rickwine, The BlogTop Stories

TasteCamp Niagara, Part I, a look back at a weekend of wine

CIMG3890

Opening Note: They came, they tweeted like mad, and they left. That’s the Reader’s Digest version of TasteCamp Niagara, an independent (sort of) bloggers conference that took place over three days in Niagara May 13-15 (Ontario for the first two days, the U.S. side for the final day). It was an intense exploration of a region most of the bloggers/writers (who had come from as far away as New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Massachusetts, Indiana, Colorado, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec) knew very little about and followed on the heels of two other TasteCamps — Finger Lakes and Long Island.

The event takes a great deal of planning, not without its ups and downs, and buy-in from the region, its wineries and Wine Country Ontario, the industry association that markets Ontario wines.

CIMG3844
Vines at Chateau des Charmes

By way of disclosure, I was one of the volunteer organizers (along with Suresh Doss, who helped put together the agenda, and Remy Charest, who helped with planning, logistics and communication with the attendees, and Bryan Calandrelli, who organized the U.S. side of TasteCamp). The founder of TasteCamp — Lenn Thompson of the New York Cork Report — offered advice along the way, but pretty much left the organizing to us.

A great many people helped make TasteCamp the success it was. Four key people were involved from the beginning — Michele Bosc, marketing director at Chateau des Charmes, where the TasteCamp welcome and Niagara-on-the-Lake grand tasting was held, Brian Schmidt, winemaker at Vineland Estate, where the Bench grand tasting was held, Ed Madronich, chair of the Wine Country Ontario, and proprietor of Flat Rock Cellars, and, Magdalena Kaiser-Smit, PR specialist at Wine Country Ontario, who spent countless hours with Suresh and I as we put together the TasteCamp agenda, arranged and sponsored bus transportation, snacks, information/wine packages in every room and kept us on track throughout the weekend. She also brought some mighty fine rare wines to the BYOW dinner that may or may not have been raided from here dad’s (Karl Kaiser) cellar.

It was a team effort to pull it off but once it got rolling, it was left up to the 38 or so attendees to measure the success of the weekend.

CIMG3905
Attendees enjoying wine at Hillebrand.

From an organizational standpoint, the weekend seemed to run relatively smoothly. There were glitches, some miscommunications, weather concerns and at least one late-night Twitter exchange that, shall we say, wasn’t for family viewing, but, otherwise, the mountain of tweets offered an interesting timeline of constructive observation from a group of critical writers tasting the wines and exploring a region for the first time. Wineries are advised to read the tweets from start to finish (go to Twitter, search for #tastecamp for full timeline).

This is a chronological look at TasteCamp Niagara through the eyes of someone who helped organize the event and was an attendee at TasteCamp Finger Lakes.

•••

They arrived in dribs and drabs. By plane, by train, by car, by hitching a ride with others from as far away as Colorado, Indiana and Nova Scotia. But by noon on Friday, May 13, they had all gathered under sunny skies (an accomplishment in itself considering the forecast was for torrential downpours all weekend) at Chateau des Charmes, nestled so perfectly along the St. Davids Bench in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

CIMG3837
Paul Bosc at Chateau des Charmes

It was a beautiful sight to see these people, some of whom I had met in the Finger Lakes, some of whom I know through various wine-related activities. But there were many new faces, drawn to Niagara for a wine adventure.

There were welcoming words from Ed Madronich, Chair of Wine Country Ontario, and introductions to key people — Michele Bosc, Magdalena Kaiser-Smit, TasteCamp founders Lenn Thompson and Evan Dawson and Brain Schmidt, winemaker at Vineland Estate and host of the grand tasting on Saturday.

CIMG3842
Paul Bosc at Chateau des Charmes

Then it was turned over to Paul Bosc, who along with wife Michele and the founder of Chateau des Charmes, Paul Bosc Sr., own and run the estate.

Bosc gave attendees a detailed report on what Chateau des Charmes strives for in its vineyards and wines — “terroir driven wines” — and the conditions in St. Davids that favour the full-bodied, structured red wines the chateau is known for.

We were then led inside the chateau for a tasting of Chateau des Charmes Paul Bosc Vineyard wines and lunch.

Here’s what we enjoyed:

Chateau des Charmes Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard Chardonnay 2007 ($22, 90 points) — This is aged “sur lie” for one year in French oak barrels. It’s a full-bodied chardy with creamy vanilla notes, citrus and tropical fruits on the nose. It’s a fleshy, opulent style in the mouth with creamy-buttery notes.

Chateau des Charmes Paul Bosc Vineyard Equuleus 2007 ($40, 93 points) — Wow. The nose is a nice collage of aromatics from cassis and currants to leather, a wild raspberry note, mocha, top grade oak and swirling spice and smoke. It’s rich and flavourful in the mouth, with chewy dark fruits, gripping tannins, waves of cocoa and spice and a long, long finish. This has the stuffing to go on for another 10 or 15 years.

CIMG3850
Lunch at Chateau des Charmes
CIMG3852
Lunch at Chateau des Charmes
CIMG3855
Lunch at Chateau des Charmes

Note: Paul also gave us a taste of the 2010 components of Equuleus (this top cuvee is only made in the best vintages) to show the various oak treatments that are considered for this wine.

