Posts Tagged ‘Private imports’
MWG January 16th tasting (5/8): Biodynamic duo
Bourgueil 2012, Diptyque dernier cri, Domaine de la Chevalerie ($22.25, La QV, 12 bottles/case)
The 38-hectare organic and biodynamic estate is located in Restigné. Each year, it makes a special cuvée for immediate drinking, dubbed Diptyque dernier cri in 2012. Like all Chevalerie wines, this is a 100% manually harvested Cabernet Franc. Fully destemmed and handled gently (no pumping). Temperature-controlled fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Matured in large neutral barrels. Unfiltered. Minimal added sulphur. 12.5% ABV.
Barnyard giving way to pepper, blackberry, slate. On the lighter side of medium-bodied. Dry but full of ripe fruit (sweet at its core), raspy but not astringent tannins and refreshing acidity. Pure and tasty, an easy-drinking vin plaisir. Serve lightly chilled. (Buy again? Yep.)
Vin de Sologne 2010, Élément-Terre, Julien Courtois ($31.75, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
100% Gamay teinturier de Chaudenay, a red-fleshed grape once common in the Loire. The estate is run according to organic and biodynamic principles. Wine-making is non-interventionist. Matured in large oak foudres for ten to 12 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 12.5% ABV. As of the 2011 vintage, the cuvée’s name is changing to Éléments.
Spicy/cedary nose of cherry, leather and eventually a hint of bacon. In the mouth, it’s an odd mix of juicy fresh cherry and old leather. Medium-bodied and supple yet somehow chewy, with light rustic tannins. There’s a candied edge to the fruit, especially on the flavourful finish, yet the wine is dry. As one taster pointed out, it’s actually quite Piedmontese in style. (Buy again? It’s a little pricey but sure.)
MWG January 16th tasting (4/8): A white red orange
Saar 2010, Orange, Weigut Orea ($24.00, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
100% organically farmed Pinot Noir vinified like a white – a blanc de noirs, in other words – which , if I understand correctly, the winemaker, Hervé Bar, considers an orange wine of sorts, not that I know how that works with a red grape. Spontaneous fermentation. Hands-off approach to the wine-making, including no chaptalization, fining or filtering and no or minimal added sulphur. 11.5% ABV. The estate has reportedly ceased making wine, Bar having followed his wife back to his native Bordeaux.
Colour somewhere between an orange wine and a rosé. People toyed with bouquet descriptors like lemon cookies and lime zest before one of them pegged it: flat champagne. The wine has a silky, caressing texture. The sweet-ripe fruit (apple, mango, mangosteen) is brightened by acidity and dried by a faint hint of tannins. There’s a certain depth and good length. Emminently quaffable, far more so than other still white Pinot Noirs you might name. Popular with many of the assembled tasters. (Buy again? Yes.)
The estate’s Rieslings are well regarded and its Chardonnay has been compared to Chablis.
MWG January 16th tasting (3/8): Rkatsiteli à l’orange
According to some estimates, Rkatsiteli is, by acreage, the third most planted vinifera grape in the world. It’s also one of the oldest. Most is grown in the countries of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Bloc, though it also has a toehold in North America, most famously in New York’s Finger Lakes region, where Dr. Konstantin Frank’s version has developed a minor cult following. The Frank Rkatsiteli is made in a modern, clean-as-a-whistle style, in sharp contrast to the three qvevri-fermented orange wines in this flight.
Kakheti 2011, Rkatsiteli, Pheasant’s Tears ($28.50, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
100% organically farmed Rkatsiteli. 12.5% ABV.
Yellow apple, oxidized pear, hints of spice, honeycomb, roasted poultry juices. Light yet intense and flavourful, with noticeable acidity and tannins. Long. Ultimately fruity and fresh, especially in comparison to the other two wines. (Buy again? Yes.)
Kakheti 2011, Rkatsiteli, Teleda ($30.50, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
100% organically farmed Rkatsiteli. 13.5% ABV. For background on the winery, which was founded in 2010, see here.
