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Wines Niagara Wines of the Week


Note: These are three weekly wines of the week as chosen by Wines In Niagara for Bullet News.

Charles Baker spends most of his time marketing and selling the wines of Niagara’s Stratus Vineyards. It’s a pretty sweet job but it does take him on the road constantly to show the portfolio to sommeliers and critics across the province.

It’s safe to say that Baker is a busy guy. But he still finds time to produce a nifty little Riesling that he carefully sources from choice Niagara fruit and bottles under his own name. It’s made and sold at Stratus but it’s Baker who decides on fruit, style, yields and where to source what he feels are the best Riesling grapes in the region.

He is what you call a virtual winery; he doesn’t own any winemaking equipment or have the infrastructure needed to become a full-fledged winery, but he does have an arrangement with Stratus and winemaker J.L. Groux.

Baker has, until the 2010 vintage, made his single Riesling exclusively from fruit sourced in the Vinemount Ridge appellation and, more specifically, the Picone Vineyard, a small parcel of land dedicated to the brand.

In 2010, Baker added a second Riesling to his portfolio from a new vineyard called Ivan located in Vineland in the Twenty Mile Bench appellation.

It is a truly different expression of CB, and not just because of the hot vintage of that season. It leads the Baker “style” down a new path, one that is always a unique expression of the vineyard from where it comes.

Here are three Wines In Niagara wines of the week, including the new CB Riesling:

Charles Baker Ivan Vineyard Riesling 2010 ($27, at Stratus winery) — The nose reveals sharp lemon-lime and grapefruit citrus, soft peach, orange zest and an alluring hint of stony minerality that is more about integration than a defining aromatic. It is very dry, with less acidity than previous CBs, on the palate and the rich flavours of lime and grapefruit are lifted by an interesting note of ginger on the finish. And through it all, this nice, edgy note of minerality adds to the complexity of the Riesling. Drinking beautifully now.

Kacaba Barrel Fermented Chardonay 2009 ($23, winery now, Vintages in 2012) – This Chard was fermented and aged in 50% new, 50% used French oak for 12 months. The nose shows buttery, creamy, French vanilla notes with apple-pear fruits with clove spice. It has vibrancy on the palate with apple, caramel and vanilla notes and just a hint of citrus on the finish. Could cellar for a couple of years to bring it all into harmony.

Fielding Estate Pinot Gris 2010 ($22, Vintages now) — Made from estate Pinot Gris from younger vines in the Jack Rabbit Flats Vineyards in the Lincoln Lakeshore appellation. A nose of musk, melon, pear, coconut and some minerality. It’s rich and ripe on the palate with lovely texture, balanced spice and length through the finish. Medium acid, partially barrel fermented fruit.

Enjoy!