2025 Cabernet Merlot
Sourced from select vineyards across the South Okanagan, including Anarchist Mountain, Pheasant Run, Rabbit Brush, and Nunes. The fruit was hand-harvested, 100% whole berry fermented, and matured for 6 months in seasoned French oak barriques, emphasizing purity, gentle extraction, and supple texture.
Bright and expressive with lifted aromas of strawberry, raspberry, and crunchy cherry, layered with a touch of soft spice.
Light and refined on the palate, this Cabernet Merlot is crafted in a more elegant style, showcasing a softer, more nuanced expression of the variety. The tannins are soft and velvety, while fresh acidity brings lift and energy. Juicy and vibrant, with a crunchy red fruit profile, the wine carries a natural suppleness through the mid-palate into a clean, lifted finish.
A distinctive and increasingly rare expression of Okanagan red wine. After significant losses across recent vintages, including much of the 2023 Merlot and the broader challenges of 2024, this wine stands as a fresh and vibrant alternative to the heavier, oak-driven styles often associated with the category. Crafted to be approachable and versatile, it pairs effortlessly across a wide range of dishes while remaining an easy, refreshing sipper—especially in the warmer months.
pH 3.59 TA 6.56 g/L RS 3.25 g/L Alcohol 14.2%
We produced 1100 cases.
- Alcohol 13.7%
- Acidity 5.97
- Aging 11 months in 100% French oak
- Bottling Date August 24, 2024
- Country Canada
- Producer Mayhem Wines
- Residual sugar 0.50 g/L
- Sulfites Added yes
- Type Cabernet Merlot
- Varietal Cabernet Merlot
- Vineyard Anarchist Mountain Vineyard, Pheasant Run Vineyard, & Ryegrass Road Vineyard
- Vintage 2023
- Winemaker Ajay Chavan
Food Pairing
Brandy braised duck legs or a mixed plate of your favourite soft cheeses.
Product Notes
The 2023 vintage was defined by the extremes. An extremely cold winter led to bud damage and reduced yields, while the summer was threatened by wildfires in the north and south. While temperatures exceeded 40°C on several occasions in the South Okanagan, the summer felt cooler than previous years. Temperatures between 33°C and 38°C are optimal growing conditions for our Bordeaux blends and aromatic whites. Due to fewer clusters and full canopies, this led to an earlier start for harvest beginning on September 18th with our Rosé pick. Even though tonnages were lower than previous vintages, overall, the fruit quality across the board was excellent. The flavour profile and the phenolic development shone through resulting in electric flavourful fruit for the white varieties and concentrated, structured reds.
Production Notes
The fruit was hand-harvested from three unique sites in the South Okanagan for this blend: Anarchist Mountain Vineyard, Pheasant Run Vineyard, and Ryegrass Road Vineyard. Each pick was then independently whole berry destemmed into stainless steel fermenters, where they each cold soaked for 5 days prior to a 10-to-12-day fermentation. Post- fermentation, the wines were transferred to 100% French oak barrels where a natural malolactic fermentation occurred in the Spring. Overall, the wines aged for 11 months before the final blend (79% Merlot and 21% Cabernet Franc). It was then filtered and bottled in the Summer of 2024.
Vineyard Notes
The 2023 vintage was defined by the extremes. An extremely cold winter led to bud damage and reduced yields, while the summer was threatened by wildfires in the north and south. While temperatures exceeded 40°C on several occasions in the South Okanagan, the summer felt cooler than previous years. Temperatures between 33°C and 38°C are optimal growing conditions for our Bordeaux blends and aromatic whites. Due to fewer clusters and full canopies, this led to an earlier start for harvest beginning on September 18th with our Rosé pick. Even though tonnages were lower than previous vintages, overall, the fruit quality across the board was excellent. The flavour profile and the phenolic development shone through resulting in electric flavourful fruit for the white varieties and concentrated, structured reds.