Oxidized butter, dried yellow fruit, dried herbs, dried flowers, hazelnut skins, whiff of sourness. Very dry and mouth-filling. Lots of flavour, including brown pear skin and apricot. There’s a core of vibrant fruit, acid galore and lingering faint tannins. The finish has a heady, almost volatile edge. A favourite of several around the table. (Buy again? Yes.)
Kakheti 2010, Rkatsiteli, Alaverdi ($40.00, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
Founded in the sixth century of the common era, the Alaverdi monastery has been making wine since at least the 11th century. The grapes for this 100% Rkatsiteli come from 40-year-old organically farmed vines. Unfiltered and unfined, with minimal added sulphur. 13% ABV.
Deep bronze as opposed to the other wines’ amber. Powerful, wild nose with notes of house paint and plaster along with more conventional apricot, minerals and herbs. Rich bordering on dense though in no way heavy. Structured by firm tannins and gleaming acidity. Very long. Fascinating. Needs food – something you might say about all the Georgians. (Buy again? Another bottle.)
MWG January 16th tasting (2/8): Brave old world
Most ampelographers and wine historians consider the South Caucasus region – and more specifically, the part occupied by modern-day Georgia – to be the birthplace of wine-making, with archeological evidence stretching back some 8,000 or 9,000 years. Although modern-styled Georgian wines can be found, the most interesting continue to be made using traditional techniques. The grapes – some of the hundreds of indigenous varieties found in Georgia – are picked and trod. The resulting must is transferred, along with the skins, ripe stems and seeds, to large qvevri, terracotta jars lined with beeswax and sunk into the cool ground, where it ferments (with indigenous yeasts) and matures. The process, from start to finish, is nicely summarized in this recent video.
The resulting wines are full of character – they’ve got guts, as Hugh Johnson puts it – and are unlike any other. Like Jura wines, they aren’t to everyone’s taste and even those of us who are fascinated by them may find themselves forced to abandon their usual appreciation criteria and descriptors, taken out of their comfort zone and questioning what it is they want from a wine. It’s a brave new old world and one we’re glad to have the opportunity to explore.
Kakheti 2011, Mtsvane, Pheasant’s Tears ($31,00, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
100% organically farmed Mtsvane. 12.5% ABV.
Candied peach, “scrambled egg sticking to the skillet,” a lactic whiff of cheese or whey. Fruity but dry. The sleek acidity comes out on the long finish, where it’s joined by a faintly tannic rasp and a hint of oxidation. Intriguing. (Buy again? Yes, maybe to serve with the grilled trout stuffed with green onion, lemon and tarragon from The Georgian Feast.)
Chardakhi 2011, Chinuri, Iago’s Wine ($35.20, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
Chardakhi is a village located in Kartli province near the ancient city of Mtskheta, about 20 km north of Georgia’s capital, Tbilisi. This 100% organically farmed Chinuri clocks in at 14% ABV. See this Alice Feiring blog post for background on the 2009.
Unfortunately, ours was an off bottle, though you could still tell this is rich, powerful orange wine with structure and dimension. (Buy again? Yes.)
Kakheti 2011, Chinuri, Pheasant’s Tears ($27.25, NLA)
100% organically farmed Chinuri. 12% ABV. A last-minute replacement for the off Chardakhi.
Constantly evolving nose marked by dried dill and pine resin. Medium-bodied, dry and crisp. The flavour is an odd but not unpleasant combination of fresh rainwater and oxidized fruit (pear and citrus?). A bit tannic on the finish, though fundamentally fleet. Not much changed from a year ago. (Buy again? Moot but I’m glad I have another bottle left.)
MWG January 16th tasting (1/8): Loureiro like we like it
La QV’s Cyril Kérébel joined the Mo’ Wine Group for a private import tasting centred around the agency’s newly arrived Georgian wines. We wet our whistles with a Portuguese white.
