Niagara Wine Tour 2007 – Part 1
This exploration of Niagara’s wines took place over two days; the first day delved a little more into the Niagara on the Lake region since previous tasting tours have focused more on the wineries of Niagara’s Bench west of St. Catharines (mainly Beamsville Bench and Twenty Mile Bench appellations). By Niagara on the Lake I am referring to the Niagara Lakeshore, Niagara River, and Four Mile Creek appellations. Whether these specific appellation designations actually mean anything yet is up for debate. That said, I have noticed some difference in the wines mostly in relation to the vineyard’s proximity to the Escarpment or Lake.
Overall there were not many standout wines on the first day and the tasting bars were crowded with bicycle and bus tours. If you want to avoid the crowds it’s probably better to stick to the Bench on busy weekends. Reif was particularly crowded and there was a line up at the bar, which was pouring very few of their good wines, so we didn’t bother sticking around.
This is the 1st of 3 parts.
Strewn
A fairly large complex that has a restaurant and cooking school in addition to the tasting bar and shop. I’m not a fan of the layout, but at least the wine was good. $0.50 for regular level, $3 for ‘Terroir’ samples.
2005 Terroir Cabernet Franc
Nice green slightly stemy/leafy notes and tobacco, good varietal nose. Very tart and slightly watery; the lack of extract doesn’t balance the acid out. Macintosh apple, pomegranate and strawberry add character to the nose. This might be better with some food. $23 87
2001 Terroir Cabernet Franc
This is riper and more mouth filling than the 2005 with black fruits, richer tobacco leaf, light chocolate and smoke with only faint green notes. It also has less acid and is rounder than the 2005. Solid and unusually rich, but overpriced in my opinion (I’d rather spend the $ on a nice Barolo). $65 90
Lailey Vineyard
This is very close to the touristy main strip of Niagara on the Lake and a minute away from some great views of the Niagara River. The small tasting bar didn’t easily accommodate the bicycle tour hoards. $1-2 for samples.
2006 Dry Riesling
Very floral lily like aromas, green apple, and candy peach/nectarine. There is a sweet edge to the nose but this isn’t the case once you’ve taken a sip, very tart with a sharp greenness that detracts from the overall impression. $19.95 87
2005 Pinot Noir
Vanilla and a little caramel with cherry, strawberry and slightly smoky oak. There is a bit of greenery and earth too. Lacks character on the palate (watery) and the finish is astringent. May improve a bit with a year or two in the bottle. $24.95 86+
Marynissen Estates
The smell in the tasting room reminds me of a cottage and it is way too small to accommodate the tour bus mob. Not my favourite tasting room. The first sample of the Cabernet/Merlot stunk of sulphur (which the staff were oblivious to)! $0.50/sample.
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Ridiculously herbaceous and green. Loaded with dill pickle, red fruit, leather, cured meat, and a pine cleaner like note. Possibly a flawed bottle, but I doubt a good bottle would be any less green. $29 78-82
2002 Cabernet/Merlot
This is herbaceous as well but at least has some ripe fruit to compensate. Plum, red fuit, nutty wood and a little meaty with sweet tannins on the finish. $14.95 87
Flat Rock Cellars
Finally we leave the crowds of Niagara on the Lake for the less crowded Bench wineries. The picturesque tasting room is perched on a hill with great views of the vineyard and Lake Ontario. Around $1/tasting.
2006 Nadja’s Vineyard Riesling
Peach, coconut, green apple with crisp mineral nose. The acidity is piercing all the way through to the finish which has a citrus (lime/grapefruit) and green mango character. The acidity is too much to enjoy sipping it by itself; I’d prefer this wine with some food. After the tasting I read Stimmell’s review in the Star, he gives it 91 and noted floral elements (which are not pronounced to me). $19.95 89
2006 Gewürztraminer
Typical lychee and faint roses with banana peel make for a pleasant nose, but the finish is very bitter (lychee nut) and the richness of good examples of this varietal is missing. Not that it was hideous, but I gulped the rest of the glass to avoid tasting it much more. $18.95 86
Malivoire
As you drive up the hill you are greeted by a steel canopied building that has a utilitarian feel about it. The winery uses a gravity fed design and the spacious tasting room has a nice view of the vats. $5 for a flight of 4-5.
