2012 Mission Hill Reserve Merlot Okanagan Valley

2012 Merlot

An intense black cherry colour coats the glass with notes of dark fruits and anise on the nose. This focused red offers taut plum and other dark fruits along with a hint of wild sage. The Reserve Merlot has been aged for 12 months in French and American oak.

Vintage Report

The 2012 vintage is a reminder that the Okanagan is one of the world’s northern-most serious wine regions. After a generally dry, warm growing season, the last few weeks of harvest ‘chilled out’. The summer ensured ideal fruit development resulting in slightly reduced workloads in our vineyards. Yields were spot-on and summer pruning was not as involved as in previous years. Veraison took place under nearly ideal conditions that lasted from mid-August to the end of September. The continuation of mild, sunny autumn weather gave rise to optimism among our winemakers with reports of grapes having developed thick skins and expectations of flavourful, extracted wines. The harvest began on September 13th with sunny skies and moderate temperatures, delivering the early ripening varieties. The night cooled drastically in the second half of September, preserving the freshness of our top quality wines and brining welcome respite after an incredibly dry growing season.