Mission Hill Oculus 2016

Description

The 2016 harvest lasted 76 days at Mission Hill, setting the record for the longest harvest ever on the hill. Moderate summer heat with few, if any, heatwaves created a longer, slower growing season. This allowed phenolic maturity to sync with sugar maturation, the holy grail of vineyard management. It is a very fine Oculus, beginning with its vibrant nose: flush full of Okanagan scents from desert scrub to savoury, floral, black fruit, from berries to currants. The palate is equally measured with dense, sweet, soft tannins built across the palate without overwhelming, before a rush of spice and warmth flood into a youthful finish. It is a 10 year bottle for sure and should easily age another 15 years after that. It will be special. In 2016 the mix was 56 percent merlot with 27/17 split of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, all estate-grown in Osoyoos and Oliver in the south Okanagan Valley. It's mostly fermented in small French oak fermenters, but in 2016 a small portion was also fermented in a concrete fermenter to supply a little punch of electricity to the fruit. From here, it spent 27 months in new French oak barriques. Buy and cellar. Score - 94. (Anthony Gismondi, gismondionwine.com, Nov. 26, 2020)

Tags

Full-bodied & Smooth, Merlot Blend, Red Wine, Wine, XD - Extra Dry