Niagara Wine Tour 2008
This year I revisited some wineries I’ve been to in the past as well as one winery that I haven’t tried anything from before, Fielding Estate. I was especially interested to try wines from the unusually hot and dry 2007 vintage and see how winemakers had adapted their techniques to it.
Peninsula Ridge
The wines are usually pretty solid here and reasonably priced. They are known for producing one of the better Sauvignon Blancs in Ontario so I wanted to see what they came up with for 2007.
2007 Sauvignon Blanc
Typical gooseberry and light grassy aromas with lemon and grapefruit lending a sour and bitter edge. A little thin on the palate and the sharp on the finish. A blend of three vineyards. $14.75 87
2007 AJ Lepp Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc
This is from one of the three vineyards that goes in to the standard Sauvignon Blanc. The vineyard is located on the lakeshore, not the Bench. Less green and has more weight than the regular bottling, it almost reaches the tropical fruit (pineapple, passion fruit) that you would get in a good New Zealand example, no doubt a sign of the vintage. Mandarin peel and a rich nutty minerality. Slight musty notes. I’m still sticking to NZ and France for my Sauvignon Blanc, but this wasn’t bad. $18.95 89
2006 Fumé Blanc
A light butterscotch bouquet reveals the oak treatment that this Sauvignon Blanc received. There is too much raw oak (plank) in the finish, but there is some balancing done by the ripe fruit (apricot jam). Still not a treatment that I like for the varietal, and certainly not one any fans of clean herbaceous, mineral Sauvignon Blanc will appreciate either. $26.95 87
2007 Shiraz
I’m natural skeptical of using a grape that comes from a warm Mediterranean climate in Ontario. All too often Shiraz/Syrah from Niagara disappoints with under-ripe thin wines, but in 2007 it was possible to almost reach the grape’s potential (but how often will that happen?). This Shiraz had some of the volatile high notes of a cooler climate (raspberry), but surprisingly opened up quickly to show some black pepper, blueberry, and light bacon! Finish was weak, but I was surprised it had some real Shiraz character. Decent value. $14.95 88
2007 Cabernet Franc Icewine
I was surprised to see that they had managed a red icewine with the late arrival of the freeze in 2007. Apparently they had a brief window in January that was just enough. Smells like a Vidal icewine at first, you really have to dig to get any Cabernet Franc character. Strawberry jam finish with faint tobacco noticeable in the empty glass. Not cloying, but not anywhere close to the Cab Franc icewine they have produced before and the price reflects this. $34.95 for 375 mL 89
Angels Gate
The smells of ongoing fermentations were strong enough to make it difficult to really smell the wines well.
2007 Sussreserve Riesling
A little slate and lemon drop with some greenness on the finish. Yeasty (lees) mid-palate with a clean lingering lemony finish. The moderately high acid doesn’t lend itself to sipping without food. Decent value. $13.95 88
2007 Gewürztraminer
Not as floral as I was expecting, mostly spice and lychee nut. Not bitter, but not much in the way of Gewürz to distinguish it. Interesting ginger ale aftertaste. Musty fruit and more lychee nut than fruit. The 2005 was better. $15.75 87
Fielding Estate Winery
Nice eco-barn look with a well lit tasting bar thanks to the large windows. Unpretentious staff and no fermentation smells leaking in from the winery side (though you can see the vats). $2 for 3 tastings, waived with purchase.
2007 Gewürztraminer Reserve
Nice clean floral aromas (white flowers), light lychee and mild citrus. Well delineated flavours mirror the nose. There is some of the thickness you’d expect from a decent Gewürz. Not overdone or bitter; well balanced and clean. $24 90
2007 Riesling
Honey and lemon candy on the nose. This is also very clean and has a good balance of acid and ripeness (off-dry). Light minerality. $16 90
2007 Pinot Gris
This was a winner for sure, so much so that it was the only wine I bought during the outing. Light pink hue from the skin contact. Poached pear and apple skin with a floral must undertone. Not overly complex, but it was silky and mouth filling with just enough acid to offset the residual sugar. Ripe and tasty. $18 91
Malivoire
Some smells of fermentation and fruit flies in the tasting room are irritating. You can have the $5 tasting fee waived if you sign up for the customer list.
