quicksearch
92POINTS
17/20
Mission Hill Family Estate Oculus 2015
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaOculus is an all-Osoyoos affair grown in the warmest, most southern region of the Okanagan Valley. Oculus grapes undergo a fastidious selection in the vineyard long before they get to the winery, and in the warmest years like 2015, it was a must. Even so, 2015 is more of an outlier than normal in style. There was no problem ripening the fruit; the challenge was to protect against raisining, overripe fruit, and high alcohol. Oculus mostly succeeded in 2015, as noted by its 14.5 percent alcohol, but it is more Napa than Bordeaux to use a tired comparison. Rich, round, and ripe, it has intense black plum, black fruit, streaked with cedar and just a hint of savoury desert scrub before a spicy finish. The blend is 58/26/15/ merlot, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, fermented in small French oak fermenters. Post ferment, it spent 15 months in French oak barriques (21 percent new). The Romans used an oculus in buildings as a window to the outside. At Mission Hill, an oculus provides the only natural light into the underground barrel cellar.Tasted: 26 November 2020Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| BC | $149.99 | 750ml | winery direct |
| AB | $150.00 | 750ml | select private retailers |
Blend: Merlot - Cabernet Sauvignon - Cabernet FrancCSPC: 138657UPC: 776545981561
