Burrowing Owl wines: they are worth the money

Photo: Burrowing Owl founder Jim Wyse

A recent conversation with several friends touched on touched on the old debate of whether Okanagan wines are too expensive. There was some discussion of $25-$30 wines from California or Argentina being better value. Then one of the group said he recently had been very impressed with a $50 Burrowing Owl Meritage, a wine he thought worth the money. I would agree. I tasted the one reviewed here recently during a special family dinner. The wine drew a spontaneous comment of appreciation from one of the guests as well as from the host. It was the best wine we had had all evening.

From the start, Jim Wyse, who founded Burrowing Owl in 1997, priced the wines appropriate to what both he and his customers thought they were worth. The wines have never been cheap but they never have been out of line for the quality in the bottle. But here is a tip: Burrowing Owl also has a brand called Calliope (the name of a hummingbird). The Calliope wines are value-priced. They are made in the same cellars as Burrowing Owl’s wines and by the same winemakers. The cost of making the wines is kept in check in various ways, ranging perhaps from somewhat higher yields on the vines dedicated to these wines to less time aging in expensive oak. The Calliope wines are readily available in wine stores, unlike the more limited distribution Burrowing Owl wines.

It is a fact of life that the Okanagan and Similkameen Valleys have become expensive locales in which to grow wines; probably always were, given how limited the acreage is. Unlike Argentina or California’s Central Valley, there are no vast tracts of vineyards stretching to the far horizon. But as the cost of viticulture has risen over the last decade or two, so has the quality of the wine. Most British Columbia consumers recognize they are drinking wines grown in an exceptional region and are prepared to pay for them, even is just for a special dinner. Of course, you would not serve the Burrowing Owl Meritage with Tuesday’s leftovers, although it would certainly elevate the meal. Instead, you might open Trapiche Reserve Malbec from Argentina, at $15 a bottle. There is room for both.

Here are notes on the recent Burrowing Owl releases.

Calliope Figure 8 Red 2019 ($24). The blend is 73% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 7% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and 1% Petit Verdot/Malbec. The varietals were blended after aging separately for nine months in barrels, two-thirds of which were French. The majority were neutral oak. The aromas and the brambly flavours are predominantly red berries. 89.

Burrowing Owl Merlot 2019 ($32). This wine was aged 16 months in a combination of new and used oak, of which 65% was French oak, 18% was Hungarian oak and 18% was American oak. This long aging rounded out the tannins in what is a textbook Merlot, rich and generous on the palate. It begins with aromas of spice and dark fruit mingled with vanilla. It delivers flavours of black cherry, blueberry and plum with spice and chocolate on the long finish. 92.

Burrowing Owl Syrah 2019 ($35). This wine was aged 16 months in a combination of barrels – about two thirds French and 30% new. The wine begins with aromas of plum, fig, toasted oak and pepper. The wine opens up to deliver flavours of dark fruit mingled with delicatessen meats and pepper, with mineral notes on the finish. Decanting is recommended. 91.

Burrowing Owl Cabernet Franc 2019 ($36). This wine was aged 15 months primarily in French oak; 28% of the barrels were new. A firm wine that benefits from being decanted, this begins with aromas of plum, blackberry and red currant. The wine is savoury, with flavours of red fruits mingled with leather, spice and dark chocolate. 92.

Burrowing Owl Meritage 2018 ($50). The blend is 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 10% Petit Verdot and 3% Merlot. The varietals were aged separately in barrel (70% French) for 15 months, with the best barrels selected for this blend. Once the components were selected, the blend spent another 3 ½ months in barrel before being bottled. This is a superb wine, beginning with bold aromas of dark fruits mingled with spice. The bold character carries over to the rich, intense palate, with flavours of black cherry, cassis, vanilla and plum. 95.