Tasting Note This is one of Canada’s biggest reds! The 2021 Connemara is a dark, dense almost brooding yet well-proportioned and sophisticated wine. It pours deep ruby-black. The nose is very ripe plummy/blackberry and chocolaty, with dashes of Okanagan sage and tobacco. It is full bodied, rich and creamy but maintains some energy and warmth. The tannins are firm yet nicely inlaid, the finish is somewhat gravelly. It shows excellent to outstanding length, in a wine that will certainly age well. Best 2030 to 2040+.
Backgrounder The Connemara was first made under the Quails’ Gate label as the top Bordeaux icon red blend, but when the Stewart family opened the Ailm Estate property in the south Kelowna in 2022, it was moved into that premium portfolio. The name Connemara is a tribute to the region on the west coast of Ireland from which the Stewart family emigrated to Canada. From estate fruit on the volcanic slopes of Mt Boucherie in west Kelowna, a rare southeast facing site that enables ripening this far north (50-degrees). This vintage is a blend of 61% merlot and 39% cabernet sauvignon that was aged 18 months in French oak, then aged another 20 months in bottle before release. The winemaking team includes Rowan Stewart, Kailee Frasch and Jeff del Nin. Tasted April 2025.
