Burrowing Owl releases from the 2022 vintage

Photo: Burrowing Owl's Keller Vineyard just before the 2024 harvest

The current releases from the 30-year-old Burrowing Owl Estate Winery are all from 2022, one of the best and most abundant vintages ever in the Okanagan. One of the wines is a Merlot, a varietal with which Burrowing Owl made its reputation. The other is a Cabernet Franc, a varietal of rising importance in the Okanagan, especially after showing surprising resilience during the last two cold snaps.

“Our home vineyard in Oliver did not produce much in terms of fruit,” Stephen Neumann, the winery’s brand ambassador, says of the 2024 vintage. “We had a bit more luck with yields coming out of the 46 acres we have on the east side of Osoyoos. Surprisingly, a particular 12-acre vineyard site of ours down there (dedicated to Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon) seemed not to have been affected by the frost at all.” He sent along a photo of that property, the Keller Vineyard (seen above), showing close to a normal crop on the vines just before harvest this fall. A number of vineyards close to Osoyoos Lake showed comparable resilience this fall. The apparent explanation is that, because of the long and warm autumn and early winter, the lake had not frozen over yet when the January cold snap occurred. The water still had enough warmth to moderate the cold temperatures.

“We consider ourselves lucky for this,” Stephen says. “Although some replanting will take place on our properties in the coming year, a great number of our vines did survive. As such, we have decided to hold to Burrowing Owl Estate Winery’s pledge to continue crafting wines from our vineyards in BC alone.” In short, Burrowing Owl chose not source any grapes from Washington vineyards. The modest production from 2024 and the winery’s substantial inventory, especially of red wines, will sustain its presence in the market. Consumers may not even notice a dip in supply.

Here are notes on four current releases.

Burrowing Owl Chardonnay 2022 ($34). The wine was made with estate-grown Chardonnay. Eighty percent of the juice was fermented and aged in barrel (85% French, 9% Acacia and 6% American) for nine months. The rest of the juice was fermented and matured in stainless steel. The bright flavours of the latter give a lift to subtly oaked flavours in the former. The wine has aromas and flavours of citrus, apple and cantaloupe. The core of sweet fruit on the palate is mingled with a hint of almond and vanilla. The finish is bright and persistent. 91.

Burrowing Owl Viognier 2022 ($40). The fruit is from the winery’s Osoyoos vineyard. Some 75% of the juice was fermented in barrel while the rest was fermented in stainless steel. The wine was aged nine months in French oak (14% new, 50% neutral and the rest one to two years old). The wine begins with aromas of quince and nectarine. The aromas are echoed on the richly textured palate, mingled with flavours of lemon and papaya. The finish persists. 92.

Burrowing Owl Merlot 2022 ($35). This is a bold and intense Merlot that is best decanted before consumption. It can be cellared for several years. The intensity reflects the extended maceration of the wine on the skins: a three-day cold soak followed by 25 days of fermentation and seven days post-fermentation before moving the wine into barrel. It was aged 14 months in barrel (77% French oak, 13% Hungarian oak and 10% American oak). Only 14% of the oak was new while 65% was neutral oak. The wine begins with aromas of dark cherry, plum and spice. The full-bodied palate delivers flavours of dark fruits mingled with spice and sage. The tannins are firm but ripe. 93.

Burrowing Owl Cabernet Franc 2022 ($36). The winemaking again set out to make a bold and concentrated wine, beginning with a four-day cold soak followed by 30-day ferment and seven days of post-ferment maceration. The wine was aged 18 months in barrels – 80.5% French oak, 11.5% Hungarian oak and 8% American oak. Twenty-six percent of the barrels were new. The wine begins with aromas of red currants, raspberry, blackberry and spice. The full-bodied palate delivers the echo the aromas along with hints of tobacco and chocolate. 93.