Vinho verde 2012, Branco, Quinta da Palmirinha ($21.75, La QV, 6 bottles/case)
If the estate, which is located in Gatão in the northern Porto district, has a website, I’ve not found it. The owner/winemaker is Fernando de Magalhães Pinto de Paiva. In any case, this 100% biodynamically farmed Loureiro is manually harvested, fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured 12 months. It sees only stainless steel until bottling. Unfiltered and unfined, with no added sulphur (total sulphites: 76 mg/L). Vegan-compatible. 12% ABV.
Attractive nose: chalk, lemon/lime zest, distant meadow flowers, faint hint of ash. Smooth, almost caressing, on the surface but intense at its core, alive with soft-edged yet coursing acidity. Pleasingly broad and long; deep enough too. The fruitiness makes you think there’s some residual sugar on the finish, though in fact the wine is very dry. Similar wines can be had at the SAQ but none quite this charming and delicious. (Buy again? Yes.)
Would love to taste the estate’s red vinho verde, though it looks like I’d have to cross the pond to do so.
Somewhereness 2013: Cave Spring Cellars
Located in Jordan, Cave Spring Cellars has been at the forefront of Ontario viticulture for more than a quarter century. It was one of the first wineries to focus on vinifera grapes and to demonstrate that Riesling was a star variety for the Niagara Peninsula. Today, more than 80% of the grapes used in its wines come from estate- and family-owned vineyards. Cave Spring also deserves kudos for packaging its wines in six-bottle cases and for providing detailed technical information on its products, something you can’t take for granted in the Yours-to-discover province (that said, it would be good to know more about the agricultural practices and if/how the wines are fined and filtered).
Riesling 2011, Niagara Peninsula VQA, Cave Spring Cellars ($18.35, 10745532)
100% Riesling from vineyards throughout the region. Cool-temperature fermentation with selected yeasts took place in stainless steel tanks and lasted four weeks. Fermentation was artificially stopped by chilling to leave a little residual sugar (19.5 g/L) in the wine. 11.5% ABV.
Appealing nose of apple candy, quartz and lime. Soft on the attack, fluid and pure. The tight acidity is balanced by a faint sweetness. Not a lot of follow-through, especially compared with the higher-end bottlings, but good in a summer sipper kind of way. (Buy again? Sure, especially at the $14.95 Ontario price.)
Riesling 2011, Dolomite, Niagara Escarpment VQA, Cave Spring Cellars ($18.35*, Trianon, 6 bottles/case)
100% Riesling, mostly from the Cave Spring Vineyard in Beamsville Bench. Cool-fermented in stainless steel tanks with selected yeasts. 15 g/L residual sugar. 11.5% ABV. The dolomite moniker refers to the dolomitic limestone found in the escarpment’s benchland vineyards.
Quartz dust, green apple, lime, a floral note and a hint of petrol. Smooth, with just enough residual sugar to take the edge off the vibrant acidity. Clean, minerally finish. A step up from the Niagara Peninsula cuvée. (Buy again? Sure, especially at the $16.95 Ontario price.)
Riesling 2010, CSV, Beamsville Bench VQA, Cave Spring Cellars ($31.25*, Trianon, 6 bottles/case)
100% Riesling from 35- to 40-year-old vines, the two oldest blocks of the variety in the Cave Spring Vineyard. Cool-temperature fermentation with selected yeasts took place in stainless steel tanks and lasted four weeks. Fermentation was artificially stopped by chilling to leave a little residual sugar (12.5 g/L) in the wine. 11.5% ABV.
The most minerally of the three Rieslings. Lots of lemon/lime, some green apple and stone fruit, notes of meadow flowers and fresh hay. A mouth-filling middleweight whose ripe fruit seems structured by bright acidity and a matrix of chalky minerals that lingers through the long finish. (Buy again? Yes, especially at the $29.95 Ontario price.)
Pinot Noir 2011, Dolomite, Niagara Escarpment VQA, Cave Spring Cellars ($21.40*, Trianon, 6 bottles/case)
100% Pinot Noir, 70% from Beamsville Bench and 30% from Twenty Mile Bench. The crushed grapes were macerated seven days, then pressed and transferred to French and Hungarian oak barrels (25% new) for 13 months’ ageing. 13% ABV.