Lunch at Chateau des Charmes was sponsored by Chef Andrew McLeod and Spencer’s at the Waterfront in Burlington. Each dish was matched to a wine chosen by the Boscs.

Chateau des Charmes Paul Bosc Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2010 ($18, 87 points) — A lovely kiwi, passion fruit, grassy, lime nose that worked well with the “roots and shoots” dish of ida red, hemp and ice cider. Such a refreshing style of Sauvignon Blanc.

CIMG3858
Jeff Aubrey pours Coyote's Run at Chateau des Charmes

Chateau des Charmes Paul Bosc Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007 ($35, 90 points) — Just over 200 cases of this single-vineyard Pinot were made in the great 2007 vintage. The nose reveals spice-laden red fruits with touches of cedar and earth. The red berries on the palate are lifted by mocha spice all on a bed of fine tannins. Could cellar for three to five years. This was paired brilliantly with McLeod’s nettle gnocchi with ricotta, asparagus and an amazing piece of Ontario farmed trout caught the day before.

CIMG3865
Riverview poured at grand tasting

Chateau des Charmes Paul Bosc Vineyard Riesling Icewine 2009 ($65 for 375 ml, 92 points) — Served with apple raisin cake with salted caramel and vanilla buttercream, with gorgeous aromas of honey, candied pineapple and apricot. Good acidity balances the sweet, exotic fruits on the palate.

Lunch was followed by a grand tasting of Niagara-on-the-Lake wineries including: Caroline Cellars, Reif Winery (serving the exotic TBA Riesling), Frogpond Farm Organic Winery, Coyote’s Run Estate Winery (lots of buzz about the 09 Pinots), Pondview Estate Winery, Mike Weir Wine, Lakeview Cellars, Riverview Cellars (great new labels), Niagara College Teaching Winery, and Konzelmann Estate Winery.

•••

Then the group piled in their cars and headed to the other side of Niagara-on-the-Lake to Hillebrand Estate Winery where we were met by Estate Manager Michelle Brisebois and winemaker Craig McDonald with glasses of Trius Brut in hand.

CIMG3868
Trius Brut welcome at Hillebrand.

McDonald led the group on a tour of the winery, including the cellar where literally thousands and thousands of perfectly-stacked bottles of Trius Brut are stored.

CIMG3884
Craig McDonald and the wall of sparkling wine.

Then McDonald gathered the crowd into the barrel cellar and conducted an enthusiastic seminar on wild fermentation. To prove his point on wild fermented wines, that they add character, complexity and style to wines, he poured the Hillebrand Sauvingon Blanc 2009 that was made in stainless steel tanks. A very fresh, clean and highly aromatic wine with bright lemon and citrus flavours.

He then showed us a sample of a new wine he’s making from wild fermentation and oak aged Sauvignon Blanc, the 2010 Showcase. It’s a much more structured, elaborately flavoured wine with fleshy fruit and spice. It’s done in a really nice exotic style that will add a new dimension to the Hillebrand Showcase series.

Our visit at Hillebrand ended with a tasting of Hillebrand and two other top quality NOTL wineries — Stratus, and Lailey (with winemaker Derek Barnett in attendance) — and a Bench winery, Thirty Bench (with winemaker Emma Garner pouring the wines), in a walk-around style event.

CIMG3899
Derek Barnett, winemaker at Lailey.
CIMG3892
Emma Garner, winemaker at Thirty Bench
CIMG3891
Thirty Bench Rieslings
CIMG3907
Pouring at Stratus

I only had a chance to taste a few wines. Here are some standouts:

Lailey Vineyard Old Vines Chardonnay 2007 ($40, 90 points) — A Chard from 07 that seems to be holding up pretty well. Smoky-tropical and mineral notes and lovely spice and oak in the mouth. The 09 version of this is still so very young and muted, showing elegance and restraint on the nose and gorgeous tropical-pear fruit in the mouth with touches of vanilla and spice.

Lailey Vineyard Old Vines Pinot Noir 2007 ($45, 93 points) — This is one fabulous Pinot with cherry, vanilla and oak-spice aromas on the nose and ripe red fruits, firm tannic structure and length on the finish. Still going strong. The 09 version of the Old Vines is more elegant and restrained with plum, cherry, soft spice and rounder, silkier tannins.

CIMG3878
Trius and Hillebrand on ice.

Hillebrand Showcase Wild Ferment Chardonnay Oliveira Vineyard ($35, 91 points) — This is from the Lincoln-Lakeshore appellation and possesses an extraordinary nose of smoky, flinty, apple, spice and vanilla. It’s texturally perfect in the mouth with full apple-citrus notes, a mineral note that runs throughout and lively acidity. Very different and oh, so, delicious.

Thirty Bench Triangle Riesling 2009 ($30, 90 points) — A slightly off dry Riesling with lime, lemon, white peach and apple aromas. It’s ripe and juicy on the palate with nice mineral accents.

