Poplar Grove Merlot 2016, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦

🍇 Merlot 89%
🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon 11%

🧐 Alcohol 14.1%

🍁 My Score 90 Points

🧩 21 months in French oak (25% new, the remaining in a combination of 1-3 years old), followed by a minimum of 12 months of cellar aging prior to release.

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Gorgeous nose with aromas of black plums, cherries, black currants, leather, underbrush, spices and peppery notes. On the mouthfeel, medium-full bodied, good structured and complexity, fine grainy tannins and refreshing acidity. The finish is medium length with a flavourful mix of black fruit, peppery and savoury notes.

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Poplar Grove is one of my favourite B.C. Merlot and this vintage certainly doesn’t disappoint. I have tasted this wine at two separate trade tastings, it’s definitely improving nicely. Most likely a higher score in 5-6 years. I was lucky enough to pick up the only bottle left on the shelf. When I see it again, I will definitely pick up a few more bottles. Cheers my wine friends 🍷

Poplar Grove CSM 2014, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada 🇨🇦

🍇 Cabernet Franc 37%
🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon 27%
🍇 Syrah 16%
🍇 Malbec 11%
🍇 Merlot 9%

🧐 Alcohol 13.4%

🍁 My Score 90 Points

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Savoury bouquet with aromas of blueberries, plums, field berries, exotic wood spices, soft leather and vanilla notes. On the mouthfeel, medium bodied, structure is entirely elegant, well integrated tannins and fresh acidity. The finish is medium length with soft berry fruit and savoury herbs like thyme and sage lingering.

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I have been enjoying wines from Poplar Grove for more than a decade but this is my first experience with this blend. I enjoy wines when Syrah is added to Bordeaux varietals. There are some delicious examples of those wines here in British Columbia. As I have mentioned on a few occasions lately, I love the 2014 vintage from B.C. This wine is almost impossible to resist from it’s beautiful, sensuous and savoury aromatics, where all it’s elements are well integrated. More savoury notes than fruit at this stage makes it for a lovely sipping aperitif style wine and a cheese and charcuterie platter. Cheers my wine friends 🍷


Unfortunately, this wine is only available to Club members and at the winery tasting room.

Poplar Grove The Legacy 2006, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

I have always been a fan of Poplar Grove's flagship wine the Legacy, the 2004 vintage is the most memorable for me. This 2006 vintage is a blend of 70% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, wild indigenous yeast was used to begin fermentation, maturation took place in French oak for 21 months, than 18 months in bottle before release. Fairly small production with 1090 cases, the latest in store is the 2007 vintage (tasted at the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival last February).

In the glass, this wine is starting to show its age with slight bricking on the rim. This wine opens up with a very sensuous aromas of black cherry, plum-prune flavours, tea leaves, baking spices and savoury notes. On the palate, medium-full bodied (with alcohol at 14.8%), the entry is smooth, finely textured with great flavours, balanced acidity and fine grained dusty tannins. This blends finish has a very good length with soft seductive fruit plus fine grained savoury flavours. This vintage of Poplar Grove Legacy doesn’t disappoint, very smooth, complex and sophisticated. Score 92 points.

Purchased at Everything Wine in Langford, British Columbia on May 5, 2012 at $57.99

Poplar Grove Cabernet Franc 2007, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

Poplar Grove is one of my favourite wine makers of red wines in British Columbia. They make full bodied, rich and savoury wines, just like this Cabernet Franc. Made with 100% Cabernet Franc grapes, maturation took place in French oak for 21 months, with 9 months in bottles before release and alcohol coming in at 14.8%.

This wine opens up with aromas of  cherry, plum, tobacco leaves, bell pepper, sage and vanilla notes. On the monthfeel full bodied and spicy, lively acidity and silky tannins. Very good length and energy on the finish with flavours of red fruit and savoury herbs wrapped in fine tannins. Drinking well now or hold 2-3 more years, score 91 points.

Purchased at the 2011 Vancouver Playhouse Wine Show at $34.90

Poplar Grove 2007 Syrah, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada

Wow, talk about intense and sensuous aromatics. I could smell this all night, with complex aromas of plums, ripe cherry, blueberry, leather, earthy, smoky and vanilla. This medium to full bodied Syrah is layered with fine acidity, silky tannins and fresh fruit. The finish is long, long and long, did I say long with cedar, white pepper and ripe berry fruit, refreshing and very elegant. I first tasted this wine at an industry tasting in Victoria BC, in April 2010, a few weeks before returning to Ontario and I was not able to purchase it until returning to BC to attend the Vancouver Playhouse Wine Festival this past April (2011). It has been sold out at the winery for a while but was still available in some private wine stores, lucky for me. After tasting this wine in April of 2010, I certainly wasn't surprised to see this wine go on to win many awards, including the Lieutenant Governor's Awards for Excellence in British Columbia wines. An absolutely stunning wine.  

This wine was purchased on March 30, 2011 at Liberty Wine Merchants in Vancouver at $33.29