wine review: Poplar Grove The Legacy 2019, Okanagan Valley, BC, Canada

June 2025

Matt’s review: Wine Review: Poplar Grove The Legacy 2019 – Okanagan Valley

Poplar Grove’s The Legacy 2019 is a tour de force of power, depth, precision and poise, an exceptional Bordeaux-style blend from the sun-drenched southern Okanagan Valley. A blend of 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Petit Verdot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Malbec, this deeply coloured, opaque red is as commanding in the glass as it is on the palate.

The bouquet is stunning—layered and expressive—with rich black fruit, black currant, damson plum, and blueberry compote leading the charge. Beneath the fruit, complex savoury notes of dusty black sage, crushed graphite, peppercorn, and sweet baking spices rise gracefully, hinting at the wine’s Okanagan terroir and meticulous winemaking. Vinified fully dry (less than 1 g/L residual sugar), The Legacy delivers a beautifully ripe and concentrated palate that remains wonderfully balanced. Polished, suede-like tannins provide a refined structure, while vibrant acidity and a distinct graphite minerality give freshness and depth. The finish is long, resonant, and terroir-driven—showcasing desert herbs, wet stone, and a lingering echo of black sage.

This is a remarkable, age-worthy red—elegant yet intense, restrained yet expressive. Easily one of the finest Okanagan reds I’ve tasted in the past two decades. Poplar Grove continues to elevate the Canadian wine scene with benchmark expressions like this that are crafted to enjoy now and structured to age as long as you’d like. Enjoy over the next quarter century. Tasted June 2025. 96+ points. Matt Steeves – http://www.quercusvino.ca

Available winery-direct and at select wine boutiques across Canada.