Thirty Bench Steel Post Riesling 2009 ($30, 91 points) — A more muted nose with apple, peach and lime fruits. The mouth reveals racy acidity, fresh citrus fruit and lovely slate notes on the finish.

Thirty Bench Wood Post Riesling 2009 ($30, 92 points) — My favourite of this lovely trilogy of benchmark Niagara Rieslings. A fragrant nose of ripe tropical, peach and citrus fruit along with an exotic spice note. It is extraordinary on the palate with wonderful tropical fruits, on the sweet, ripe side, playing with pure wet stone mineral notes. Best Thirty Bench Riesling ever? Perhaps.

•••

After a quick check-in at the White Oaks Resort and Spa, TasteCamp Niagara moved into a special room at the resort where Vincor had set up a wonderful tasting of Inniskillin, Jackson-Triggs and Le Clos Jordanne wines along with a fine array of Ontario cheeses to munch on.

CIMG3923
Del Rollo holds court at Vincor tasting.
CIMG3931
Bruce Nicholson, winemaker at Inniskillin, pours his wines.

Del Rollo, who manages the estate wineries for Vincor, presided over walkaround tasting at White Oaks and introduced each winemaker — Sebastien Jacquey from Le Clos, Bruce Nicholson from Inniskillin and Marco Piccoli from Jackson-Triggs — as they offered up their various and diverse backgrounds that stretched from Italy to Burgundy and the Okanagan Valley.

There were some stunning wines poured at the evening tasting. Here are some that caught my attention.

CIMG3928
The newly named Entourage.

Jackson Triggs Entourage Methode Classique 2006 ($24, 90 points) — There’s a lot to like about this consistently well-made sparkling wine. But the price knocks me out. Such a great wine for $24. The nose smells of yeast, bread dough, citrus and vanilla. In the mouth, it has a firm bead of lively bubbles. It’s loaded with citrus-apple fruit and backed up by racy acidity. All that and a clean, fresh finish. Love the new name and branding.

Inniskillin Sparkling Vidal Icewine 2008 ($70 for a half bottle, 94 points) — Right up there with the best sparkling icewines I have tried. A honey-laden wonder with apple strudel, apricot and exotic dried fruits on the nose. A fair amount of acid on the palate gives this sparkling icewine a lot of freshness on the palate to go with a lively mousse and concentrated tropical fruits, spiced apple and peach.

Jackson-Triggs Delaine Vineyard Syrah 2007 ($33, 92 points) — A classic cassis, plum, pepper, blueberry nose that’s rich, spicy and inviting. It’s smooth on the palate with rich currants and raspberry fruits with smoke, pepper, spice and licorice. A big single-vineyard Syrah, laden in fruit, that cries out for a juicy steak pairing.

Le Clos Jordanne Pinot Noir Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard 2007 ($40, 91 points) — This is just starting to come around, with ripe black cherry, wildberry fruits, earth and mineral notes and lovely spice. It’s juicy with firm tannins in the mouth that will soften and come into balance with a few more years in the cellar.

•••

Our final event, after a rather busy day, was to hop on one of those fun, touristy red double-decker buses for the short trip to Ravine Vineyard for a tasting and dinner.

CIMG3941
Alex Harber pours at Ravine dinner.

Ravine is a small, boutique winery that’s farmed organically and specializes in small-lot wines from grapes that grow best on the estate. The bistro has just undergone a renovation and a new menu designed by Chef Paul Harber.

CIMG3945
Reds poured at Ravine.

Attendees were greeted by Alex Harber, wine steward, and along with brother Paul, a member of the Harber family which owns and runs Ravine. The smell of suckling pig was in the air, but first, guests were treated to an explanation of organic and biodynamic farming from wine and viticulture manager of Ravine, Peter Gamble, and Southbrook’s winemaker Ann Sperling (who just happens to be married to Peter). Southbrook is an organic-biodynamic winery, while Ravine is organic.

We enjoyed an array of Southbrook and Ravine wines while Gamble and Sperling detailed the inner workings of farming responsibly. Here are some highlights of the tasting:

Southbrook Connect White 2010 ($15, 86 points) — Made from 100% certified organic Vidal grapes, it shows peach, melon and soft citrus aromas. It’s off-dry on the palate and loaded with juicy fruits. A good, little party quaffer.

CIMG3951
A magnum of Southbrook Poetica Chardonnay was poured.

Ravine Vineyard Reserve Merlot 2007 ($55, 92 points) — A restrained red that pretty much defines the estate. The nose reveals oak, toast, spice and extracted cherry-kirsch notes. The mouth is outlandishly delicious and powerful with thick cherry-berry flavours and layers of cocoa, vanilla, toast, licorice, spice and complexity that evolves in the glass. Decant for two hours or cellar for up to five years.

Ravine Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay 2009 ($38, 92 points) — This is a gorgeous, stylish Chard with vanilla cream, tropical, apple fruits and lovely spice. Fine oak and spice in the mouth, great acid backbone and ripe fruits suggest a long life in the cellar.

The evening ended with a family-style dinner of roasted pork and garden vegetables that provided the perfect end to a long, intense day of Niagara wine exploration.

NOTE: Part II of TasteCamp Niagara will be posted here soon.