Red berries, spice and stem. Satin-textured, medium-bodied. Supple tannins and a vein of slate thread through clean, ripe fruit that’s buoyed by smooth acidity and sweetened with a dollop of vanilla oak. The finish is nicely sustained. A drink-now wine. (Buy again? Yes, especially at the $17.95 Ontario price).
Cabernet Franc 2011, Dolomite, Niagara Escarpment VQA, Cave Spring Cellars ($21.40*, Trianon, 6 bottles/case)
100% Cabernet Franc grown on the Beamsville Bench. The crushed grapes were macerated in tank for 12 days, after which a third of the partially fermented must was transferred into barrels to finish fermentation. The remainder finished fermentation in tank before being pressed and transferred to barrels. Both lots spent a total of 16 months in French, old Hungarian and American oak barrels (30% new). 14.5% ABV.
Rich aromas and flavours of ripe red fruit, cedar, spice, tobacco but no greenness. This finely structured Cabernet Franc has a velvety texture, fine tannins, balanced acidity and a long, clean finish. The oak is discreet, even more so than in the Pinot Noir, and the alcohol doesn’t show at all. Impressive, especially at the price. (Buy again? Yes. Note, too, that the Quebec price compares favourably with Ontario’s $21.95).
*The Quebec private import prices may not include GST or QST (I’ve sent a query to the agent and will update as soon as I receive a reply). If they don’t, add 14%.
Somewhereness 2013: Hidden Bench
Founded in 2008, Hidden Bench favours a sustainable approach in the vineyard and a non-interventionist approach in the winery, including indigenous yeast fermentations and the avoidance of harsh procedures like pumping. With nearly 50 acres currently in production, it offers something for just about everyone: Riesling, Viognier, Chardonnay, Sémillon, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.
Chardonnay 2011, Estate, Beamsville Bench VQA, Hidden Bench ($39.67, Le Maître de Chai, 6 bottles/case)
100% Chardonnay. Manually harvested, whole-cluster pressed. The juice was cold-settled for 24 hours, then racked into French oak barrels (20% new) for spontaneous fermentation and partial malolactic, with weekly stirring of the lees. Selected barrels were blended and lightly filtered before bottling. 13.5% ABV.
Candied lemon, pear and oak spice. Round and full without being plump, thanks in part to the sustained acidity. Less fruity than the nose might lead you to believe. Chalk and lemon linger into a long finish whose scents put me in mind of a hay loft. (Buy again? At the Ontario price of $28.75, sure.)
Pinot Noir 2010, Estate, Beamsville Bench VQA, Hidden Bench ($40.93, Le Maître de Chai, 6 bottles/case)
100% Pinot Noir. Manually harvested. Cold-soaked in small lots for five to eight days, followed by spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts and punch-downs of the cap three to four times a day. After alcoholic fermentation, the free-run juice was gravity-drained into barrels while the skins were pressed. Malolactic fermentation took place in the barrels. Unfiltered and unfined. 13.5% ABV.
Fragrant, Burgundian nose of red berries, cherry, beet, spice and even some forest floor. Medium-bodied and supple yet also quite concentrated and intense, with ripe fruit, discreet oak, lacy tannins, refreshing acidity and the requisite depth, breadth and length, not to mention poise and balance. A delight. (Buy again? It’s a bit pricey but yes.)
Pinot Noir 2010, Felseck Vineyard, Beamsville Bench VQA, Hidden Bench ($44.73, Le Maître de Chai, 6 bottles/case)
100% Pinot Noir. Manually harvested. Destemmed. Transferred to five-ton oak fermenters and cold-soaked for eight days, followed by spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts and punch-downs of the cap three to four times a day. After alcoholic fermentation, the free-run juice was gravity-drained into barrels while the skins were pressed. Malolactic fermentation took place in the barrels. Unfiltered and unfined. 13.5% ABV.
Compared with the Estate, darker (slate and plum), meatier and richer on the nose. Similarly medium-bodied and full-flavoured but also more minerally and structured. The tannins in particular are tighter and more obvious, bordering on rustic. With certain depth and real length, the wine definitely has presence. Yet, for now at least, it’s less integrated and coherent, less a whole, more a sum of its parts. Maybe what it’s lacking is time. (Buy again? A bottle or two to see how it ages.)