2005 Chardonnay
Not oaky, nice mineral, stone fruits, apple, good mouthfeel, toast and lime marmalade. The finish is clean but a bit bitter. $22 89
2004 Moira Vineyard Chardonnay
Malolactic fermentation and more oak than the 2005 Chardonnay, but it is not overdone. Butterscotch, toast, lemon rind, limestone with a pleasantly round mouthfeel. I like the balance of oak to the acid and fruit. $36 90
2006 Gewürztraminer
Riper than Flat Rock’s version in the same year. Ripe lychee, mango and an interesting fruity black tea like nuance. There is some structure and body in the mouth finishing with a little nutty spice. This would be great with some Pad Thai. $25.80 90
2005 Gamay
This Gamay has some oak time and it shows with cloves and vanilla with some strawberry fruitiness. Interesting, but not my preference (then again very few Gamays are), as my score reflects. $16 86
2004 Moira Vineyard Pinot Noir
Good earthy beetroot and cherry Pinot character, and it even has some light Pinot perfume (violets). As good as it is on the nose the palate fell a little short, bitter and a touch acidic. David Lawrason (Wine Access) gave it 4½ stars out of 5 noting cherry-raspberry, floral notes, dried herbs, chocolate and spice. $42 88
Puddicombe Estate
The winery is only a portion of the farm and it has a rustic Ontario farm feel (think candied apples, pumpkins, and hay rides). Not a sleek modern place, but it is free of pretension and the prices that afflict more than a few wineries in Niagara.
2004 Riesling Reserve
Very nice petrol (more pronounced than any other Riesling tasted during the tour), mineral, and lemon drop. A bit candied, but it is the best value of any wine tasted from any of the wineries. $13.20 88
2004 Baco Noir Reserve
Very pungent nose of vegetation, green stems, sour preserved plum, and fruity vinegar. This wine is very ‘in you face’ as our host noted, and strangely I kind of like it for that. It certainly lacks refinement, but what a whack to the senses. Pow! It’s almost like someone toasted some fall leaves and filtered the wine thought it. It is horrendously disjointed in the mouth with sour and sweet notes and a weird savoury taste. Verging on offensive, but I love the smell (if only for its novelty). $11.20 76
Part 2 coming soon! Part 2 will cover Daniel Lenko Estates Winery.
Overall there were not many standout wines on the first day and the tasting bars were crowded with bicycle and bus tours. If you want to avoid the crowds it’s probably better to stick to the Bench on busy weekends. Reif was particularly crowded and there was a line up at the bar, which was pouring very few of their good wines, so we didn’t bother sticking around.
This is the 1st of 3 parts.
Strewn
A fairly large complex that has a restaurant and cooking school in addition to the tasting bar and shop. I’m not a fan of the layout, but at least the wine was good. $0.50 for regular level, $3 for ‘Terroir’ samples.
2005 Terroir Cabernet Franc
Nice green slightly stemy/leafy notes and tobacco, good varietal nose. Very tart and slightly watery; the lack of extract doesn’t balance the acid out. Macintosh apple, pomegranate and strawberry add character to the nose. This might be better with some food. $23 87
2001 Terroir Cabernet Franc
This is riper and more mouth filling than the 2005 with black fruits, richer tobacco leaf, light chocolate and smoke with only faint green notes. It also has less acid and is rounder than the 2005. Solid and unusually rich, but overpriced in my opinion (I’d rather spend the $ on a nice Barolo). $65 90
Lailey Vineyard
This is very close to the touristy main strip of Niagara on the Lake and a minute away from some great views of the Niagara River. The small tasting bar didn’t easily accommodate the bicycle tour hoards. $1-2 for samples.
2006 Dry Riesling
Very floral lily like aromas, green apple, and candy peach/nectarine. There is a sweet edge to the nose but this isn’t the case once you’ve taken a sip, very tart with a sharp greenness that detracts from the overall impression. $19.95 87
2005 Pinot Noir
Vanilla and a little caramel with cherry, strawberry and slightly smoky oak. There is a bit of greenery and earth too. Lacks character on the palate (watery) and the finish is astringent. May improve a bit with a year or two in the bottle. $24.95 86+
Marynissen Estates
The smell in the tasting room reminds me of a cottage and it is way too small to accommodate the tour bus mob. Not my favourite tasting room. The first sample of the Cabernet/Merlot stunk of sulphur (which the staff were oblivious to)! $0.50/sample.
