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These Creekside folks just aren’t normal; and thank goodness for that!

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Irreverence isn’t just a buzzword at Creekside, it’s a way of life. It has been that way for as long as I have tasted the wines from this Niagara winery.

The comfortably frenetic team, pictured above, that delivers the goods vintage to vintage is always looking for new twists and turns to take the ordinary to extraordinary with whatever they have at their disposal.

It is what keeps this Jordan winery fresh and exciting. And that free spirit has carried on through new ownership and tweaks here and there to the winemaking team.

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At the core of the irreverence is winemaker Rob Power and his marketing compadre Matt Loney; together they are the yin and yang of Creekside, always plotting the Next Big Thing, always in search of oohs and ahhs, always scheming and throwing things at the wall (or in barrels and forgetting about them for a few years) to see what sticks.

They work well together and have a healthy adversarial relationship as they work through the details of release dates, what to call their next creation, pricing and just what will sell.

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They have been through a lot, weathered some storms, but still, Creekside remains a force to be reckoned with.

Power and Loney don’t play by the rules. While much of Niagara casts a furrowed brow at tough-to-grow varietals such as Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc and even Viognier, especially after two consecutive brutal winters, Creekside moves to strengthen that part of its portfolio as if a door has only opened wider.

Their legendary Syrah stands at the forefront of what Creekside does best on the red wine side of the portfolio while Sauvignon Blanc, unlike any produced in Niagara, is a beacon of hope looking beyond Riesling and Chardonnay.

Can you name any other Ontario winery that pins so much optimism on those two varieties? I think not.

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It is, by far, not all that Creekside does. It pretty much covers all the bases for varietals that do well in Niagara (Chardonnay is something Creekside has not done — other than in sparkling — but Power has finally relented and has his first Chard now in barrel). Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc speak to Power and Loney unlike anything else and it shows in the wines.

Another area getting a lot of attention at Creekside is the sparkling program: complex, traditional method sparklers with varying degrees of lees aging and dosage, plus a sparkling Sauvignon Blanc due to be released this fall under Backyard Bubbly banner.

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The Deck restaurant on the back patio, with Chef Nathan Young of In the Smoke Cookery, Creekside kicks it up a notch as a destination winery that appeals to both wine lovers and foodies as they trek around wine country.
Young heads up all of the winery’s culinary operations including its seasonal lunch service, on-site culinary events and private function caterings.

Young began his culinary career by enrolling in an apprenticeship program which included two years at Langdon Hall in Cambridge, which led him to pursue his career under two Michelin starred chef Michael Caines at the world renowned Gidleigh Park Hotel in Devon, England. From the United Kingdom, Nathan continued his culinary journey to Toronto under the leadership of Chef Anthony Walsh at Canoe Restaurant.

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Eventually he followed his heart to Niagara’s wine country and spent five years working as sous chef under Chef Frank Dodd at Hillebrand Estates Winery; and most recently as head chef for three years at Ravine Vineyard Winery, both in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Nathan’s desire to branch out on his own and follow his passion for smoked meat and BBQ has led to the creation of In the Smoke Cookery and Catering, where he aspires to showcase his unique, rustic approach to cooking.

We started talking and quickly realized that these two organizations had a tremendous fit,” said Loney.

“The quality and authenticity of Creekside winemaking, and the locally sourced, rustic style of Nathan’s dishes seem like a perfect pairing.”

The Deck will be open for lunch service Fridays through Mondays until Oct. 11.

I sat on The Deck with Power, Loney and assistant winemaker Yvonne Irving as we tasted and noshed our way through an afternoon recently.

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Here’s what I liked from the new releases:

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Creekside The Trad2 Reserve 2011 ($29, winery, 91 points) — Trad2 or Son of Trad, or Trad(2), take your pick, is the offspring of Trad the First. Trad2 was aged three years on the lees (compared to two) and disgorged in March. The blend is 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay from the estate’s Queenston Road Vineyard with a low dosage (6 grams of residual sugar). It has an attractive nose of brioche, toast, citrus, orange peel and bright apple-mineral notes. On the palate there’s a fairly robust mousse, with citrus, grapefruit and toasty, mellow flavours through a long finish.

