What: Hidden Bench Vineyards and Winery
Where: 4152 Locust Lane, Beamsville.
Tastings: 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m daily (11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the winter)
Proprietors: Harald Thiel.
Winemakers: Marlize Beyers (who was previously winemaker at Flat Rock Cellars and she has just recently taken over winemaking duties) and Jay Johnston (associate winemaker)
Specialties: Hidden Bench does a lot of things right but specializes in single-vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling.
Must try: So much to choose from but don’t miss the 2008 Roman’s Block Rosomel Vineyard Riesling, 2009 Felseck Vineyard Gewurztraminer, Terroir Cache Red Meritage, Nuit Blanche 2008, a Sauvigon Blanc-Semillon white blend, and 2007 La Brunante, made in only two vintages as a blend of the best of the best red varieties.
Availability: Winery, web, and some Vintages releases. The winery also has a very strong wine club program with three different levels of participation that gets members to the front of the line with new releases.
Website: Hidden Bench
By Rick VanSickle
We’re racing through the vineyards at Hidden Bench with associate winemaker Jay Johnston at the helm of his 4X4 pickup truck. What’s particularly spectacular is the view from the Beamsville Bench down to Lake Ontario and the Toronto skyline in the distance.
As Johnston points to all the new plantings of vines in the three main vineyards that make up the Hidden Bench terroir-driven portfolio one can’t help but feel something big is happening here. Success has come quickly for this artisanal winery dedicated to producing ultra premium wines solely from vineyards situated within the Beamsville Bench.
In 2009, Hidden Bench farmed 40 acres of vines This year it shot up to 50 acres and, by next year, 70 acres will be under vine. Tonnage of fruit has increased from 55 tonnes to 95 tonnes in one year.
The majority of vines are planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling, the key varieties in a tasty portfolio that hinges on vineyard-select wines that show a sense of place.
The winery subscribes to a winemaking philosophy that adheres to sustainable farming practices, hand labour in the vineyards, hand-picked and hand-sorted fruit from vineyard to sorting table and gentle handling of fruit through the entire winemaking process. In short, a minimalist approach to farming and winemaking that in the end shows the terroir of the Beamsville Bench and lets the wine express its true potential.
For Johnston, the winemaking philosophy at Hidden Bench is exactly what’s needed to create a “classy, Old World style.†He says that means wines with more structure, more minerals, more power and, most importantly, wines with “more class.â€
Hidden Bench owns and farms three distinct vineyards — Felseck, Rosomel and Locust Lane — on the Beamsville Bench. The oldest blocks are Chardonnay and Riesling vines that were planted in 1976-1977 at the Rosomel Vineyard.
Wines are crafted as a blend of the vineyards, called in the Estate tier, or as single-vineyard wines under the vineyard-designate series, or as top tier wines, which can be from single blocks from single vineyards or the best grapes grown from anywhere on the estate. These top wines are only produced in the very best vintages.
I tasted through the entire Hidden Bench portfolio with Johnston and here are some of the highlights (all wines available at the winery or on the website):
The Whites:
Hidden Bench Estate Riesling 2008 ($26, 3.5 stars) — A friendly Riesling with white peach, citrus and flowers on the nose. It’s slightly off-dry wine with ripe fruit, honey and balancing acidity.
Hidden Bench Felseck Vineyard Riesling 2008 ($32, 4.5 stars) — A wonderful, classic nose of lime, mineral and grapefruit. It’s juicy, ripe and oozes lemon-lime, wet stone, honey all on a racy acidic backbone.
Hidden Bench Roman’s Block Rosomel Vineyard Riesling 2008 ($34, 4.5 stars) — The fruit for this sensational Riesling comes from the famed Roman’s Block in the Rosomel Vineyard. The result is one of the most defined terroir driven wines in the portfolio. The nose starts with flinty minerality leading to lemon, subtle green apple, and all manner of citrus fruit. It’s a true champion on the palate with powerful lime-citrus candied fruit, mouth-watering acidity, and flavours that linger on the finish.
Hidden Bench Felseck Vineyard Gewurztraminer 2009 ($30, 4 stars) — Exactly what I look for in Niagara Gewurz — rose petals, lychee, grapefruit and a pleasant ginger note on the nose. It’s spicy and exotically spiced in the mouth with rich, fleshy fruits balanced off with perfect sweetness. Not overly acidic.
Hidden Bench Estate Chardonnay 2008 ($32, 4.5 stars) — One of the best Chardonnays enjoyed this year. A gorgeous nose of pears, figs, vanilla, wonderful oak tones and sweet spices. It’s lush and fleshy in the mouth, almost exotic in a Burgundian sense. Layers of pleasure from sniff to swallow.
The Reds:
Hidden Bench Estate Pinot Noir 2007 ($45, 4 stars) — The trick with the hot 2007 vintage was not overdoing this delicate grape. Hidden Bench has succeeded in keeping the elegance of Pinot Noir while delivering a thrilling wine with black cherry, raspberries, mocha-clove spices and leather-cedar notes on the nose. It’s a full fruit attack on the palate with red fruits, kirsch, even blueberry notes all balanced off with oak, and spice.
Hidden Bench Terroir Cache Red Meritage 2007 ($45, 4.5 stars) — Another fine example of what Niagara can do in a great vintage such as 2007. It’s about as good as it gets for Bordeaux-style blends in Canada.
A nose that won’t quit with currants, mocha, vanilla, leather, spice and on and on. It’s a big wine on the palate with tannic structure to match suggesting longevity. Black currants, sweet spices, fudge, elegant oak, mineral notes and a finish that last minutes. Wow.
Hidden Bench La Brunante 2007 ($85, 5 stars) — Is this the class of 2007? Could this be the wine of the year? Only two vintages of this extraordinary wine have ever been made. The other was 2005. A paltry 2,200 bottles made from the finest Bordeaux grapes grown in the three estate vineyards with fruit cropping at less than a tonne per acre (hence the price). There are a lot of platitudes to heap on this wine, so let’s just start by saying it’s a huge red with a nose that doesn’t quit giving concentrated currants, blackberry, mocha, oak and spice notes. The fruit rages on the palate with tar, leather with velvety texture, ripe tannins and length on the finish all adding to this immense, highly concentrated wine.
Enjoy!
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