Culmina and Bordeaux: Closer Than You Think
Our legacy here at Culmina is built around our flagship Bordeaux-style blend Hypothesis, emphasising the unique terroir of the Okanagan’s Golden Mile Bench, which closely mirrors the renowned Bordeaux region in the southwest of France. Let’s take quick look at the history and characteristics of this world class locality that has become synonymous with quality wines.
Bordeaux, being both the name of a city and a region, has seen vines for the purpose of winemaking growing there for over 2,000 years, having steadily gained prominence due to its strategic location near the Garonne and Dordogne rivers and the Gironde Estuary, as well as its trade relations with the both the British and Dutch. The 1855 Classification at the Exposition Universelle de Paris solidified Bordeaux as a premier wine region for the world. Today, Bordeaux is the largest wine-growing region in France, encompassing over 296,000 acres (compared Okanagan’s total vine acreage at roughly 11,000), and is known for its exceptional red blends, primarily featuring Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc, alongside notable white varietals like Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.
Culmina’s Arise Bench vineyard benefits from similar soil characteristics to Bordeaux’s Left Bank, particularly due to its loose, gravelly soils, which support excellent drainage and root depth, as well as heat retention that contributes to ideal ripening of fruit—conditions that favor Cabernet Sauvignon. This alignment in terroir allows Culmina to produce Bordeaux-style wines that echo the depth and complexity of their French counterparts. The growing season's climate and accumulated heat, referred to by viticulturalist as “degree days”, is also comparable, with Bordeaux averaging 1,565 degree days, and our section of the Golden Mile Bench at 1,549. This is particularly significant when taking into consideration the sizeable difference of more than 4° latitude between the two regions.
Our portfolio of wines, especially Hypothesis, are celebrated for their structure, elegance, and aging potential. They encapsulate the essence of premium Bordeaux reds through their concentrated fruit flavors, firm tannins, and intricate layers, while avoiding overly ripe or “jammy” characteristics.
Hypothesis continues to act as a flagship, not just for Culmina, but for Bordeaux-inspired red wines across Canada that are being regarded for their structure, elegance, and potential for aging, reflecting both Bordeaux traditions and the unique attributes of Canadian terroir, and beginning to earn our country and region a prestigious place on the map in the world of wine.