The
art of the assemblage is at the very heart of what Stratus Vineyard does. All wines, all expressions made at the Niagara-on-the-Lake winery flow from the top Red and White blends made in any given vintage.
The Stratus White and Stratus Red represent the best of the individual blocks from within the Stratus Vineyard. This is winemaker J-L Groux’s most important job at Stratus — finding the best vineyard expression from hundreds of barrels to craft one single red and one white wine that stand as the pillars of the Stratus wine program.
These are made to be complex and cellar-worthy wines that will deliver pleasure for many years down the road.
Suzanne Janke, director of retail and hospitality for Stratus, explains that the Stratus Red and White “is our focus. Everything else is supporting cast.”
Stratus is getting ready to release its Stratus White 2008 at Vintages this Saturday and in the retail store at the same time. I had a preview of the wine with Janke and marketing director Charles Baker this week in advance of the launch.
The fruit from the Stratus Vineyard is allowed to mature into the fall before being harvested based on tasting for optimum maturity. Each cluster is picked by hand, followed by an intensive whole- cluster sorting in the winery. All fruit is destemmed and individual berry sorting done before crushing and falling into tank for fermentation.
The wine is then basket-pressed into new and older barrels originating from numerous French forests, from selected coopers. The wine is allowed to mature on the lees in barrel; and individual barrels were selected by tasting after almost two full years for the best balance, intensity, and varietal character. After 620 days in older and newer oak barrels (all aged separately), the wines were blended and bottled by gravity.
The blend for the 2008 Stratus White includes 38% Chardonnay, 29% Semillon, 22% Sauvignon Blanc, 6% Gewurztraminer and 5% Viognier. For the first time, no Riesling was added to the assemblage.
Both Janke and Baker call the 2008 version a turning point stylistically with less “showy” aromatics and less “blowsy” overall.
The Stratus White and Red are always two of the most anticipated wines to be released in Niagara every year. They are so unique and unlike other red and white blends at the high-end.
Here’s what you can expect when the wine is released Saturday as well as a couple of other Niagara wines being released the same day:
Stratus White 2008 ($44, Vintages, 92 points) – As previously mentioned, the assemblage contains 38% Chardonnay, 29% Semillon, 22% Sauvignon Blanc, 6% Gewurztraminer and 5% Viognier all vinified and aged separately before being brought together before bottling. It is so different from the 2007 vintage with more verve and, I believe, aging potential. The nose is ripe, expressive and layered with melon, peach, wild honey, lanolin and just a hint of citrus and wood spices that will open up and provide tertiary aromas (and flavours) in time. It is broad on the palate, textured and complex with a changing profile as it evolves in the glass. This assemblage comes together smartly with seamless and ripe apple, peach and melon flavours folding into a nuanced and balanced spice profile. It is youthful and complex, with nervy tension from a vein of acidity that was a hallmark of the vintage. This is a special wine, and one that will pay big dividends if left in the cellar for a few years.
Vineland Estate Chardonnay Musque 2010 ($18, Vintages, 89 points) – This variety is the more aromatic than its cousin Chardonnay and shows an impressive nose of pear, melon, pretty summer flowers with just a hint of refreshing lemon zest. It is so clean and ripe on the palate with pure and generous sweet fruit flavours that linger on the finish. A delicious white for spring and summer sipping.
20 Bees Late Harvest Vidal 2009 ($10 for 375 Ml, Vintages, 86 points) — One of the least expensive late harvest wines I have seen in Niagara and it represents good value for what you get. The nose shows tropical fruit, mango, honey and a touch of pear fruit. It’s a lighter style and moderately sweet with quince, lemon and a tropical fruit basket of flavours. A good deal for late harvest.
Other wines being released at Vintages but not reviewed:
• Featherstone Canadian Oak Chardonnay 2010 ($22)
• Inniskillin Winemaker’s Series Two Vineyards Riesling 2010 ($18)
• Cave Spring Merlot 2008 ($18)
Enjoy!
