Silver Medal Winner, SavorNW Wine Awards 2024
Our signature Bordeaux style blend, the 2020 Corner Stone, is 36% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec, and 6% Petit Verdot. Aged 18 months in French Oak barrels, this fruit forward blend is rich in flavour, colour and texture and is structured for longevity. This wine should age well 7 - 10 years.
Critic Reviews:
John Schreiner, Wine Writer (Sept 20, 2024)
The fruit for the winery’s flagship red is from the River Rock Vineyard. The blend is 36% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec and 6% Petit Verdot. About 80% of the grapes were left whole when they went into stainless steel and small fermentation totes. The Cabernet Sauvignon was co-fermented with some Merlot while the other varietals were fermented separately. The wine went into French oak (33% new) for 12 months. The superior-tasting barrels were selected for the final blend and aged a further six months. All that work produced a full-bodied and elegant wine with aromas of dark cherry, black currant and spice. On the palate, the wine delivered flavours of black currant, cherry and plum mingled with a hint of chocolate. The finish is long. 95.
Wine Profile
Vineyard Notes
The grapes for our 2020 Corner Stone were grown on our River Rock Vineyard. River Rock Vineyards surrounds our home and winery in Oliver BC. Overall, the 2020 vintage was a cooler one. The season started with bud break on April 27th. The weather was cool in May and through June with flowering 2 weeks later than usual. August also had cooler than normal nights. Early September was wetter and cooler than normal but was followed by a return to seasonal norms up to the end of October. The vines were farmed with particular care and attention to canopy and water management. Harvest decisions were based on winemaker’s personal preference with particular attention to sugar/acid balance and flavour. The grapes were harvested in the second and third week of October. Our vineyard soils are composed of alluvial deposits of rock, sand, and gravel laid down during the last glacial recession.
Winemaker Notes
Each varietal contained in the blend was handpicked. The grapes were sorted prior to destemming. Approximately 80% of the fruit was left whole berry, uncrushed. The grapes were cold soaked between 3-5 days and then fermented in both stainless steel tanks (2200, 2850 and 5000 litre) and small fermentation totes to maximize skin to juice contact. The Cabernet Sauvignon was co-fermented with some of the Merlot. Upon completion of fermentation the wine was transferred to the press and then to tanks to settle before being transferred to barrels where malolactic fermentation was completed. Wine was aged in French oak barrels (33% new) for approximately 12 months. At this time select barrels were chosen for the blend. After blending, the wine was returned to barrels and further aged another 6 months, for a total of 18 months prior to final filtration and bottling.
