Niagara Wine Tour 2007 Part 3
I visited Daniel Lenko Estate the same day as Hidden Bench and Tawse on the second day of the tour. All three of these wineries are on the Bench west of St. Catharines away from the bustle of Niagara on the Lake. The more I tour around Niagara the more it seems that the wineries located on or near the Bench are producing the most exciting wines in Ontario.
Hidden Bench
This winery is not on the Ontario Wine Route map and the parking lot was almost empty, which is not a reflection on the wines by any means. The green barn like exterior of the tasting room is set amongst the vines of the Locust Lane Vineyard and has a secluded feel. The winery just opened its doors in May 2007, but as Stimmell noted in the Toronto Star the portfolio is aimed high in terms of quality and price. There is a tasting fee of $10 for a flight of three.
2005 Estate Chardonnay
This is a blend of grapes from Rosomel and Locust Lane Vineyards. Very clean nose with only minimal oak. Notes of coconut, pear, brown sugar, and grapefruit. Very ripe with decent concentration and a higher than normal alcohol of 14% which lends some weight to the palate. Winery notes say ‘quince’, I can agree with that. Nice balance of acid/fruit and oak. $30 90
2005 Vielles Vignes Chardonnay
This is 100% Rosomel fruit. I’m told the vines are 32 years old, hence the vielles vignes. More oak influence than the Estate Chard with apple, butter, caramel, and some floral notes (white flowers), and light hazelnut. Maybe needs some time to integrate the oak. 91 in the Toronto Star: smoky apple (it looks like we agree). $40 91
2005 Estate Pinot Noir
This Pinot comes across in a high strung, almost aggressive, manner. It lacks some elegance and concentration, which unfortunately is not uncommon of most Ontario Pinot. A lot of sweet cherry and strawberry jam, strong high notes of a spicy floral nature, and mint. Pale ruby colour looks a bit watery. Some earthy beetroot nuances. Not bad (I guess they did the best with the grapes they had), but I thought it was a little out of whack. 91 in the Toronto Star, Stimmell notes: wild strawberry, smoky beetroot, black cherry. I agree with the characterization but not the score. $35 88
2005 Terroir Caché
Too much toast for me here which accentuates the green elements and kills the nose. I’m told it is a medium+ toast. Peeking out from under the burnt wood is some nice ripe red fruit on the palate. The style reminds me of Creekside’s reds with its big smoky concentrated style. On the plus side it has a great round mouthfeel and lots of weight. The finish is sweetish with cedar notes. Not at all my favourite style, but I can’t fault it for that. Stimmell gives it 91 and notes: smoky cigar box, blackberry and cherry, long and rich. $35 89
Tawse
This biodynamic winery boasts a 6 level gravity fed design and the tasting room is open to most of the levels which means you get the sent of fermentation to accompany your experience (and the occasional fruit fly). Nicely designed, this winery is obviously marketing to a similar crowd as Hidden Bench, it also has $10/3 tasting flights.
2004 Beamsville Bench Chardonnay
Caramel, roasted nuts, and sweet biscuity bouquet with pineapple coming across in the aftertaste. Round and simple with good acid to hold up to the oak. Nice silky mouthfeel. It didn’t hold up too well after some time in the glass. $42 89
2005 Beamsville Bench Chardonnay
This ripe Chard has a whopping 14.3% alcohol which isn’t that noticeable, but does add some heft. Butterscotch, green apple, pie spice, and unfortunately a hint of green sappiness that detracts from the overall package. More oak than I’d like to see, though there is balancing acid and fruit. It is rounder than the 2004 but overall I found it kind of boring and because of the oak. I’m not sure what food I’d pair with this. $47 88
2004 Robyn’s Block Chardonnay
The oak is not dominant and the buttery aspects are balanced with clean fruit and mineral notes. I get stones, spring water/mineral water, pineapple, very faint floral elements, and interesting savoury notes. The finish is really long, always a trait of good Chardonnay. Solid wine with much more food pairing potential than the 2005 Beamsville Bench Chard. $48 92
That wraps up the Niagara tasting notes for another year or so. Overall I noticed less heavy barrel toasting than previous years, which was definitely a good thing, however most of the reds were still lack lustre for me, and those that were outstanding were too pricey. The standout wines were all Chardonnays, which to me indicates that it has a bright future here. The Chardonnay I tasted was not only good for Niagara, but for anywhere else in the world in my opinion.