Pinot Noir 2009, Locust Lane Vineyard, Beamsville Bench VQA, Hidden Bench ($55.00 at the winery)
100% Pinot Noir. Manually harvested. Destemmed. Transferred to five-ton oak fermenters and cold-soaked for ten days, followed by spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts and punch-downs of the cap three to four times a day. After alcoholic fermentation, the free-run juice was gravity-drained into barrels while the skins were pressed. Malolactic fermentation took place in the barrels. Unfiltered and unfined. 13.5% ABV.
All kinds of tertiary aromas (leafmould, smoke, game) along with the expected berries, cherry and spice. The driest and most serious of the three Pinots. Supple but sinewy. The concentrated ripe fruit is heady with floral overtones and a bit heavy with oak. Firm tannins and vibrant acidity give structure and shape, a dark mineral vein depth. Underbrush scents the long finish. While I found myself wondering whether the winery is pushing too hard, there’s no denying that this is an impressive effort. Revisit in four or five years and hope the fruit has outlasted the tannins and oak. (Buy again? A bottle to open on Canada’s 150th.)
Terroir Caché 2009, Red Meritage, Beamsville Bench VQA, Hidden Bench ($40.93, Le Maître de Chai, 6 bottles/case)
A blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec. Manually harvested. Destemmed. Cold-soaked for seven to ten days. The varieties were fermented separately (with indigenous yeasts), with regular racking and returning. Macerated on the skins another ten to 14 days after fermentation, then gravity-drained into barrels (a mix of new and old French oak) for 16 months’ malolactic fermentation and maturation. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. 13.5% ABV.
Complex, engaging nose: dark fruit, spice, graphite, oak, underbrush bordering on garrigue. Medium- to full-bodied. Fundamentally savoury despite the sweet, ripe fruit that’s beautifully balanced by bright acidity and an airframe structure. Good length with some chocolate and oak chiming in. (Buy again? Yes, especially at the winery/LCBO price of $32.75.)
Somewhereness 2013: Southbrook Vineyards
Located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the peninsula’s sunniest and warmest micro-climate (whence, one assumes, the rare focus on Cabernet Sauvignon), Southbrook Vineyards purchased its first 75 acres of land in 2005 and added another 75 in 2008. The estate has been certified organic and biodynamic since 2008 and uses only indigenous yeasts. The sleek, LEED Gold-certified winery building was designed by Jack Diamond, architect of Montreal’s new symphony hall.
Chardonnay 2012, Triomphe, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA, Southbrook Vineyards ($24.95, Trialto, 12 bottles/case)
100% Chardonnay. The pressed juice of the grapes from the Reimer and Gemmrich vineyard was allowed to cool-settle for 12 hours, then racked into stainless steel tanks for spontaneous fermentation and ageing on the lees. Meanwhile, Southbrook Estate grapes were whole-cluster pressed, cool-settled and racked into French oak barrels for spontaneous fermentation and ageing on the lees. Selected barrels were blended with the stainless steel lot, filtered (but not fined) and bottled. Screwcapped. Vegan-compatible. 12.5% ABV.
Lemon, peach, oak spice. A creamy-textured middleweight in the mouth. The bright fruit (apple and stone) is noticeably sweet, a bit more than necessary to take the edge off the lilting acidity. Solid finish whose freshness is tempered by faint caramel. (Buy again? At the Ontario price of $21.95, maybe.)
Winemaker’s White 2011, Whimsy, Niagara Peninsula VQA, Southbrook Vineyards ($34.95, Trialto, 12 bottles/case)
A blend of Chardonnay (58%), Sémillon (27%) and Muscat (15%). Harvested on the same day, the three varieties were combined and pressed. The must was racked into old oak barrels for spontaneous fermentation and maturation. Bottled filtered but unfined. Screwcapped. Vegan-compatible. 13% ABV.
