- Oldfield Reserve Merlot - 2015

Oldfield Reserve Merlot 2015

- 92 points -

The fruit was sourced from the estate’s highest elevation site on the Black Sage Bench Diamondback vineyard where the berries tend to be smaller and lower yields are natural. The grapes are destemmed and partially crushed, leaving some whole berries and pumped to stainless steel tanks for fermentation which we then allowed to ferment naturally with no added yeast. The wines are then pressed and racked to French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and ageing for 18 months. This is a richer fruit-laden Merlot, with more concentrated and complex notes of black cherries, wild raspberries, cassis, licorice, integrated herbs and elegant oak spices. It is rich and savoury on the palate with thick red fruits, some black currants, espresso, vanilla bean and polished tannins all leading to a finessed and long finish.

March 2019


About Rick VanSickle

Rick VanSickle’s background is in the newspaper industry as an editor and a wine writer. He wrote a weekly column for the Calgary Sun in 1999 that expanded to include most Sun newspapers, including the Toronto Sun and, later, as the local wine writer for the St. Catharines Standard. Rick has now turned his attention to focus on Niagara, Ontario and B.C. wines. He is a feature writer and international wine reviewer for Quench Wine Magazine and also writes other freelance articles on wine-related travel, and features related to the wine industry.