2007 Pinot Gris
Apple and light melon with lemon oil on the finish. Good weight to it like the Fielding Pinot Gris, but not as well rounded or crowd pleasing (more acid). $19.80 89
2006 Moira Vineyard Chardonnay
A little too oaky for my taste: butterscotch, with mineral, hazelnut peaking through. Vanilla cream aftertaste. Over priced. $36.80 89
2007 Gewürztraminer
This Gewürztraminer packs a walloping 14% alcohol punch thanks to the vintage and late harvest. 42 hour cold soak on the skins to extract the character from the tiny sun baked berries. Perfect varietal nose, most distinctly Gewürz of the whole day: reeks of roses and ripe lychee. Love the nose! The alcohol does come through on the palate with a little spice. Nice weight of course. Minus points only for the price and alcoholic heat. The price can be justified by the low yields though. $21.90 for 375 mL 92
2006 Pinot Noir
Too much vanilla from the oak with cloves and pine needle notes too. Phenolic, almost aggressive high notes. Astringent finish. Not a fan of this style. $26.80 86
2006 Moira Vineyard Pinot Noir
This has more Pinot character than the regular bottling: earthy beets, cherry, and the oak is more integrated. There is even a little elegance. Potential to age, but still not my idea of Pinot Noir and the price is not reflective of the quality. $42 89
2006 Gamay
Tried this one not expecting much difference from the disappointing 2005, but I was pleasantly surprised. Slight cheesiness (maybe banana skin) that blows off quickly to reveal strawberry/cherry, and some black fruit and floral elements lending depth. The oak, I’m told, was used in a more restrained fashion in 2006 which I think was a good call (this was a fault in the 2005). They also bled off some juice to concentrate flavour (the French term is saignee). There is even a distinct leathery note in the mid-palate that I liked. Reminds me of a good Beaujolais (think Morgon). I can’t believe it, but I actually liked a Gamay from Ontario! And so did the critics: “This is one of Ontario's best Gamays ever, with fragrant bing cherries, coconut and cedar notes, showing lots of depth and endless sweet-edged fruit” 90 Gordon Stimmell, Toronto Star. $16.80 89
2006 Late Harvest Gewürztraminer
What a disaster. They opened two bottles, but both were similar. Sharp oxidized nose of Madeira and apple cider. Good acid and not overly sweet, but this wasn’t even remotely recognizable as Gewürztraminer. And this after the amazing 2007 Gewürztraminer. What happened here? $25.90 for 375 mL (yikes!) 74
Henry of Pelham
Same cozy cottage like, and slightly smelly basement tasting room as always.
2007 Off Dry Reserve Riesling
Nice petrol/slate, mineral and lemon. Clean and simple. Lingering lemon aftertaste. Pretty standard, nothing stands out here. $15.95 89
2006 Cabernet Franc
Barrel toast is obvious with strawberry, tobacco, and a little greenness (within reason though). Bitter finish. Once again nothing special but no real faults. Price is good. $14.25 88
2005 Reserve Baco Noir
Lots of vanilla (new oak), herbaceous, sharp raspberry, slight metallic sourdough character that will put off some tasters for sure. Not particularly interesting. Pelham is known for its Baco, but I’m not terribly fond of this vintage. $24.95 86
Note: It seems to me that Pelham, like a lot of other wineries, is a bit stuck in the past. Their wines are all pretty decent, no real faults, but that isn’t very interesting. As the bar gets raised in Niagara those that don’t push the envelope a bit and keep doing the same are going to get left behind. Their tasting room, though quaint, mirrors the wines – they both need some updating!
Peninsula RidgeThe wines are usually pretty solid here and reasonably priced. They are known for producing one of the better Sauvignon Blancs in Ontario so I wanted to see what they came up with for 2007.
2007 Sauvignon Blanc
Typical gooseberry and light grassy aromas with lemon and grapefruit lending a sour and bitter edge. A little thin on the palate and the sharp on the finish. A blend of three vineyards. $14.75 87
2007 AJ Lepp Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc
This is from one of the three vineyards that goes in to the standard Sauvignon Blanc. The vineyard is located on the lakeshore, not the Bench. Less green and has more weight than the regular bottling, it almost reaches the tropical fruit (pineapple, passion fruit) that you would get in a good New Zealand example, no doubt a sign of the vintage. Mandarin peel and a rich nutty minerality. Slight musty notes. I’m still sticking to NZ and France for my Sauvignon Blanc, but this wasn’t bad. $18.95 89
2006 Fumé Blanc
A light butterscotch bouquet reveals the oak treatment that this Sauvignon Blanc received. There is too much raw oak (plank) in the finish, but there is some balancing done by the ripe fruit (apricot jam). Still not a treatment that I like for the varietal, and certainly not one any fans of clean herbaceous, mineral Sauvignon Blanc will appreciate either. $26.95 87
2007 Shiraz
I’m natural skeptical of using a grape that comes from a warm Mediterranean climate in Ontario. All too often Shiraz/Syrah from Niagara disappoints with under-ripe thin wines, but in 2007 it was possible to almost reach the grape’s potential (but how often will that happen?). This Shiraz had some of the volatile high notes of a cooler climate (raspberry), but surprisingly opened up quickly to show some black pepper, blueberry, and light bacon! Finish was weak, but I was surprised it had some real Shiraz character. Decent value. $14.95 88
2007 Cabernet Franc Icewine
I was surprised to see that they had managed a red icewine with the late arrival of the freeze in 2007. Apparently they had a brief window in January that was just enough. Smells like a Vidal icewine at first, you really have to dig to get any Cabernet Franc character. Strawberry jam finish with faint tobacco noticeable in the empty glass. Not cloying, but not anywhere close to the Cab Franc icewine they have produced before and the price reflects this. $34.95 for 375 mL 89
Angels Gate
The smells of ongoing fermentations were strong enough to make it difficult to really smell the wines well.