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Ridiculously herbaceous and green. Loaded with dill pickle, red fruit, leather, cured meat, and a pine cleaner like note. Possibly a flawed bottle, but I doubt a good bottle would be any less green. $29 78-82
2002 Cabernet/Merlot
This is herbaceous as well but at least has some ripe fruit to compensate. Plum, red fuit, nutty wood and a little meaty with sweet tannins on the finish. $14.95 87
Flat Rock Cellars
Finally we leave the crowds of Niagara on the Lake for the less crowded Bench wineries. The picturesque tasting room is perched on a hill with great views of the vineyard and Lake Ontario. Around $1/tasting.
2006 Nadja’s Vineyard Riesling
Peach, coconut, green apple with crisp mineral nose. The acidity is piercing all the way through to the finish which has a citrus (lime/grapefruit) and green mango character. The acidity is too much to enjoy sipping it by itself; I’d prefer this wine with some food. After the tasting I read Stimmell’s review in the Star, he gives it 91 and noted floral elements (which are not pronounced to me). $19.95 89
2006 Gewürztraminer
Typical lychee and faint roses with banana peel make for a pleasant nose, but the finish is very bitter (lychee nut) and the richness of good examples of this varietal is missing. Not that it was hideous, but I gulped the rest of the glass to avoid tasting it much more. $18.95 86
Malivoire
As you drive up the hill you are greeted by a steel canopied building that has a utilitarian feel about it. The winery uses a gravity fed design and the spacious tasting room has a nice view of the vats. $5 for a flight of 4-5.
2005 Chardonnay
Not oaky, nice mineral, stone fruits, apple, good mouthfeel, toast and lime marmalade. The finish is clean but a bit bitter. $22 89
2004 Moira Vineyard Chardonnay
Malolactic fermentation and more oak than the 2005 Chardonnay, but it is not overdone. Butterscotch, toast, lemon rind, limestone with a pleasantly round mouthfeel. I like the balance of oak to the acid and fruit. $36 90
2006 Gewürztraminer
Riper than Flat Rock’s version in the same year. Ripe lychee, mango and an interesting fruity black tea like nuance. There is some structure and body in the mouth finishing with a little nutty spice. This would be great with some Pad Thai. $25.80 90
2005 Gamay
This Gamay has some oak time and it shows with cloves and vanilla with some strawberry fruitiness. Interesting, but not my preference (then again very few Gamays are), as my score reflects. $16 86
2004 Moira Vineyard Pinot Noir
Good earthy beetroot and cherry Pinot character, and it even has some light Pinot perfume (violets). As good as it is on the nose the palate fell a little short, bitter and a touch acidic. David Lawrason (Wine Access) gave it 4½ stars out of 5 noting cherry-raspberry, floral notes, dried herbs, chocolate and spice. $42 88
Puddicombe Estate
The winery is only a portion of the farm and it has a rustic Ontario farm feel (think candied apples, pumpkins, and hay rides). Not a sleek modern place, but it is free of pretension and the prices that afflict more than a few wineries in Niagara.
2004 Riesling Reserve
Very nice petrol (more pronounced than any other Riesling tasted during the tour), mineral, and lemon drop. A bit candied, but it is the best value of any wine tasted from any of the wineries. $13.20 88
2004 Baco Noir Reserve
Very pungent nose of vegetation, green stems, sour preserved plum, and fruity vinegar. This wine is very ‘in you face’ as our host noted, and strangely I kind of like it for that. It certainly lacks refinement, but what a whack to the senses. Pow! It’s almost like someone toasted some fall leaves and filtered the wine thought it. It is horrendously disjointed in the mouth with sour and sweet notes and a weird savoury taste. Verging on offensive, but I love the smell (if only for its novelty). $11.20 76
Part 2 coming soon! Part 2 will cover Daniel Lenko Estates Winery.
Labels: Niagara
posted by Jason Zacarias | 5:35 p.m.
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