This tour of Niagara got me thinking about the industry and its direction, so I will close with some of my musings. As I tasted I thought to myself that in order to up the quality and profile of wines from Niagara wine makers need to focus on what does well in the region. Niagara needs to be known for doing something well and making Cabernet Sauvignon that hasn’t ripened properly will not cut it. The same goes for varietials from Rhône or Southwest France as far as I’m concerned. I don’t care if Syrah is popular at the moment, or that Jancis Robinson thinks Lenko’s Syrah is the best Canadian wine she’s tasted. If I want great Syrah I’m looking to Southern France and Australia, as will other consumers. Producers need to focus on doing something well, for instance what comes to mind when you think of the Willamette Valley in Oregon? Pinot Noir of course. Mendoza, Argentina? Malbec. Marlborough, New Zealand? Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Napa Valley? Cabernet Sauvinon.
So what types of grapes do I think have a future in Niagara? Well, in addition to Chardonnay I will be watching out for solid examples of Cabernet Franc, Baco Noir, Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Thanks to Le Clos Jordanne I will also be keeping a close eye on the development of Pinot Noir in Ontario as well, more on that later.
One last point on over pricing. With the exception of tasting tours around Niagara I don’t buy much wine from Niagara. The reason for my abstinence has more to do with pricing than lack of pride in the wines of my home province. The quality to price ratio is often not favourable and if I have to choose between spending big bucks on a lovely Barolo or a decent but over oaked smoky attempt at a Bordeaux styled wine, well I’m going to stick with the Barolo. Sure there are plenty of people willing to waste large sums of money buying these wines from the winery, but wines should not be priced by what a few select buyers are willing to pay. I think a lot of producers have made the mistake of marketing to the well-healed customer with no palate or idea what a ‘mare-lot’ is supposed to taste like. The price should be dependant on the quality. There are some wineries that are getting the point thankfully, and I hope they will not always be the minority.
Hidden Bench
This winery is not on the Ontario Wine Route map and the parking lot was almost empty, which is not a reflection on the wines by any means. The green barn like exterior of the tasting room is set amongst the vines of the Locust Lane Vineyard and has a secluded feel. The winery just opened its doors in May 2007, but as Stimmell noted in the Toronto Star the portfolio is aimed high in terms of quality and price. There is a tasting fee of $10 for a flight of three.2005 Estate Chardonnay
This is a blend of grapes from Rosomel and Locust Lane Vineyards. Very clean nose with only minimal oak. Notes of coconut, pear, brown sugar, and grapefruit. Very ripe with decent concentration and a higher than normal alcohol of 14% which lends some weight to the palate. Winery notes say ‘quince’, I can agree with that. Nice balance of acid/fruit and oak. $30 90
2005 Vielles Vignes Chardonnay
This is 100% Rosomel fruit. I’m told the vines are 32 years old, hence the vielles vignes. More oak influence than the Estate Chard with apple, butter, caramel, and some floral notes (white flowers), and light hazelnut. Maybe needs some time to integrate the oak. 91 in the Toronto Star: smoky apple (it looks like we agree). $40 91
2005 Estate Pinot Noir
This Pinot comes across in a high strung, almost aggressive, manner. It lacks some elegance and concentration, which unfortunately is not uncommon of most Ontario Pinot. A lot of sweet cherry and strawberry jam, strong high notes of a spicy floral nature, and mint. Pale ruby colour looks a bit watery. Some earthy beetroot nuances. Not bad (I guess they did the best with the grapes they had), but I thought it was a little out of whack. 91 in the Toronto Star, Stimmell notes: wild strawberry, smoky beetroot, black cherry. I agree with the characterization but not the score. $35 88
2005 Terroir Caché
Too much toast for me here which accentuates the green elements and kills the nose. I’m told it is a medium+ toast. Peeking out from under the burnt wood is some nice ripe red fruit on the palate. The style reminds me of Creekside’s reds with its big smoky concentrated style. On the plus side it has a great round mouthfeel and lots of weight. The finish is sweetish with cedar notes. Not at all my favourite style, but I can’t fault it for that. Stimmell gives it 91 and notes: smoky cigar box, blackberry and cherry, long and rich. $35 89
Tawse
This biodynamic winery boasts a 6 level gravity fed design and the tasting room is open to most of the levels which means you get the sent of fermentation to accompany your experience (and the occasional fruit fly). Nicely designed, this winery is obviously marketing to a similar crowd as Hidden Bench, it also has $10/3 tasting flights.