Fragrant nose: preserved lemon, tropical fruit and, a bit incongruously, wool. Fruity (not to excess) and off-dry, the sugar effectively counterbalanced by underlying acidity. The long, browning apple finish gains some citrus pith and a hint of wax. Well made but not really my style. Plus there’s the issue of price: hard to swallow when $35 gets you, say, Huet’s beautiful 2011 Clos du Bourg and a loony in change. (Buy again? Probably not.)
Cabernet Franc 2010, Triomphe, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA, Southbrook Vineyards ($24.95, Trialto, 12 bottles/case)
Cabernet Franc (85%) and Merlot (15%). Manually harvested. Destemmed then 50% crushed. Spontaneous fermentation in oak vat with a total maceration time of four weeks, followed by pressing, settling and 12 months in barrels. Selected barrels were blended, filtered (but not fined) and bottled. Vegan-compatible. 13% ABV.
Red and black berries, spice and a green tobacco note. Medium-bodied. The sleek fruit is energized by bright acidity, darkened by graphite and ruffled by fine tannins that give this fundamentally supple wine welcome grain and a velvety astringency. Clean finish with lingering spice. (Buy again? Sure.)
Winemaker’s Red 2007, Whimsy, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA, Southbrook Vineyards ($34.95, Trialto, 12 bottles/case)
No tech info found. Going by other vintages, this is probably a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.
Evolved, complex, tertiary nose: cassis and black raspberry, underbrush, tobacco and graphite. Medium-bodied, smoothly textured and resolved though not over the hill, with enough acidity to keep the fruit bright and frisky. Round tannins linger into the finish, whose lightly candied fruit intertwines with more savoury flavours. Well made if a little anonymous. (Buy again? Maybe.)
Cabernet Sauvignon 2010, Triomphe, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA, Southbrook Vineyards ($24.95, Trialto, 12 bottles/case)
No tech info found. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Vegan-compatible, which probably means it’s unfined. 14.1% ABV.
Candied cassis, sawed wood and spice. Medium-bodied. Ripe and fruity. Tart acidity and gritty tannins provide textural/structural interest. Faint tobacco and vanilla scent the long finish. Straightforward, versatile and fun. (Buy again? Sure.)
Cabernet Sauvignon 2009, Whimsy, Niagara-on-the-Lake VQA, Southbrook Vineyards ($34.95, Trialto, 12 bottles/case)
100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Manually harvested. Destemmed, 50% crushed, fermented with indigenous yeasts in an oak vat (four weeks’ total maceration time), then pressed, settled and racked into mainly French oak barrels (71% new). After 13 months, the barrels were selected, blended, lightly filtered (but not fined) and bottled. Vegan-compatible. 13.3% ABV.
Appealing set of aromas and flavours: dark fruit, spice, crushed stone, tobacco leaf, discreet oak. Medium-bodied. Polished and evolved, with smooth tannins and acidity. Less fruit-driven and more savoury than the Triomphe, with an added layer of minerals and depth. Long, astringent, earth- and herb-inflected finish. The most Bordeaux-like Ontario wine I’ve tasted. (Buy again? Yes.)
Somewhereness 2013: Flat Rock Cellars
Founded in 1999 and located at the top of Twenty Mile Bench, Flat Rock Cellars owns 80 acres of vines. The three core grape varieties are Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The winery is built on several levels to allow gravity flow. Intervention in the wine-making is largely avoided and indigenous yeasts are used for some wines.
Sparkling Brut Reserve 2007, Twenty Mile Bench VQA, Flat Rock Cellars ($35.00, available only at the winery)
Two-thirds Pinot Noir and one-third Chardonnay. Whole-cluster pressed, cold settled, fermented in stainless steel tanks. Racked into neutral barrels for six month’s maturation, then blended, filtered and bottled, with secondary fermentation taking place in the bottle. Aged on the lees for three years, then disgored and dosed. Crown-capped. 12% ABV.
Citrus, apple, brioche and chalk. Lightly fruity upfront, turning bone dry as it goes along. Laden with minerals and brilliant acidity. Long, toasty, leesy finish. Good complexity and balance. Lovely. (Buy again? Yes.)
