This Canadian Cabernet Merlot was a HUGE surprise! I had driven through the Okanagan Valley where this wine was made this past summer. I was amazed at the number of wineries (100+) in the first 50 miles north of the border from Central Washington State. I tasted a number of wines with meals and came away very impressed. On another visit this past fall, my wife and I found ourselves in Banff, in the beautiful Canadian Rockies, and near the provincial liquor store. We were only allowed to bring one bottle each across the border, and this was one of them. I now wish I had returned with a case of this. To the note: this opens a dark ruby in color, with a very aromatic nose of cherries, plums, spice, and tobacco. On the palate this is a very sturdy, near full-throttle Cabernet Merlot, with an excellent blend of each and also supported by a very nice level of acidity (this was a characteristic that I found in most of the Okanagan Valley VQA wines that I tasted on both visits). This is a dry wine, with tobacco adding to the aforementioned berries, along with some vanilla, and a very nice supporting cast of tannins that were not really dusty. Overall, this is a medium-weight wine, bordering on heavy, with an excellent mix of purple berries, tobacco, spice, vanilla and tannins! I must figure out a way to get more of this particular wine, and also to experience more Canadian wines from the Okanagan Valley.