2020 Retouche

retouche in 7 words

Plum, Cherries, Sage, Restrained, Mineral, Dusty, Voluminous

winemaking notes

Retouche pays homage to the historical practice of “Hermitaging” wines in Bordeaux during the 1800s. Winemakers in Bordeaux added Syrah (often from the famous vineyards in Hermitage) to their wines to add warmth, roundness, and comfort-characters sometimes missing from the structured, powerful Bordeaux Blends in general.

It would be incorrect to simply call Retouche a Cab/Merlot/Syrah (CMS as they call it in parts of the New World). Not any Syrah would do. It had to be the right parcel added to our Bordeaux blend so it would sit invisibly behind the Cabernet/Merlot by filling in the gaps. Think of Syrah acting as invisible marionette strings to bring Cabernet to life. After all, it wasn’t until the late 1900s that the world learned about this fraudulent practice in Bordeaux.

pairings

The complexity & balance of this wine can be complemented with the southwestern French style of cooking with a hint of spicy flavors of the Pyrenees.

Meat-Based: Braised rabbit & prune, chicken ballotine, and flavors of Périgord black truffles are all lovely matches.

Plant-Based: Mushroom & spinach quiche or stuffed peppers with mildly spiced lentils and potatoes are delicious too.

technical information

CÉPAGE: 56% Merlot, 23% Syrah, 21% Cabernet Franc

REGION: South Okanagan

VINEYARD: 77% La Feuille d’Or, 23% Le Verger

SOIL TYPE: Varied

AGE OF VINES: 12 to 35. Mostly in their early 20s

YIELD: Average of 3.4 tons/acre

PRODUCTION: 358 cases

ALCOHOL: 14%

CLARIFICATION: Unfined, lightly coarse filtered

AGING: 15 months in refill and neutral French oak barrels