Riesling 2011, Nadja’s Vineyard, Twenty Mile Bench VQA, Flat Rock Cellars ($25.00, Langevins, 12 bottles/case)
100% Riesling from a 2.5-acre vineyard atop a bed of limestone. Manually harvested, whole-cluster pressed, cold-settled and then racked off the lees for fermentation. Fermented at cold temperatures with selected yeasts. 13.5 g/l residual sugar. 11.5% ABV.
The nose – peach and white flowers – doesn’t quite prepare you for the lemonade-ish palate with its tension between tart and sweet against a backdrop of flint and white fruit. Long, juicy finish with lingering sour green apple and lime. Intensely refreshing. (Buy again? At the winery’s $20.15, definitely.)
Chardonnay 2009, Twenty Mile Bench VQA, Flat Rock Cellars ($20.20, 11889474)
A blend of two Chardonnay clones from four different sites and soil types. Manually harvested. Some of the grapes were destemmed, others were kept as whole bunches. After pressing and settling, the must was transferred by gravity feed into barrels (60%) and stainless steel tanks (40%) where it was underwent primary fermentation (with selected yeasts) and full malolactic fermentation with regular lees-stirring. After blending, the wine was bottled unfined. Screwcapped. 12.8% ABV.
Oak, lemon, chalk. A bit leesy and lactic with a sour edge. Smooth texture, the charged acidity notwithstanding. Lemon and sour apple with some honey creeping in the decent finish. Tasty. (Buy again? Sure, especially at the LCBO’s $16.95.)
Chardonnay 2011, The Rusty Shed, Twenty Mile Bench VQA, Flat Rock Cellars ($25.00, Langevins, 12 bottles/case)
A challenging vintage meant the fruit was left on the vine until early October. Manually picked, gently pressed, transferred to barrels for fermentation followed by ten months maturation in French oak barrels (a mix of new and old). Screwcapped. 13% ABV.
Oats, lemon, white fruit, lanolin and a hint of sweet oak. Weightier than the 2009, though by no means heavy. Dry and minerally with grippy acidity and faint overtones of stone fruit, butter and caramel. Clean – the oak is an accent – and long. Polished and appealing. (Buy again? Yes.)
Pinot Noir 2011, Twenty Mile Bench VQA, Flat Rock Cellars ($29.20, Langevins, 12 bottles/case)
The so-called estate bottling. 100% Pinot Noir from seven parcels. Manually picked, pressed, then soaked on the skins with manual punch-downs several times a day to extract color and tannin. Barrel-fermented, mostly with indigenous yeats. Matured in a mix of old and new French oak barrels. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV.
Pretty nose of cedar, spice and red berries. Ripe fruit, light oak and a slight earthiness. Good acidity and structure. Clean finish with a faint tannic rasp. (Buy again? At the Ontario price of $20, sure.)
Pinot Noir 2011, Gravity, Twenty Mile Bench VQA, Flat Rock Cellars ($34.50, Langevins, 12 bottles/case)
A blend of barrels selected for their deeper, less forward fruit. Aged longer than the estate Pinot Noir; otherwise, the wine-making is identical. Unfined. Screwcapped. 12.5% ABV.
Less primary and more integrated than the regular Pinot. Pure fruit, good acidity, fine tannins, dark minerals and a little more savour and heft. Light oak on the lingering finish. (Buy again? Yes, especially at the winery’s $30.15.)
Somewhereness 2013: Hinterland Wine Company
Hinterland Wine Company is the only Somewhereness winery based entirely in Prince Edward County. Owners Jonas Newman and Vicki Samaras began planting vines near Hillier in 2005 and quickly determined that the soil and climate gave them grapes well suited to sparkling wine production. So they bet the bank on it: to this day, Hinterland remains Ontario’s sole winery whose entire line consists of bubblies. The couple has also begun making wines on the Greek island of Limnos under the Terra Lemnia label.