Creekside Backyard Bubbly Sauvignon Blanc 2012 ($25, Sept. release, 89 points) — It bursts with grapefruit, lime and passion fruit on the nose and adds notes of kiwi and guava on the palate in a robust, round and juicy style.

Creekside Backyard Block Sauvignon Blanc 2014 ($18, winery, Vintages, 88 points) — From vines you can see right off the back deck, this Savvy has a lovely nose of tropical fruits, mango, guava and herbs with a subtle mineral edge. Interesting grass, hay, basil and fennel add to the tropical fruit and grapefruit on the palate with a nice refreshing finish.

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Creekside Viognier Reserve 2013 ($30, end of August, 90 points) — Barrel fermented and barrel aged in older oak, this Vio has an exotic nose of spicy pear, lanolin, apple skin and apricot. Quite textural on the palate with an oily feel that works well with the orchard fruits and spice through a luxurious, soft finish.

Creekside Riesling 2014 ($22, 89 points) — Sourced from the Beamsville Bench, this is a fine Riesling with a nose of grapefruit, apple slices, ginger, white flowers, lime cordial and fine river-rock minerality. The palate is pure and exciting with waves of citrus, apple fruit and racy acidity that all lead to a fine, crisp finish. Can age this one for 5 plus years.

Creekside Laura’s Red 2012 ($20, Vintages now and re-released in October, 90 points) — This combines all five Bordeaux red grapes and adds a smidge of Syrah, about 4%, because Power likes the “spice it brings.” A great wine for $20 with an expressive nose of black currants, ripe black cherry, blackberries and a lovely spicy-oak note. It is substantive and bold on the palate with thick black fruits, cherry, pepper, licorice and fine tannins. Should age well.

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Creekside Broken Press Syrah 2012, ($43, Labour Day weekend release, 92 points) — Creekside is unquestionably the premier producer of Syrah in Ontario. It builds this iconic top bottling with a splash of Viognier. Such an expressive nose of black currants, cracked peppercorns, earth, garrigue, lifted floral notes and smoky-savoury spices. It’s highly structured on the palate with thick, dark fruits, pepper and spice with grippy tannins through a long finish.

Creekside Unbroken Press Syrah 2012 ($43, Labour Day weekend release, 93 points) — The “Un” in the Unbroken means no Viognier and a later pick of the grapes by about a week. The nose shows black currants, smoke, sweet cedar, grilled meats, kirsch, pepper and a lifted floral note. It’s weighty and bold on the palate with wild and integrated fruit, bramble and rousing spices to go with firm, overt tannins that will all together need time to soften and integrate. This is one of the attractions to Creekside’s top Syrah, how well they age and come together with time.

Creekside Iconoclast Syrah 2013 ($23, winery, 88 points) — Iconoclast is the result of de-classified Broken Press fruit from the 2013 vintage (there will be no 2013 Broken Press) and sold at nearly half the price. It has a peppery nose with a range of smoky red fruits and oak spices. Red fruits mingle with black currants, spice and pepper on the palate in a more approachable style.

Creekside Merlot Reserve 2010 ($35, winery, 91 points) — The 2010 has been released for a while and we tasted this beside the new 2012 vintage. It is a big bruiser that is showing signs of settling down into a well rounded, yet robust, Merlot with pretty red fruits, currants, spice and juicy ripeness.

Creekside Merlot Reserve 2012 ($39, no release date yet, 92 points) — The 2012 is a monster, a well-behaved monster, with an enticing nose of cherry/kirsch, raspberry, cassis, black fruits and an array of oak spices swirling about. It is well structured, beefy and loaded with tannins on the palate with thick cherry, black currants and youthful vigour that will need plenty of time to fully integrate. It should shape into a beautiful and complex Merlot with 5, even 10, years in the cellar.