2019 Family Reserve Fia

Fortified wines, one of the most famous being Port from Portugal, can be deliciously haunting. As with sparkling wine, they require time to come into their own. Consumed young, they can be fruity and sweet. Given some time, they start to express the place and year with their deeper tones and lingering finish.

At Maverick, we love expressing Syrah in its many forms – in our Rose, as a red table wine in our Bush Vine Syrah, blended together in Rubeus, and fortified in our Reserve Fia. Sourced from some of the warmest vineyards in the south Okanagan, this tawny port-style wine is a co-fermentation of Syrah and Merlot. As always, the grapes were handpicked from selected low-yielding patches late in the season and whole bunch fermented with native yeasts in 1-ton batches. To retail the sweetness of the grape, spirits are added to the fermenting grapes mid-ferment, halting the fermentation process. The fortified wine was then aged in barrels for 30 months.

The alcohol is made from distilled Maverick Estate grapes prepared by Maple Leaf Spirits in Penticton, British Columbia. This brandy spirit is aged for 12 months in oak before it is used for fortification. This wine is bottled unfiltered and by hand. A seductive nose of dried figs, date pudding, cocoa and cherries, brings in dark chocolate and cherry compote on the palate.

TASTING NOTES:
True vintage style port wine that is a co-fermented blend of Syrah and Merlot, which lends to the creation of a dark, full bodied wine with fine aromas of ripe red fruit, licorice, chocolate and white pepper. A concentrated core of dark and savory fruit, with sensuous tannin and structure. Elegance and power with sensual polished texture and appealing dry spicy farewell.

WINEMAKING:
Grapes are handpicked in small 30-pound trays at 26 Brix and cooled to 10°C overnight. Without destemming, grapes are put into 1-ton insulated bin and juice extracted by foot stomping. The grape must was left for 3-4 weeks to ferment in the bin. Alcohol fortification on the skins and then punched through. Fortified grape must was pressed and then the wine was aged in 100% French Oak Barriques aged for 36 months.

WINEMAKER’S COMMENTS:
The 2019 vintage is one for the books! A warm January was followed by a cold snap in February, but our gently sloped vineyards whisked the cold air away and prevented any damage to our vines. A temperate spring saw budbreak, flowering and bloom happening right on schedule. The summer months were beautiful, with no major heat spikes and remarkably few smoky days in the south Okanagan. September brought unseasonable rain, which put pressure on our vineyard team to carefully watch for any signs of mildew. Careful picking decisions and hand sorting to remove any damaged bunches was essential to maintain quality. Later-hanging varieties saw another challenge in October with a fall frost, but sunshine and warm days helped us finish the 2019 harvest on a high note. The wonderful structure and purity in the 2019 wines is a result of the hard work from the Maverick Team. Bravo!

NOTES:
Production – only 341 cases (12 x 500ml) produced
Alcohol – 16.5%
Varietals – 50% Syrah and 50% Merlot, co-fermented
Vinification – aged 42 months in neutral French and American oak barriques (225L)
Cellaring – cellar for up to 15-20 years