2004 Beamsville Bench Chardonnay
Caramel, roasted nuts, and sweet biscuity bouquet with pineapple coming across in the aftertaste. Round and simple with good acid to hold up to the oak. Nice silky mouthfeel. It didn’t hold up too well after some time in the glass. $42 89
2005 Beamsville Bench Chardonnay
This ripe Chard has a whopping 14.3% alcohol which isn’t that noticeable, but does add some heft. Butterscotch, green apple, pie spice, and unfortunately a hint of green sappiness that detracts from the overall package. More oak than I’d like to see, though there is balancing acid and fruit. It is rounder than the 2004 but overall I found it kind of boring and because of the oak. I’m not sure what food I’d pair with this. $47 88
2004 Robyn’s Block Chardonnay
The oak is not dominant and the buttery aspects are balanced with clean fruit and mineral notes. I get stones, spring water/mineral water, pineapple, very faint floral elements, and interesting savoury notes. The finish is really long, always a trait of good Chardonnay. Solid wine with much more food pairing potential than the 2005 Beamsville Bench Chard. $48 92
That wraps up the Niagara tasting notes for another year or so. Overall I noticed less heavy barrel toasting than previous years, which was definitely a good thing, however most of the reds were still lack lustre for me, and those that were outstanding were too pricey. The standout wines were all Chardonnays, which to me indicates that it has a bright future here. The Chardonnay I tasted was not only good for Niagara, but for anywhere else in the world in my opinion.
This tour of Niagara got me thinking about the industry and its direction, so I will close with some of my musings. As I tasted I thought to myself that in order to up the quality and profile of wines from Niagara wine makers need to focus on what does well in the region. Niagara needs to be known for doing something well and making Cabernet Sauvignon that hasn’t ripened properly will not cut it. The same goes for varietials from Rhône or Southwest France as far as I’m concerned. I don’t care if Syrah is popular at the moment, or that Jancis Robinson thinks Lenko’s Syrah is the best Canadian wine she’s tasted. If I want great Syrah I’m looking to Southern France and Australia, as will other consumers. Producers need to focus on doing something well, for instance what comes to mind when you think of the Willamette Valley in Oregon? Pinot Noir of course. Mendoza, Argentina? Malbec. Marlborough, New Zealand? Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Napa Valley? Cabernet Sauvinon.
So what types of grapes do I think have a future in Niagara? Well, in addition to Chardonnay I will be watching out for solid examples of Cabernet Franc, Baco Noir, Riesling and Gewürztraminer. Thanks to Le Clos Jordanne I will also be keeping a close eye on the development of Pinot Noir in Ontario as well, more on that later.
One last point on over pricing. With the exception of tasting tours around Niagara I don’t buy much wine from Niagara. The reason for my abstinence has more to do with pricing than lack of pride in the wines of my home province. The quality to price ratio is often not favourable and if I have to choose between spending big bucks on a lovely Barolo or a decent but over oaked smoky attempt at a Bordeaux styled wine, well I’m going to stick with the Barolo. Sure there are plenty of people willing to waste large sums of money buying these wines from the winery, but wines should not be priced by what a few select buyers are willing to pay. I think a lot of producers have made the mistake of marketing to the well-healed customer with no palate or idea what a ‘mare-lot’ is supposed to taste like. The price should be dependant on the quality. There are some wineries that are getting the point thankfully, and I hope they will not always be the minority.
Labels: Niagara
posted by Jason Zacarias | 9:07 p.m.
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