Clos du Soleil Estate Reserve Red 2020

91POINTS

16^¾/20

Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaClos du Soleil's top red comes from two Similkameen estate vineyards and is a barrel selection led by cabernet sauvignon at 49%, with merlot (21%), cabernet franc (15%), malbec (9%), and petit verdot (6%) filling up the rest. Each were destemmed, crushed, and native fermented separately in concrete before moving to French barrels for 18 months' rest. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Perfumed dusky violets, thorny wild blackberry, smoked black plum, tobacco, and pencil shavings are woven throughout this muscular, yet elegant red, alongside a stony Similkameen underlay, and fragrant desert scrub perfume. Tannins are fine, firm, and tensive, structuring this for some time ahead, though the lofted, seamless acidity beckons drinking now. The finish lingers with bittersweet chocolate and fine salinity. Quite smart, and will continue to evolve in your cellar.Tasted: 18 April 2025Tasted by: Prices:

$64.90

750ml

winery online/direct, select private retailers

Producer: Clos du Soleil WineryDistributors: Icon Vins Fins
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - Cabernet Franc - Malbec - Petit VerdotCSPC: 859835UPC: 857088000497

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89POINTS

16^¼/20

Clos du Soleil Estate Reserve Red 2020

Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaClos du Soleil's top red comes from two estate vineyards and is a barrel selection led by cabernet sauvignon, with merlot (21%), cabernet franc (15%), malbec (9%), and petit verdot (6%). It's generous and open, with more evolution to the fruit than I typically expect for this wine. The tannins, too, are dense but surprisingly resolved, suggesting this is ready to drink but will continue to hold over the next 3-5 years. A satisfying, full-bodied red that's well made and primed for winter roasts in the months to come.Tasted: 23 August 2024Tasted by: Prices:

$64.90

750ml

winery online/direct, select private retailers

Producer: Clos du Soleil WineryDistributors: Icon Vins Fins
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - Cabernet Franc - Malbec - Petit VerdotCSPC: 859835UPC: 857088000497

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89POINTS

16^¼/20

Clos du Soleil Estate Reserve Red 2020

Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, CanadaClos du Soleil Estate Reserve is the winery's flagship red and among the leading expressions of what a Silkameen red is. The fruit comes from two Clos du Soleil estate vineyards in Keremeos: the Estate Vineyard, and La Côte Vineyard. The blend is 49% cabernet sauvignon, 21% merlot, 15% cabernet franc, 9% malbec, and 6% petit verdot. The vintage has been widely acclaimed and has all the hallmarks you need to ripen the biggest reds, which explains why the cabernet sauvignon was upped to 49% from 31%, but I'm not sure it made the blend better. It is more robust and brawnier and will, in the fullness of time, likely be a winner, but for the moment, it appears to have lost a bit of the finesse we have come to know from this label. Look for a warm, spicy cassis nose with cedar and blackberry. Add a rich tannic structure to the Similkameen desert scrub, and you get a tightly round red wine that will need a decade to unfurl. Long, warm, spicy and complex, this is lamb wine for the moment. Returning to this wine in three to five years will be instructive.Tasted: 04 July 2024Tasted by: Prices:

$64.90

750ml

winery online/direct, select private retailers

Producer: Clos du Soleil WineryDistributors: Icon Vins Fins
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot - Cabernet Franc - Malbec - Petit VerdotCSPC: 859835UPC: 857088000497

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