“In this series we bring you our #FavouriteThings Holiday Gift Suggestions which we personally recommend”
Known for big, bold reds and refreshing whites, small-batch and family owned winery. Their motto: Every life well-lived deserves a little Mayhem! Great philosophy and great wines that we love and know you will too. For the wine lover who loves life and lives to the fullest! Mayhem wines for you and for the wine lovers on your holiday gift list.
Here are two wines that should be on your give list and your “for me” list!
2020 Cabernet Merlot
GOLD winner at the NWAC
89% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc, this big, bold red recently took home a Gold Medal and scored 92 points at the National Wine Awards of Canada.
After a nice cool winter, followed a bit of a challenging spring/early summer, where fruit set was not even throughout, 2020 pulled through to be one of our winemakers favourite vintages. Mid-season was not overly hot, allowing the fruit to retain its natural acidity without the sugar content getting too far ahead. Small, clean, concentrated berries resulted. The end of the season, the nights started to become cool allowing good fruit and phenolic development alongside the retention of natural acid.
Each pick was hand harvested and kept separate from the 3 single vineyard sites in South Okanagan for this blend. They were whole berry destemmed into stainless steel fermenters, each parcel was soaked for 5 days, prior to a 12–15-day fermentation. Post-fermentation, the wines were transferred to 100% French oak barrels and aged for 5 months, at which point the final blend was put together. The wine was transferred back to barrel for an additional 6 months. This blend is 89% Merlot and 11% Cabernet Franc. Bottling occurred in late August 2021. This wine is unfined and unfiltered.
On the nose, there are layers of blueberries, black plums and baking spices with soft, velvety tannins and a touch of graphite and cocoa on the finish. This Cab Merlot is destined for anything on the grill, so invite some friends over and fire up the barbie!
We produced only 755 cases, drink this wine now or lay it down for another 4 to 6 years.
$24.44 available online also available at select Save on Foods
2019 Fortified Gewurztraminer
Hand-harvest from Cellarsbend Vineyard in Naramata, we produced only 83 cases of 2019 Fortified Gewürztraminer.
During fermentation, a 93% alcohol grape derived spirit is added before transferring the wine to neutral oak vessels where it aged for 23-months prior to bottling. To help balance the overall profile of the wine, the wine spends 6 months aging outdoors in the Okanagan summer heat. The wine is beautifully balanced showing an array of tropical fruit and pears on the nose and layers of lychee, Indian spices and caramel on the palate.
Pair with spiced rum cake or blue cheese or serve on ice during those hot summer days! Drink now or cellar up to 2028.
$31.40 available online
WHAT’S A LITTLE CHAOS AMONGST FRIENDS?
Our club is not really a club, it’s more of a gathering amongst friends who love wine. We now have two fun options to choose from (or go wild and choose both!)
All you need to know right here
Information and wine notes courtesy of the winery. Images: MyVanCity. I recived complimentary wine to facilitate this feature.