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The art of the assemblage is at the very heart of what Stratus Vineyard does. All wines, all expressions made at the Niagara-on-the-Lake winery flow from the top Red and White blends made in any given vintage.
The Stratus White and Stratus Red represent the best of the individual blocks from within the Stratus Vineyard. This is winemaker J-L Groux’s most important job at Stratus — finding the best vineyard expression from hundreds of barrels to craft one single red and one white wine that stand as the pillars of the Stratus wine program.
These are made to be complex and cellar-worthy wines that will deliver pleasure for many years down the road.
Suzanne Janke, director of retail and hospitality for Stratus, explains that the Stratus Red and White “is our focus. Everything else is supporting cast.”
Stratus is getting ready to release its Stratus White 2008 at Vintages this Saturday and in the retail store at the same time. I had a preview of the wine with Janke and marketing director Charles Baker this week in advance of the launch.
Stratus winemaker J-L Groux.The fruit from the Stratus Vineyard is allowed to mature into the fall before being harvested based on tasting for optimum maturity. Each cluster is picked by hand, followed by an intensive whole- cluster sorting in the winery. All fruit is destemmed and individual berry sorting done before crushing and falling into tank for fermentation.
The wine is then basket-pressed into new and older barrels originating from numerous French forests, from selected coopers. The wine is allowed to mature on the lees in barrel; and individual barrels were selected by tasting after almost two full years for the best balance, intensity, and varietal character. After 620 days in older and newer oak barrels (all aged separately), the wines were blended and bottled by gravity.
The blend for the 2008 Stratus White includes 38% Chardonnay, 29% Semillon, 22% Sauvignon Blanc, 6% Gewurztraminer and 5% Viognier. For the first time, no Riesling was added to the assemblage.
Both Janke and Baker call the 2008 version a turning point stylistically with less “showy” aromatics and less “blowsy” overall.
The Stratus White and Red are always two of the most anticipated wines to be released in Niagara every year. They are so unique and unlike other red and white blends at the high-end.
Here’s what you can expect when the wine is released Saturday as well as a couple of other Niagara wines being released the same day:
Stratus White 2008 ($44, Vintages, 92 points) – As previously mentioned, the assemblage contains 38% Chardonnay, 29% Semillon, 22% Sauvignon Blanc, 6% Gewurztraminer and 5% Viognier all vinified and aged separately before being brought together before bottling. It is so different from the 2007 vintage with more verve and, I believe, aging potential. The nose is ripe, expressive and layered with melon, peach, wild honey, lanolin and just a hint of citrus and wood spices that will open up and provide tertiary aromas (and flavours) in time. It is broad on the palate, textured and complex with a changing profile as it evolves in the glass. This assemblage comes together smartly with seamless and ripe apple, peach and melon flavours folding into a nuanced and balanced spice profile. It is youthful and complex, with nervy tension from a vein of acidity that was a hallmark of the vintage. This is a special wine, and one that will pay big dividends if left in the cellar for a few years.
Vineland Estate Chardonnay Musque 2010 ($18, Vintages, 89 points) – This variety is the more aromatic than its cousin Chardonnay and shows an impressive nose of pear, melon, pretty summer flowers with just a hint of refreshing lemon zest. It is so clean and ripe on the palate with pure and generous sweet fruit flavours that linger on the finish. A delicious white for spring and summer sipping.
20 Bees Late Harvest Vidal 2009 ($10 for 375 Ml, Vintages, 86 points) — One of the least expensive late harvest wines I have seen in Niagara and it represents good value for what you get. The nose shows tropical fruit, mango, honey and a touch of pear fruit. It’s a lighter style and moderately sweet with quince, lemon and a tropical fruit basket of flavours. A good deal for late harvest.
Other wines being released at Vintages but not reviewed:
• Featherstone Canadian Oak Chardonnay 2010 ($22)
• Inniskillin Winemaker’s Series Two Vineyards Riesling 2010 ($18)
• Cave Spring Merlot 2008 ($18)
Enjoy!
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