Whitecap 2012, Method Charmat, Ontario VQA, Hinterland Wine Company ($23.50, La QV/Insolite, 12 bottles/case)
Equal proportions of Riesling and Vidal with a dollop (7%) of Muscat. Made like a Prosecco using the Charmat process. Crowncap. 15 g/l residual sugar. 12% ABV.
Surprisingly Muscaty nose: peach, sweet spice, flowers. Just off-dry with a soft, frothy effervescence, crisp acidity and a sustained finish. The kind of wine you could serve to just about anyone, from your grandmother to your wine-geekiest friend. The winemakers say it’s popular at weddings and it’s easy to see why. (Buy again? A bottle or two for summer sipping on the deck.)
Lacus 2012, Method Charmat, Ontario VQA, Hinterland Wine Company ($23.50, La QV/Insolite, 12 bottles/case)
100% Cabernet Franc. 12% ABV.
Deep rosé colour. Cabernet Franc nose: red berries, turned earth, herbs, leaves and a hint of “red pepper jelly” (quoting one of the couple). Dryish on the palate with faint tannins, spice, chalk (?) and lingering brioche. So odd yet so delicious. The winery says it can go with red meat and it’s substantial enough (which doesn’t mean heavy) that I’d like to give it a try. (Buy again? Yes.)
Jonas was also pouring tastes of the still wine used to make the Lacus. Light bordering on watery yet somehow very present. Dry and pure, a mouthful of pale fruit, grainy minerals and streaming acidity. Refreshing and delicious. If Hinterland ever bottled this, I’d buy it.
Blanc de Blanc 2011, Method Traditional, Prince Edward County VQA, Hinterland Wine Company ($41.00, La QV/Insolite, 12 bottles/case)
100% Chardonnay. Was originally intended for Les Étoiles but the quality was so high the winery decided to use it for a one-off blanc de blanc. The base wine was matured in 500-litre oak barrels for eight months and sparkled using the traditional method. 12% ABV.
Intriguing if subtle nose: citrus, brioche and lees with a sour edge (a sign of youth?). Tart and clean on the attack, bright with lemon, crystalline minerals and zingy acidity. Long smoky finish. Perhaps the most Champagne-like of the Hinterland wines I’ve tasted. (Buy again? Yes, especially at the Ontario price of $35.)
Les Étoiles 2010, Method Traditional, Prince Edward County VQA, Hinterland Wine Company ($45.00, La QV/Insolite, 12 bottles/case)
Chardonnay (60%) and Pinot Noir (40%) made using the traditional method. Sixty percent of the crop was lost to spring frosts. The Chardonnay spends a few months in third-fill barrels. The blended wine is bottle-aged on the lees for at least two years before disgorging and dosage, which is done in small batches on an as-needed basis. 12% ABV.
Bit stinky at first though that quickly blew off, leaving a textbook nose of lemon, apple, pear, brioche, chalk and cream. Creamy in the mouth too, with good tension between the rich fruit and bright acidity, some mineral depth and a persistent toasty finish. A serious , well-delineated sparkler – not Champagne but really very good. The star of the portfolio. (Buy again? Yes, especially at the Ontario price of $39.)
Ancestral 2013, Method Ancestral, Ontario VQA, Hinterland Wine Company ($29.00, La QV/Insolite, 12 bottles/case)
100% Gamay Noir. Inspired by the sparkling Gamays (sometimes with a little Poulsard thown in) from Bugey Cerdon. The name refers to the rarely used (outside of Savoie and Gaillac) méthode ancestrale of sparkling wine production, whereby the wine is bottled before fermentation is complete. Fermentation is then allowed to continue in the bottle and the carbon dioxide that is a byproduct creates the effervescence. As the VQA doesn’t allow cloudy wines, the winery recreates the process in tank, then filters the wine before bottling. 8% ABV.
Flirting nose of strawberry and rose. Fruity and lightly effervescent on the palate. Off-dry verging on sweet though with plenty of balancing acidity. Turns drier on the finish as minerals and a hint of earthiness emerge. Candied but fun. Lacks the slatey vein of my favourite Bugey Cerdons but none of their charm. (Buy again? In a drier vintage.)
Brett happens 