Just in time for Thanksgiving weekend celebrations, we are thrilled to release our 2017 magnums of NBO, Reserve 7 and Cabernet Franc. Though these bottles are double- sized, they are the perfect size to serve for parties of as little as four people!
Intrigued by the appearance of these large format wine bottles? Why would you ever need them beyond their impressive appearance and fun factor at dinner parties? The revolution of wine bottle shapes and sizes came about when it was discovered that larger bottles not only looked better, they could also change the taste of a wine. While purchasing a large format bottle of wine such as a magnum (1.5L) or larger, may be intimidating to some, it makes perfect sense to do so. Interestingly, all wine bottle sizes have their own, unique name, many of which were inspired by Biblical characters such as: Jeroboam or Double Magnum: 3 Liters,-Methuselah: 6 Liters, Salmanazar: 9 Liters, Balthazar: 12 Liters, Nebuchanezzar: 15 Liters, Melchior: 18Litres, and Solomon: 20 Liters!
There are many great reasons to justify the purchase of magnums or “Mags”. These large format bottles are not only inherently festive, they are sure to always provide the “wow factor” at any dinner table occasion. The true purpose for large format bottles, are they will age or cellar longer than a regular size bottle (750ml ). These large bottles also tend to keep the wine younger and fresher tasting. Magnums of wine age better and slower in this size of bottle and taste consistently better than when matured in normal size bottles. The proportion of exposed wine to unexposed wine decreases exponentially as the bottle size increases which means that larger bottles (like magnums) have less exposure to the effects of oxygen, which are beneficial but eventually turn wine into vinegar. Not surprisingly, the aging process of wine in a magnum takes around 1.5 times longer than in a 750ml bottle, one more reason to seek out a Mag over a traditional 750.
Of note, these highly acclaimed wines are available in very limited quantities, with club members receiving first access for purchase. The 2017 NBO (750 ml size) was honoured with 92 points from Natalie Maclean at nataliemaclean.com, who wrote “Another terrific vintage for this robust BC red wine blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc grapes…” Anthony Gismondi of the Vancouver Sun gave the 2017 Reserve 7 (750 ml size) 90 points, writing “Well made and certainly a wine you can wait on for another three to five years. The move toward finesse is a lovely direction to head…”