2007 Sussreserve Riesling
A little slate and lemon drop with some greenness on the finish. Yeasty (lees) mid-palate with a clean lingering lemony finish. The moderately high acid doesn’t lend itself to sipping without food. Decent value. $13.95 88
2007 Gewürztraminer
Not as floral as I was expecting, mostly spice and lychee nut. Not bitter, but not much in the way of Gewürz to distinguish it. Interesting ginger ale aftertaste. Musty fruit and more lychee nut than fruit. The 2005 was better. $15.75 87
Fielding Estate Winery
Nice eco-barn look with a well lit tasting bar thanks to the large windows. Unpretentious staff and no fermentation smells leaking in from the winery side (though you can see the vats). $2 for 3 tastings, waived with purchase.
2007 Gewürztraminer Reserve
Nice clean floral aromas (white flowers), light lychee and mild citrus. Well delineated flavours mirror the nose. There is some of the thickness you’d expect from a decent Gewürz. Not overdone or bitter; well balanced and clean. $24 90
2007 Riesling
Honey and lemon candy on the nose. This is also very clean and has a good balance of acid and ripeness (off-dry). Light minerality. $16 90
2007 Pinot Gris
This was a winner for sure, so much so that it was the only wine I bought during the outing. Light pink hue from the skin contact. Poached pear and apple skin with a floral must undertone. Not overly complex, but it was silky and mouth filling with just enough acid to offset the residual sugar. Ripe and tasty. $18 91
Malivoire
Some smells of fermentation and fruit flies in the tasting room are irritating. You can have the $5 tasting fee waived if you sign up for the customer list.
2007 Pinot Gris
Apple and light melon with lemon oil on the finish. Good weight to it like the Fielding Pinot Gris, but not as well rounded or crowd pleasing (more acid). $19.80 89
2006 Moira Vineyard Chardonnay
A little too oaky for my taste: butterscotch, with mineral, hazelnut peaking through. Vanilla cream aftertaste. Over priced. $36.80 89
2007 Gewürztraminer
This Gewürztraminer packs a walloping 14% alcohol punch thanks to the vintage and late harvest. 42 hour cold soak on the skins to extract the character from the tiny sun baked berries. Perfect varietal nose, most distinctly Gewürz of the whole day: reeks of roses and ripe lychee. Love the nose! The alcohol does come through on the palate with a little spice. Nice weight of course. Minus points only for the price and alcoholic heat. The price can be justified by the low yields though. $21.90 for 375 mL 92
2006 Pinot Noir
Too much vanilla from the oak with cloves and pine needle notes too. Phenolic, almost aggressive high notes. Astringent finish. Not a fan of this style. $26.80 86
2006 Moira Vineyard Pinot Noir
This has more Pinot character than the regular bottling: earthy beets, cherry, and the oak is more integrated. There is even a little elegance. Potential to age, but still not my idea of Pinot Noir and the price is not reflective of the quality. $42 89
2006 Gamay
Tried this one not expecting much difference from the disappointing 2005, but I was pleasantly surprised. Slight cheesiness (maybe banana skin) that blows off quickly to reveal strawberry/cherry, and some black fruit and floral elements lending depth. The oak, I’m told, was used in a more restrained fashion in 2006 which I think was a good call (this was a fault in the 2005). They also bled off some juice to concentrate flavour (the French term is saignee). There is even a distinct leathery note in the mid-palate that I liked. Reminds me of a good Beaujolais (think Morgon). I can’t believe it, but I actually liked a Gamay from Ontario! And so did the critics: “This is one of Ontario's best Gamays ever, with fragrant bing cherries, coconut and cedar notes, showing lots of depth and endless sweet-edged fruit” 90 Gordon Stimmell, Toronto Star. $16.80 89
2006 Late Harvest Gewürztraminer
What a disaster. They opened two bottles, but both were similar. Sharp oxidized nose of Madeira and apple cider. Good acid and not overly sweet, but this wasn’t even remotely recognizable as Gewürztraminer. And this after the amazing 2007 Gewürztraminer. What happened here? $25.90 for 375 mL (yikes!) 74
Henry of Pelham
Same cozy cottage like, and slightly smelly basement tasting room as always.
2007 Off Dry Reserve Riesling
Nice petrol/slate, mineral and lemon. Clean and simple. Lingering lemon aftertaste. Pretty standard, nothing stands out here. $15.95 89
2006 Cabernet Franc
Barrel toast is obvious with strawberry, tobacco, and a little greenness (within reason though). Bitter finish. Once again nothing special but no real faults. Price is good. $14.25 88
2005 Reserve Baco Noir
Lots of vanilla (new oak), herbaceous, sharp raspberry, slight metallic sourdough character that will put off some tasters for sure. Not particularly interesting. Pelham is known for its Baco, but I’m not terribly fond of this vintage. $24.95 86
Note: It seems to me that Pelham, like a lot of other wineries, is a bit stuck in the past. Their wines are all pretty decent, no real faults, but that isn’t very interesting. As the bar gets raised in Niagara those that don’t push the envelope a bit and keep doing the same are going to get left behind. Their tasting room, though quaint, mirrors the wines – they both need some updating!
Labels: Niagara
posted by Jason Zacarias | 2:59 p.m.
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