g/l
Alcohol 13.5%
Cases Made 420

What it is
A barrel-aged blend of 65% Merlot, 25% Pinot Noir and 15% Zweigelt.

Where it was grown
Merlot from Arrowleaf Estate in Lake Country
Pinot Noir from Wendell Vineyards, Lake Country
Zweigelt from Ritchie Farm in Lake Country

When it was grown
The 2019 vintage saw a welcome return to weather consistent with the long-term average. Clear skies alternated with rainy periods that proved tricky during harvest, but ultimately produced wines with finesse and great aromatics. The red wines produced during this year generally have an elegant balance of fruit, acidity and tannin.

How it was made
The grapes were harvested at ideal ripeness in mid to late October. After a 10-day fermentation and maceration period, then wine was pressed, racked and moved to 225 lL oak barrels for 12 months. The barrel program consisted of equal parts French, American and Eastern European oak (25% new). After barrel aging and blending, the wine was given a light filtration before bottling.

Technical Details
Residual Sugar 1.6 g/l
Acidity 5.4 g/l
Alcohol 13.9%
Cases Made 868

What it is
A barrel-aged blend of Merlot (84%), Zweigelt (8%) and Pinot Noir (8%).

Where it was grown
Merlot from Arrowleaf Estate in Lake Country
Zweigelt from Ritchie Farm in Lake Country
Pinot Noir from Beaumont in West Kelowna

When it was grown
The 2018 vintage started off with a mild winter and plenty of snow. The spring was cool and bud break in the vineyard was later than average. The large snowpack left a lot of groundwater in the soil and the vines grew fast with little or no irrigation until summer. July was very hot and the heatwave would have continued in August but high atmospheric smoke from forest fires provided a cooling effect that slowed the ripening of the grapes. The cooler temperatures stuck around in September; further delaying ripening and allowing the grapes plenty of time to develop flavour. The skies cleared in October for an ideal grape harvest.

How it was made
The grapes were harvested in mid to late October and were fermented with a 10-14 day maceration time before being pressed, racked and moved to 225l oak barrels for 12 months. The barrel program consisted of 75% American oak and 25% Eastern European oak (10% new). After barrel aging, the wine was given a coarse filtration before bottling.

Technical Details
Residual Sugar 1.5 g/l
Acidity 5.6 g/l
Alcohol 13.9%
Cases Made 1350

What it is
A barrel-aged blend of Merlot and Zweigelt.

Where it was grown
Arrowleaf Estate, Lake Country, BC (87%)
Ritchie Farm, Lake Country, BC (13%)

When it was grown
The 2017 vintage started with a cool and wet spring that delayed the onset of bud break in the vines. The melting snowpack and spring rains caused flooding in the valley bottom and a lot of ground water in the vineyards.

Once the weather warmed in June, the vines responded with vigorous growth. The summer was hot and dry which caused many forest fires in the mountains around the valley. The conditions in the vineyards remained favourable and ripening of the grapes started in early September. The fall remained dry and warm, allowing the grapes to fully ripen despite the late start in the spring. The quality of the grapes was excellent with lower than average yields and smaller berry size.

How it was made
The grapes were harvested in late October and vinified separately. Both lots were fermented on the skins for 10 days before being pressed, racked and moved to oak barrels for 12 months. The barrel program consisted of 75% American oak and 25% Eastern European oak (20% new). After barrel aging the wine was given a coarse filtration and was bottled in the spring of 2019.

Technical Details
Residual Sugar 1.5 g/l
Acidity 5.3 g/l
Alcohol 14.5%
Cases Made 990