Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaHefty, heavy bottle. Nearly equal parts merlot, zinfandel, and cabernet sauvignon, with a dollop of gewürztraminer for good measure, this shows macerated dark berries alongside dried herbs, graphite, and a litany of oak spices and dill after aging in 61% new French and American oak for 18 months. It's a big wine that feels like it's starting to come together, though the grippy tannins suggest this still needs another 4-5 years in the cellar to be at its best. A statement, to be sure.Tasted: 06 September 2023Tasted by: Prices:
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaA blend of 39% merlot, 33% zinfandel, 27% cabernet sauvignon, and 1% gewurztraminer, this aspiring red, contained in quite a hefty bottle, shows a ripe fruit character with noticeable sweet oak undertones. Big, bold, and full-bodied in style, yet there’s a vibrancy of red berries layered with baking spices and herbal notes of dill, providing added complexity to the overall profile.Tasted: 06 September 2023Tasted by: Prices:
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaSolus is a giant of wine, starting with a big colour, big tannins, and plenty of alcohol. It’s not particularly out of balance, just big. The attack is warm and marked by desert scrub and blackberry jam with plenty of cedar, milk chocolate, and youthful tannins, as would be expected at this point. You could drink this now if you are one of the many big red fans, but it would have to be with a substantial piece of protein to help pull it all together. Otherwise, this needs to go to the cellar for three to five years. Oh, and the bottle needs to lose a few pounds. From South Rock Vineyard on the Golden Mile Bench, Solus 2020 blends 38/32/29/1 merlot, zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon, and gewürztraminer grown over gravelled clay and co-fermented using a unique rolling ferment technique. It is aged in French and American oak (61% new) for 18 months.Tasted: 17 March 2023Tasted by: Prices:
Golden Mile Bench, Oliver, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, CanadaFrom Golden Mile Bench's South Rock Vineyard, Solus 2020 blends 38% Merlot, 32% Zinfandel, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 1% Gewürztraminer from the site's gravelled clay—this aged 18 months in French and American oak (61% new). As one would expect from the blend and super thick, overweighted glass bottle, this is not a shy wine, but rather a compact and chewy red, with medicinal edged black cherry, blackberry compote, and toasted cedar filling the full palate, wrought with sticky tannins, taking this to a bitter cocoa finish. It certainly needs some bigger roast beef/lamb/root veg to match at this point.Tasted: 18 May 2023Tasted by: Prices: