As we head toward cooler temperatures, harvest dinners and the colours of fall, wineries start bringing out the comfort wines of winter to stock up on.
New releases are fast and furious from big reds to icewine to lovely white wines that need no particular season to enjoy.
Here’s a bunch of wines tasted and enjoyed recently from around Niagara.
Inniskillin Sparkling Icewine Vidal 2011 ($70 for 375 Ml, Vintages Sept. 15, winery now, 93 points) — This special bottling of sparkling Vidal icewine has quickly become a favourite of mine, and a style I hope catches on with every icewine producer in the peninsula. It starts with rousing, invigorating aromatics of sweet apricot, peach tart and exotic tropical fruits. The bubbles from this charmat method sparkler dance nimbly in the glass and explode on the palate with alluring sweetness and playful effervescence. The flavours are gorgeous with peach compote, orange peel, citrus, mango, apricot and honeycomb all delivered on a racy spine of acidity. Herein lies the future of icewine. Wow.
Foreign Affair Unreasonable Cabernet Franc 2008, Niagara ($163, winery only, 94 points) — Here’s the deal. Foreign Affair has cut its teeth on appassimento style wines and excels at the highest level of quality in Niagara. This is the pièce de résistance, with the Cabernet Franc grapes dried an incredible 163 days and aged for two years in French oak. It is massive with thick aromas of cassis, currants, sweet eucalyptus, leather, stewed herbs, Espresso, loam and spice that evolve in the glass. It is made with 16.5% alcohol, yet doesn’t show the heat. Think bramble berries, concentrated black fruits, mature cherries, an array of sweet and savoury spices, mocha, wood spice and plush tannins that melt away with grilled New York Strip. My, oh, my.
Henry of Pelham Baco Noir Reserve 2010 ($25, Vintages, 90 points) — Wow! A smoky nose of savoury, dark and jammy fruit with pepper, tar, plum, blackberry and spice. Ripe red fruits chime in on the palate to go with oak-inspired spices, racy acidity and length through the finish. The best Baco from HoP to date.
Chateau des Charmes Estate Vidal Icewine 2009 ($26 for 200 Ml, Vintages Sept. 15, winery, 91 points) — Seductive nose of clingstone peach, lemon, marmalade, honeycomb and a mélange of mature summer fruits. I love the viscous feel on the palate that shows broad, thick fruit flavours that are beautifully integrated with the sweet wild honey flavours. It’s viscous yet balanced by racy acidity that carries through the finish. Yum-yum.
Chateau des Charmes Aligoté 2010 ($14, LCBO, winery, 88 points) — According to Michele Bosc, the only winery in North America that grows and makes Aligoté every year. It’s such an interesting wine and with the 2010 vintage, all from the estate’s St. David’s Bench vineyard. The nose shows green apple, citrus pulp and fresh pear notes. It’s nice and round on the palate with lush apple, pear and melon flavours. So different and tasty.
Chateau des Charmes Estate Gamay Noir 2009 ($13, LCBO, winery, 87 points) — Chateau des Charmes believes Gamay should be considered one of Niagara’s “signature grapes.” It displays savoury black cherry, plum, leather, and spice on the nose. Quite charming on the palate with earthy berries, soft tannins, touches of wood spices on the finish and a smooth delivery.
Tawse Estate Laundry Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2010 ($32, winery, 92 points) — I have shouted from the rooftops already about Cabernet Franc from the 2010 vintage, and I will say it again here: This is a benchmark year for this superstar grape in Ontario. The Laundry Vineyard CF shows pure fruit aromas of black currants, blueberry, black cherries and underlying pepper, herbs and tobacco leaf. It’s beautifully balanced and supple on the palate with savoury dark berries, ripe tannins, peppercorns and spice. Can drink now or hold for five years.
Tawse Growers Blend Cabernet Franc 2010 ($27, winery, 90 points) — The Growers Blend is soured from a combination of select vineyards in Niagara. In many ways, it is a bigger CF than the Laundry with a savoury-spicy nose of ripe currants, jammy red fruits, pepper, mocha and cigar leaf tobacco. It sings on the palate and turns to darker fruits with a touch of field raspberry on the edges with added tar, licorice, pepper, integrated herbs, spice and campfire smoke on the finish. To put in the cellar for five years or more.
Tawse Estate Riesling 2011 ($22, winery, 90 points) — A blend of selected fruit from the escarpment in Vineland. It’s beautifully balanced with a noce of lime, lemon, grapefruit and stony minerality in equal doses. It mouth-watering on the palate with playful sweet-tart citrus fruit, touch of white peach fuzz and wet stone minerality all carried on racy stream of acidity.
Pillitteri Fusion Gewuztraminer Riesling 2011 ($13, LCBO, winery, 87 points) — The nose shows grapefruit, musk, lychee and sweet spices. This kind of blend is growing on me. All those exciting, exotic flavours and spice that Gewurz brings to the table coupled with the acid and citrus lift from the Riesling provides a more balanced wine. A good sipper.
Pillitteri Pinot Grigio 2011 ($15, LCBO, winery, 87 points) — Fragrant apple, melon and ginger spice on the nose of this old school Italian style white. The apple-citrus fruits are fresh and vibrant on the palate. Refreshing and zippy.
Pillitteri Cabernet Franc 2010 ($18, winery only, 89 points) — From the ripe, hot 2010 vintage this lovely red displays notes of currants, forest floor, cigar-box cedar, cherry-raspberry fruit and nicely integrated herbs on the nose. It’s classic Cab Franc on the palate with juicy fruits married to spice, stewed herbs and pepper notes. Wonderful food wine.
Pillitteri Merlot 2010 ($20, winery only, 88 points) — A bold Merlot with vibrant and earthy blackberry, cherry, violets and spice on the nose. It’s warm and inviting on the palate with rich dark fruits and spice all balanced by decent acidity. It shows off the vintage.
Pillitteri Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 ($20, winery only, 90 points) — Sometimes a Cab Sauv in Niagara just grabs your attention. This is one of those. The fruits range from blackberry to cassis to currants on the nose with spice and mocha chiming in. The fruit is broad and ripe on the palate with plush tannins and exciting spices that are nicely integrated. Delicious now but will improve in the bottle for a few years.
Crush Riesling-Gewurztraminer 2011 ($13, LCBO, Aisle 43 stores, 87 points) — The marriage of Riesling and Gewurztraminer works for me. Riesling brings a nice vibrancy to the usually round-ish and fleshy Gewurz. This wine, made by Peller, has lovely aromatics of lemon, apple, grapefruit and subtle spices. It’s fresh on the palate with lime-citrus, pear, apple and bright, zippy acidity.
Crush Pinot Grigio 2011 ($13, LCBO, Aisle 43, 87 points) — Obviously some skin contact in this fresh style of Grigio that shows light copper colours in the glass. The nose is interesting with melon, apple, pear and subtle cranberry fruit. It maintains good acidity on the palate to go with ripe stone fruits, citrus and just a touch of red fruits on the finish.
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