Maverick Estate Winery began in 2009 with the purchase of the estate acreage that would become their estate vineyard. The first Maverick Estate wines were released from the 2011 vintage and quickly earned praise from critics and customers alike.
Maverick Estate Winery’s vineyard sits on the noteworthy Golden Mile Slopes sub-GI, where hot, sun-soaked, east-facing slopes define the southernmost stretch of British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. Being in Canada’s only desert means an extremely dry climate, and more consistent hours of summer sunlight than anywhere else in Canada. Summer temperatures exceed 30°C almost every day through July and August. However, the cool nighttime lows around harvest support the concentration of sugars and complex flavours in the grapes.
The majority of Maverick Estate Winery’s vineyard consists of well-drained, coarse, gravelly glaciofluvial deposits, complimented by blocks with a higher concentration of fine-textured sediment and silt. All of that is to say that these soils shape Maverick’s Renegade into a balanced big red.
The 2023 Renegade is a Cabernet Franc driven blend, supported by Merlot and a small percentage of Petit Verdot, aged 18 months in French oak barrels.
Tasting Note
Notes of plump blackberries, and black cherries are supported by wisps of cassis, dried herbs, violets and oak. This full-bodied red blend is layered with dark fruit on the palate and steaks of fresh green herbs and tobacco. Grippy tannins and acidity snap this wine into opulent balance.
Food Pairing
The structure of Maverick’s 2023 Renegade will let you go all in on umami. Marinate portobello mushrooms in soy sauce and garlic or salt a ribeye steak a day before you plan to sear it (salt the steak on both sides, rest the steak on a rack on top of a plate so that the steak isn’t sitting in its juices in the fridge overnight). This wine is worth the dinner prep.