Niagara Wine ReviewsTop Stories

Wayne Gretzky scores again! The Icon Niagara Red wine is a fitting tribute to the Great One

b&white wayne

I get a little nostalgic (and a tad sad) when I pass by the now-empty winery on Old Highway 8 between Vineland and Beamsville that once housed the mighty Wayne Gretzky winery.

The signs are long gone and the building sits eerily empty now.

logo twoThe Great One’s wine brand was sold to Peller Estates in October of 2011 after a short partnership with Laura McCain, former owner of Creekside Winery. At the time, McCain said she had taken the brand as far as it could go and she wanted to focus on her core brand at Creekside.

The winery opened in summer of 2008 at the King Street site of the former Willow Heights Estate Winery in Vineland to great fanfare and was a must-stop during its short stint at the primo location.

Gretzky was a frequent visitor and fans would show up to not only buy the wines, but also to meet the greatest hockey player to ever lace up skates. I remember how thrilled my son was to meet Gretzky and get his picture taken during one visit (see photo below).

tygretz

The Gretzky label, called No. 99, has had its ups and downs in terms of quality over the years, but by and large has established a reputation of producing quality VQA wines that found success in nearly every province of Canada.

It has garnered a string of gold medals for varieties such as Shiraz, Cabernet/Merlot, Riesling, Pinot Noir and icewine in competitions like the Ontario Wine Awards, All Canadian Wine Championships and Los Angeles International Wine and Spirits.

wayneAndrew Peller entered into the “strategic alliance” with Gretzky with the goal to “accelerate the growth of Wayne Gretzky Wines across Canada.

“We are extremely delighted to partner with Wayne and the entire Gretzky family to expand the growth of this iconic brand in Canada,” said John Peller, president and CEO, Andrew Peller Limited, at the time. “Our families share the same commitment to quality, community and our country and we look forward to building on the great success their wine business has enjoyed in Canada and taking it to even more Canadian wine enthusiasts.”

The full range of Gretzky wines are available here or you can purchase them at the LCBO or at the Peller Wine Country Vintners store in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

I haven’t tasted through the entire Gretzky portfolio recently, but I did get a taste of the pièce de résistance, the new top bottling of the Great One’s greatest wine to date.

gretz icnoThe No. 99 The Icon 2010 is a fitting tribute to the power, grace and finesse that Gretzky showed during his glorious NHL career.

It is reviewed below along with some new releases from the top tiers of the Peller portfolio.

Note: Some proceeds of the Gretzky label go to the Wayne Gretzky Foundation, which gives less fortunate youths hockey-playing opportunities.

Gretzky No. 99 The Icon 2010 ($99, 92 points) — On Dec. 30, 1981, Wayne Gretzky scored five goals against the Philadelphia Flyers to seal a 7-5 victory for the Edmonton Oilers and record a currrently untouchable record of 50 goals in 39 games. That was then, and this is now and perhaps his greatest achievement from a wine point of view is the Icon 2010 red, a bold blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon that saw 22 months in new oak and is finished unfined and unfiltered. This is one heck of a wine. It’s dark and thick in the glass with highly extracted black cherry, black currants, roasted Espresso bean, vanilla toast, mocha and an array of thrilling spices swirling around on the nose. It’s big, bold and brash, but not clunky, on the palate and built for the cellar with black fruits, lifted spices, cocoa, vanilla, black licorice, campfire smoke, persistence through the finish and grippy tannins. Needs time for the moving parts to all come together but I sense it will be a beautiful wine once that takes place. Note: Only one barrel of this wine was made. A small amount was sold through Vintages with the rest being released later in the year.

From Peller Estates

pr_sauvblanc2010Peller Estates Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2011 ($19, 88 points) — Textbook Sauvingon Blanc, Ontario style. Juicy lime, pink grapefruit, summer grass and a basket of summer herbs on the nose. It’s refreshing and expressive in the mouth with bright, clean citrus fruits and zingy-racy acidity.

Peller Estates Andrew Peller Signature Series Chardonnay ‘Sur Lie’ 2010 ($32, 91 points) — This is Peller’s top Chardonnay and is barrel fermented and aged sur lie for 12 months in all French oak barrels, 40% of which are new. It undergoes no malolactic fermentation. The nose is clean and fresh with lemon-lime fruits, biscuit, pineapple, light vanilla spice and subtle minerality. It is gorgeous on the palate with citrus, lemon peel, emerging oak barrel spices yet clean, crisp and vibrant through the long finish. All that and fine balanced between oak, fruit and acid.

Peller Estates Private Reserve Pinot Noir 2010 ($25, 88 points) — The nose of this lightly oaked Pinot shows dark cherry fruit, cassis, kirsch, cigar box cedar and touches of spice. It has medium to light weight but good concentration of red berries, currants and leafy tobacco all delivered on a bed of silky tannins.

Peller Estates Private Reserve Meritage 2010 ($23, 88 points) — A blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon with oak aging in new and older American and French barrels for 12 months. The nose starts with bold blackberry followed by black cherry, vanilla, a touch of mint and an array of spices. It’s youthful on the palate with evident tannins, a mélange of ripe fruits, good acid, integrated spices and bits of anise, eucalypt and cocoa on the finish. It’s best to cellar for a year or two.

pellercabfrancPeller Estates Andrew Peller Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 ($40, 91 points) — The top series Cab Sauv is aged for 18 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels, 70% of which are new. The top 24 barrels from Peller’s Niagara-on-the-Lake vineyards were chosen for their structure, fruit concentration and aging potential. The nose is rich in black currants, blackberries, cassis, red plums, toasted vanilla spice and rousing oak-inspired spices. It’s tight and youthful on the palate but still reveals a mouth of ripe black fruits, dusty tannins, length and exuberance through the long finish. It’s a mouth-filling Cab that needs time to fully integrate. Cellaring will reward with a beautiful wine five years from now.

Peller Estates Andrew Peller Signature Series Cabernet Franc 2010 ($40, 92 points) — Even in the poorer vintages Peller has proven to be masterful at creating wonderful Cabernet Franc, especially with this top bottling from fruit grown in the estate’s Clark Farm Vineyard in the Four Mile Creek appellation. The wine is aged for 20 months in a combination of French and American oak, 85% of which is new. I love the funky nose of cigar smoke, cassis concentrate, field raspberry, ripe plums, toasted oak, scorched vanilla, stewed herbs, cocoa and sweet spices. It shows concentration of fruit from this hot, ripe vintage, but still imparts an array of lovely herbs and leafy cigar, spice and firm tannins. It’s a powerful Cab Franc with plenty of moving parts that I expect will come together beautifully with five or more years of cellaring. Top of the class Niagara Cab Franc.