We are in the last few weeks of summer. Children are in school and parents are enjoying some quiet time. To celebrate the last days of summer and quiet time, I think some red wine is in order. I tasted two bottles of red wine from Osoyoos’ Adega on 45th Estate Winery. One is their Adega on 45th Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2023 and the other is their Adega on 45th Estate Winery Malbec Merlot 2022. Two wines, which should not have as strong of tannins as a Cabernet Sauvignon and have more fruit flavour. Let me tell you about these two wines.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Adega on 45th Estate Winery Malbec Merlot 2022 (BC $34.99)
A blend of 54% Malbec and 46% Merlot. Fermented and aged in stainless steel and oak barrels for 14 months.
Appearance: A deep, clear garnet colour. About 90% opaque.
Nose: Lighter aromas of floral, cinnamon and cedar, vanilla, and red fruits. No floral and some char added after decanting.
Palate: Dry, medium body with a smooth, soft mouthfeel. Medium acidity and tannins. Soft black fruits, red fruits, cinnamon, and touches of pepperiness, tar, vanilla, and oak on the palate. Some bitterness toward the finish. More black fruit than red fruit flavours after decanting, plus some floral.
Finish: Medium to medium-plus length, finishing with bitter oak, drying tannins, black fruits, and vanilla. Add a touch of pepperiness to the finish after decanting.
Rating: 
– 
The Adega on 45th Estate Winery Malbec Merlot 2022 shows a deep garnet colour with lighter aromas of floral, cinnamon, cedar, vanilla, and red fruit, with char appearing after decanting. The palate is dry and medium-bodied with a smooth, soft mouthfeel and medium acidity and tannins, offering soft black and red fruit, cinnamon, pepperiness, tar, vanilla, and oak, with more black fruit and some floral flavours after air. It finishes medium to medium-plus in length with bitter oak, drying tannins, black fruit, and vanilla, with a touch of pepperiness after decanting.
Adega on 45th Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2023 (BC $32.99)
100% Cabernet Franc. Berries were destemmed and the skins gently broken, followed by pump-overs to achieve a gentle extraction of flavour and colour.
Appearance: Clear, deep mix of ruby and garnet colours in the glass. About 95% opaque.
Nose: Medium intensity, deep, juicy black fruit aromas, along with touches of char, black plums, ripe raspberries, black cherries, oak, and vanilla. No change to the aromas after decanting.
Palate: This wine is dry, medium-bodied, and has a lean, soft mouthfeel. Deep, ripe black fruits, along with raspberries, plums, black cherries, and a touch of vanilla. With swirling, I also picked up some nutmeg and floral flavours. Medium acidity and tannins. Add some char, chocolate, and pepperiness toward the finish after decanting.
Finish: Medium-plus length, finishing with firmer, drying tannins, black fruits, and black cherries, light char and oak flavours. Peppery finish with decanting.
A solid Cabernet Franc wine. It can age to soften the tannins or enjoy now with food.
Rating: The Adega on 45th Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2023 shows a deep ruby-garnet colour with medium aromas of juicy black fruit, plum, raspberry, black cherry, char, oak, and vanilla. The palate is dry and medium-bodied with a lean, soft mouthfeel and medium acidity and tannins, offering ripe black fruit, raspberry, plum, black cherry, and vanilla flavours, with nutmeg and floral notes appearing with swirling and char, chocolate, and pepperiness after decanting. It finishes medium-plus in length with black fruit, black cherry, light char and oak, along with firmer drying tannins and a peppery finish after air.
BTW, both these wines pair nicely with herbed goat cheese on crackers.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
You can order these wines online from the Adega on 45th website. The Adega on 45th Estate Winery Cabernet Franc 2023 is available at select Everything Wine stores. The Adega website also has this definitive list of retail stores carrying their wines.
