T H E  P O P L A R  G R O V E  L I B R A R Y  C O L L E C T I O N

The Holler Family proudly introduces the Poplar Grove Library Collection with the release of our reserve 2014 Bordeaux-style reds: the Merlot, the Cabernet Franc, and our flagship, The Legacy.

Poplar Grove is leading the way in BC as the first winery to launch a formal library program, where we hold back a significant amount of our age-worthy wines each year and release them for sale a decade later.

We have a limited number of bottles from the Library Collection’s 2014 reserve available now. These vintages are being released alongside their current versions — Merlot 2020, Cabernet Franc 2020, and The Legacy 2018. You’ll spot them easily thanks to their distinctive metal medallions on the bottles instead of traditional paper labels.

Every fall, we’ll release Library Collection wines that were set aside 10 years ago, putting them up for purchase right alongside the current vintages.

T O N Y ‘ S  V I S I O N

The Library Collection’s story goes back to the early 2000s, shortly after we first planted vines on the scenic Naramata Bench in the Okanagan. Back then, Tony Holler, our future proprietor, was a passionate wine collector, curating his own cellar to appreciate how wines evolve and gain complexity with age.

This passion led Tony to France’s Rhône Valley, where he had a memorable tasting at Château Beaucastel, sampling Châteauneuf du Pape vintages spanning over 30 years. It was a defining moment — Tony left convinced that any serious winery should have a library program to educate and offer aged wines that have been properly cellared, though he had no idea he’d one day own a winery himself!

When Tony bought Poplar Grove in 2007, he brought his vision of an aging program with him. It took about seven years before we were producing enough wine to make that dream a reality. In 2014, we set aside 120 cases of our three signature reds, laying the foundation for the Library Collection.

By 2016, it was clear our growing winery needed a larger, dedicated space for these precious bottles. Fast forward to 2021, we completed a state-of-the-art, temperature and humidity-controlled warehouse, complete with a special area designed to provide the perfect aging conditions. The Library Collection wines were moved to their new home and stored in custom cages, ensuring they stay in pristine condition.

The 2014 Library Collection vintages will only be available this year while supplies last. Sixty percent of the original 120 cases will be available to purchase, with the rest saved for special events and seated tastings in our Tasting Room.

The Poplar Grove Library Collection is a testament to Tony’s vision, the Holler family’s dedication, and the craftsmanship of our entire team, especially our Executive Winemaker Stefan Arnason, who’s been leading the winemaking team since 2010. It’s also our way of saying thank you to our loyal supporters for trusting us for nearly two decades.

H A R V E S T  2 0 1 4

The 2019 winter brought extremes: warm 12° January days to lows of – 22° and lots of snow in February. When the buds started pushing, we noted that the colder months had resulted in a bit of bud and vine death in our Naramata Bench Vineyards. Bud burst was two weeks later than average due to the long winter. The beginning of Okanagan spring was one of the driest on record. However, by the end of June, the valley saw a cooling trend that lasted through most of July and brought much precipitation. At the end of July, the real Okanagan summer started with hot sunny days and little precipitation. The grapes soaked in the summer heat and quickly made up for lost time. Variation in our reds happened right on schedule. September was wetter than usual. October was dry with 15° days and 2 to 6° nights. On October 9th, a -4° frost dropped the leaves in most of our vineyards. After the frost, the weather was perfect to hang the fruit until the end of October, with all the remaining vineyards achieving the right amount of favour, sugar, and acid. No Floods. No Smoke. Overall, it was a low tonnage year with excellent ripe fruit across all varietals in our vineyards.