Wine Article

The Bear: Previously called “The Bear’s Meritage” this is part of the “Premier Series” wines (along with the higher end Cabs). A blend of five of the classic Bordeaux cultivars (Cab. Sauv., Merlot, Cab. Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot) with Cabernet Sauvignon being at least 50% of the blend, sometimes reaching as high as 75% of the blend in exceptional Cab. years. The best barrels are always chosen for this wine, with the Cab. Sauv. grapes usually coming from a later picking to add to the complexity. The wine is stored for longer periods of time in the barrel. (anywhere from 14 to 20 months) The time “on the skins” is usually longer, again to achieve higher extraction from the skins.

[Bottle Label] The Bear is the premier blend from Fairview Cellars. 2013 proved to be another vintage year in the South Okanagan. All the grapes for this blend were sourced from the estate vineyard except for the 5% Malbec portion that comes from Quail’s Wayside, also part of the, now official, Sub-Appellation called the Golden Mile Bench. The Bear was the nickname for Bill Eggert’s nephew who helped with the 2000 vintage. His name has been associated with this premium wine ever since. 14.1%