Niagara Wine Tour (Oct 2005)

Living so close to a quality wine growing region is definitely a privilege that I was eager to take advantage of. I visited seven wineries and tried twenty-seven wines, which is probably a practical limit because after the last winery my taste buds were not as sharp and doing more would have meant rushing.

Small picutes on the top are of Château des Charmes (left) and Lakeview (right).

Here are my notes by winery:

Peninsula Ridge (largest picture)
4 tastings = $2, ice wine tasting = $2 ea.

2004 Sauvignon Blanc – green apple, grapefruit, touch green tomato, bright with good acid. Considered by some to be the one of the best Sauvignon Blancs in Ontario. $18.95 VG

2003 Inox Chardonnay – I could swear there’s some oak at first, but upon closer inspection (and from the staff) this wine is so rounded not from oak but from malo-lactic fermentation. Touch of fruit (peach) and mineral, creamy too. $19.95 VG-E

2002 Arcanum – licorice, blackberry, smoky oak and a touch of spice. Not the greatest Value though. $29.95 VG-E

2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve – Dill pickles! Plum and smoke with sour red fruit. Ok but not what I expect from a Sauv’. $24.95 G-VG

2001 Cabernet Franc Icewine – ripe raspberry and strawberry jam, honey, good nose, very well balanced sugar/acid. Nice strawberry jam finish with nice tannins. $54.95 E

Lakeview Cellars
Tastings are free, and the staff was quite friendly.

2003 Baco Noir – the 2002 garnered much praise, the 2003 was also quite nice. Green, a touch stemy, slight barrel toast, pomegranate, good varietal character but not my preference. $19.95 G-VG

2003 Pinot Noir Reserve – beetroot, earth, a bit watery for me, I like the Baco (above) more. $24.95 G

2003 Riesling – light petrol, candied lime peel and pineapple nose, lemon drop taste, great acidity and value. $10.95 VG

2004 Pinot Grigio Reserve – candy, melon, very different but bland. $? G-F

2002 Cabernet Franc – cayenne, green bell pepper, tobacco smoke. $? G

Cave Springs
Around $1-2 per tasting, I didn’t like the service or atmosphere there.

2004 Gewürztraminer – very light lychee nut, a touch floral, light citrus, a touch sweet with a bitter finish. Not super for a Gewurzt. $ 17.95 VG-G

2003 Chardonnay Reserve – I’m told it was aged in Hungarian Oak 15 months; the oak is not overwhelming, but there isn’t enough fruit and acid to balance it out. Good mouth feel and finish. $19.95 VG

Henry of Pelham
Nice cottage/cellar like feel. A $2 donation to Brock University’s oenology program gets you 4 tastings. The tasting bar wasn’t designed for short people.

2004 Reserve Chadonnay – fresh clean nose with buttery notes of oak. Equally as good as the Cave Springs Chard, but much cheaper. $13.95 VG

2004 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay – creamy oak, maple syrup, and coconut. Great mouth feel. If you like more heavily oaked Chard take this one over the Reserve.
$19.95 VG-E

2004 Dry Rose – raisin and strawberry, but unfortunately watery with a chemical taste/smell that reminds me of poor homemade wine. F

2004 Baco Noir – smoky, raspberry, not green. Ok, but Lakeview’ was better. $12.95 G

2002 Unfiltered Cabernet-Merlot – A touch of smoke and strong green pepper aroma. Ok but too green. For me the price is way above the quality. $29.95 F-G

1998 Unfiltered Cabernet-Merlot – touch of pepper, a hint of greenness, meaty (reminds me of meat marinating in a sweet soy sauce), full bodied, and balanced but not my style (especially at this price). $50 VG

Niagara College Teaching Winery
A small informal shop, around $1 per tasting (which is waived if you buy a bottle).

2003 Warren Classic Chardonnay – Amazingly smooth and round mouth feel. It smells and tastes like vanilla ice cream with a hint of apple sauce on it. There is some acidity to balance it out, but it’s not really a fruity wine. If you hate oak forget about this wine; if you like creamy oak you’ll love it! $27.95 E

2004 Canadian Oak Chardonnay – Creamy butterscotch, coconut, and maple syrup are balanced with more fresh acidity than the Warren Classic. Not as good mouth feel, but it’s a much better value then the Warren. $18 – 19 E-VG

2004 Pinot Noir – white pepper, light pomegranate, beetroot, lacks body (too light even for a Pinot IMHO). $21.95 VG-G

Château des Charmes
The mansion is a tourist magnet and the wine bar was crowded. Service was so-so. $1 per tasting.

2003 Chardonnay Musqué – Kind of like a Riesling with some Viognier mixed in: clean, pale, lightly floral (honeysuckle), refreshing acidity (it would do well with a wide range of food). $ 15.95 VG-G

2004 Riesling – A perfumed floral nose (jasmine) with very light lemon and honey. Hardly any mineral elements (must be grown farther from the lake), but with a nice balance of acid and sugar. Great, but nothing distinguishing. $15.95 VG-E

2002 Merlot – Overly charred wood hits you in the nose right away, yet it does have a full, if slightly rough, mouthfeel. It tastes better than it smells: plum, cherry and a touch of greenness. Not my preference but good. $25 VG

Thomas and Vaughn
Opens later than other wineries, so save it for last. No tasting fee.

2004 Baco Noir – Very green, slightly stemy, tamrind nose. Rather mild on the palate and smooth if a tad watery. $11.95 G-VG

2000 Cabernet Franc Estate Reserve – This has lots of oak and some laid back fruit (plum skin and berry). Thankfully not overly smokey but a bit too light and not distinctly Cab Franc to me. However, Tony Aspler gives it 4 out of 5 stars and also notes pencil lead…so my opinion doesn’t mean this wine might not be great for someone else, just not me. $26.95 VG

1999 Vidal Icewine – Pure Vidal on the nose, a hint of cooked strawberry, canned lychee, apricot. It’s not overly sweet and syrupy, not some much due to balancing acidity but a lower sugar content than most Vidal icewine. Nothing too complex, but the deal they had going was a steal: 2 for $24! VG-G

Summary:
In general I’ve always found I like Ontario white wine more than red, and my ratings probably reflect this. I’ve found that the reds are usually a little underripe and lacking concentration. But what I hate most are the reds that have been aged in overly toasted barrels, the resulting smokiness can obliterate the fruit and subtle nuances of the wine. I think this over toasting is often done to cover up the lack of ripeness and add complexity that the grapes could not provide, but that’s just a hypothesis. Another problem is price, when Ontario reds are good they tend to be way too expensive (it’s easy to find the same quality from other countries for far less money).
I think red wine has a long way to go in Ontario, but things are always improving. I’m sure I’ll have more to say on this topic in a future post.