2006 Oculus

Oculus is Mission Hill Family Estate’s signature Bordeaux inspired wine. This elegant and complex wine represents the pinnacle of everything we do from viticulture to winemaking. Only selected clusters from designated blocks within our estates in Oliver and Osoyoos are chosen for this special wine. The grapes are hand harvested and hand sorted; they are then gravity fed to small French oak fermenters. After extended maceration the free run wine and a small portion of lightly basket pressed wine is aged in 100% French oak barrels for 14.5 months.

Vintage Report

The season got off to a relatively cool yet frost-free beginning with budburst and flowering occuring under ideal conditions. Summer was an Okanagan classic with low humidity and above average heat which continued through October. Crop thinning achieved target yields and outstanding quality in the vineyards. Crush officially started on September 8th, one of the earliest on record, and finished on November 2nd when winter arrived with sub-zero tempera- tures. An early Icewine harvest on November 28th and 29th was the fitting conclusion to one of the best Okanagan harvests ever. With white wines demonstrating refreshing character and strength and red wines’ ripeness and depth of flavour and colour, 2006 is a year to remember.

Tasting Notes

Captivating aromas of black cherry fruit, dark chocolate and shaved vanilla bean lead the way for densely packed flavours of blackberries, plum and bittersweet ganache. Deep, complex, intense and concentrated. The long, full, persistent finish has ripe and well-integrated tannins providing a rich, inviting mouthfeel and the structure to hold up well over the next decade or more.

Winemaker’s Notes