Osoyoos Larose Pétales d’Osoyoos 2016

The youngest vines of the 32 hectare Osoyoos Larose estate are behind the Pétales label. The wine is merlot dominated, but all five Bordeaux varieties make their way into this juicy blend. The blocks are all kept separate, hand sorted, destemmed, and crushed at the winery. The fermentation is done in stainless steel cone shaped tanks. Over 12 months, each variety is aged separately in two and three year old French oak barrels. There is a little less fruit in 2018, with peppery, earthy truffle notes mixing with cedar and campfire notes and soft, dense tannins. Solid and ready to drink now, it will age through 2025. Very good value. (Anthony Gismondi,gismondionwine.com,June 10, 2021)