(Pétales d'Osoyoos 2007 is a hearty Bordeaux-style blend out of BC. © 2010 Benjamin Luk.)
It didn't take much to convince me to buy a bottle of Pétales d'Osoyoos 2007. It came highly recommended to me by a fellow oenophile and I had already heard so much about legendary Bordeaux blends. Buying it wasn't the question. The question was, when would I drink it? But when a mid-June camping trip was announced and campfire-grilled sirloin steaks were on the menu, it was an easy choice. I packed a bottle of Pétales d'Osoyoos and a bottle of Chablis (that we somehow never got around to) and we were off.
Pétales d'Osoyoos is comprised mainly of Merlot, with some Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot thrown in to give depth. Not being much of a Merlot fan, I found it difficult to approach at first; a little dull and too tannic on the palate, with some black fruit on the nose. But then, after letting it breathe a moment, aromas of spice and vanilla became apparent. I saved some overnight to see if it would evolve further, and it did. Dark chocolate aromas started to emerge on the second day and it felt, overall, to be a finer, more balanced wine. Paired with the steaks, the wine only got better. Its heavy body and slight earthiness complimented the cooked meat, but didn't fare so well with the rarer steak. I imagine rare steak with a nice Gamay would be quite good.
To be brief, Pétales d'Osoyoos is a fine wine for summer barbecuing, but please give it the time it needs to breathe and reach its full potential. During camping, we were served the wine at a colder-than-ideal temperature, and that may have swayed the outcome of this review. I see this as an 86-point wine, but am looking forward to tasting its older cousin. I have a bottle of Osoyoos Larose 2006 Le Grand Vin in my cellar.
Pétales d'Osoyoos is comprised mainly of Merlot, with some Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot thrown in to give depth. Not being much of a Merlot fan, I found it difficult to approach at first; a little dull and too tannic on the palate, with some black fruit on the nose. But then, after letting it breathe a moment, aromas of spice and vanilla became apparent. I saved some overnight to see if it would evolve further, and it did. Dark chocolate aromas started to emerge on the second day and it felt, overall, to be a finer, more balanced wine. Paired with the steaks, the wine only got better. Its heavy body and slight earthiness complimented the cooked meat, but didn't fare so well with the rarer steak. I imagine rare steak with a nice Gamay would be quite good.
To be brief, Pétales d'Osoyoos is a fine wine for summer barbecuing, but please give it the time it needs to breathe and reach its full potential. During camping, we were served the wine at a colder-than-ideal temperature, and that may have swayed the outcome of this review. I see this as an 86-point wine, but am looking forward to tasting its older cousin. I have a bottle of Osoyoos Larose 2006 Le Grand Vin in my cellar.
