Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOwner Drew MacIntyre's love affair with merlot is the genesis for Ardua, a high-end merlot label released to honour his father and push the team at Lake Breeze to reach for the stars. The last time I tasted this wine, the colour was opaque with lifted black cherry notes. The colour has now faded a bit, and the nose is mostly resolved, with spicy red/black fruit and a swell of dense, grippy tannins that kick in all along the finish. I'm not sure they will resolve over the next five years before the fruit fades, but a grilled steak will quickly appease them. This is a big red wine from a big vintage in BC. Drink now. Production is tiny (fewer than 300 cases), and it's sold out at the winery. You will need to join the email list to get some of the latest wines. MacIntyre's father was a member of the RCAF, so when he decided to launch the MacIntyre range, Astra the chardonnay, and its merlot brother Ardua, were selected as an ode to his father and the Royal Canadian Air Force motto, Per Ardua ad Astra, meaning through adversity to the stars. It was tasted as part of a vertical tasting of 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.Tasted: 17 August 2020Tasted by: Prices:
Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOwner Drew MacIntyre’s love affair with merlot continues with year two of Ardua, a high-end merlot label released to honour his father and push the team at Lake Breeze to reach for the stars. MacIntyre’s father was a member of the RCAF, so when he decided to launch the MacIntyre range, Astra the chardonnay, and its merlot brother Ardua, were selected as an ode to his father and the Royal Canadian Air Force motto - Per Ardua ad Astra - meaning through adversity to the stars. The Lake Breeze Naramata Bench vineyard is home to the fruit for Astra, but we have to wait one more year before we see the Naramata version of Ardua. 2013 is opaque with lifted black cherry on the nose. The attack is warm and spicy previewing an even warmer, expressive red full of lifted black fruits, chocolate and toasted oak. It’s still youthful and angular and needs to shed some oak tannins. Production is tiny (fewer than 300 cases), and it is virtually snapped up via the McIntyre mailing list.Tasted: 16 March 2019Tasted by: Prices:
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