The first release of the year at Vintages gets off to a solid start for local Niagara wines with a good selection of varieties and wineries.
One of Niagara’s newest wineries, Hinterbrook, which released its first wines in 2011, is releasing its 2010 Riesling, a lovely debut wine from this Niagara-on-the-Lake grower-producer.
Here’s what’s being released on Saturday:
Hinterbrook Riesling 2010 ($18, 91 points) — Winemaker Natalie Spytkowsky makes a lovely sussreserve style of riesling over at Rosewood Estate in Beamsville. This is in that style, but not entirely sussreserve. The rich fruits are all about tropical, mango, peach and grapefruit. On the palate, the peach, grapefruit and tropical fruits are kissed by honey in a slightly off-dry style. Very nice juice.
Calamus Cosmic White 2009 ($15, 87 points) — A blend of Riesling, Chardonnay and a bit of Gewurztraminer with a nose of melon, citrus, apple and floral nose. It’s made in an off-dry style with apple, peach and sweet notes balanced out by fresh acidity.
Sue-Ann Staff Estate Semi-Dry Riesling 2008 ($15, 88 points) — Wonderful citrus, apple and fresh zesty fruit on the nose with a firm bead of minerality. It’s quite fruity on the palate with citrus and Mandarin orange flavours that linger on the palate. Very tasty first vintage from Staff.
Cattail Creek Pinot Noir 2009 ($19, unrated by Mike Lowe) — A light, yet enticing, Pinot showing plenty of black/sour cherry and raspberry on the nose and palate together with subtle spice, graphite notes and lingering vanilla on the finish.
Coyote’s Run Estate Pinot Noir 2009 ($20, 87 points) — For now, this higher-volume Pinot is made from estate grapes and aged in all-French, old and new oak barrels. It shows defined cherry-raspberry fruit, cedar, spice and savoury-earthy notes on the nose. It’s juicy and ripe in the mouth with red fruits, silky tannins and great acidity. Fine wine for $20.
Pondview Bella Terra Cabernet Franc 2009 ($28, 90 points) — This 09 Cab Franc, aged in a 50-50 blend of American and French oak, all new, for 12 months, has a nose of spicy nutmeg, savoury cherry, blackberry and currant fruit with some roasted herbs. It’s delicious on the palate with earthy-smoky red fruits, toasted oak and spice through the finish.
Rosewood Merlot 2009 ($20, 87 points) — A nose of pretty red and dark fruits, bramble, earth and spice. In the mouth there’s surprising heft (crops were thinned to 1.5-2 tonnes per acre) with decent cherry, spice, Espresso and pepper notes to go with bright acidity.
Also released, but not reviewed by Wines In Niagara:
Stoney Ridge Reserve Gewurztraminer 2008 ($20)
Konzelmann Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2009 ($13)
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