It is a beautiful combination of things that’s turning Prince Edward County into a thrilling region for superb Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs.
Yes, it’s the clay-limestone soil, and, of course you need a complementary climate, which the County can achieve in most vintages with some innovations in the vineyard (burying the vines each fall to protect against the brutal winters, comes to mind) in most vintages, but more than that is the enthusiasm and hard work from the pioneering vignerons who have decided to bet on the County that is behind the exquisite wines being made there.
The small (but growing) core of winemakers are growing up and learning together and improving the quality of the grapes and, ultimately, the wines at an exponential rate.
None is more passionate than Dan Sullivan and his wife Lynn, owners of Rosehall Run Vineyards, who manage 25-plus acres of vines planted on Hillier Clay (clay with limestone gravel over fractured limestone). The plantings are predominately Pinot Noir and Chardonnay but also a little Chardonnay Musque, Ehrenfelser, Pinot Gris, Cabernet Franc, Riesling and a few other grape varieties here and there.
Sullivan is a Pinot and Chardonnay specialist, making some of the most personable wines in Ontario that are hard to define stylistically. It would be simplistic to call them Burgundian because Prince Edward Country isn’t Burgundy. His wines have their own style, which is elegant yet loaded with fruit flavours not overpowered by the oak that plays a supporting role in his portfolio.
I first tried Sullivan’s wines last summer during a quick visit to the County. The wines, and Sullivan himself, left an indelible impression on me and my palate. He was doing in a few short years what others in Ontario have been trying to do for a decade or more; craft a style of wine that is both true to the terroir and the varieties — Pinot and Chardonnay — in the given circumstances.
It’s not about razzle-dazzle with Sullivan (yet he looked pretty cool at the Cool Chardonnay event recently at Tawse Winery in Niagara in his rainbow-coloured tie-shirt), it’s about style and substance and being committed to making quality wines every year with whatever Mother Nature delivers in terms of climate.
Prior to founding Rosehall Run, Sullivan spent 15 years honing his craft as a home winemaker. In 2000, he and his partners purchased the 150-acre farm in the new Prince Edward County wine region.
The winery is located on Greer Road in the heart of the Hillier wine district of Prince Edward County and only opened its winery doors in 2006.
The founders, winemaker Dan Sullivan and his partner, Lynn, together with their brother-in-law, Cam Reston, purchased the 150 acre farm in 2000. The site was selected due to its proximity to Lake Ontario and remarkable Hillier clay soil scattered with numerous rock and shale fragments on a limestone base. Planting of the estate vineyard began in 2001 with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay occupying the majority of the 25 acres now in production.
Facts about Rosehall Run:
Winery Site:
• Named for the nearby hamlet of Rosehall, Rosehall Run Vineyards is situated on prime grape growing land on Greer Road in Hillier, Prince Edward County.
History:
• Farm purchased in 2000 totaling 150 acres
• Rosehall Vineyard planted in 2001
• First Harvest: 2004
• Open to Public: 2006
• 7,200 sq. ft. winery facility and barrel cellar constructed 2008
The Vineyards:
• Soil: Hillier clay soil on a limestone base
Climate:
• Hot and sunny, Hillier is one of the driest areas of Ontario with a moderating easterly breeze from Lake Ontario. The winters, however, can drop to temperatures that may threaten survival of the crops. For this reason, all vines are covered with soil for the winter.
Total planted acreage: 25 plus.
Winemaking:
• Aging: French, Hungarian and some Canadian oak
• Tanks: Stainless steel.
Production:
• 6,000 cases annually
Distribution:
• Winery Retail Store, Winery Online, LCBO, Vintages, WineryToHome, Select Ontario restaurants.
Visiting the Winery:
• Open daily from May to December 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Complimentary guided tours available during the summer months
Quote:
• My favourite quote from Dan Sullivan when asked about what makes Prince Edward County such a special place for growing grapes and making wine: “It’s all about the dirt and the weather, baby. Niagara has the looks but we have the dirt.”
I just sampled Rosehall Run’s most recent wines, which are available here at Rosehall Run. Here are the reviews:
Rosehall Run Pinot Gris Cuvee County 2010 ($22, 88 points) — Grapes were sourced from the Rosehall Run Estate Vineyard and neighbouring Fieldstone Vineyard. It’s aged entirely in stainless steel. A nose of ripe melon, peach, mango and pear — a fruit bomb on the nose that carries to the palate. Shows the richness and opulence of the 2010 growing season with gobs of stone and tropical fruit goodness that’s ripe and broad on the palate.
Rosehall Run Chardonnay Rosehall Run Vineyard 2009 ($35, 92 points) — Of the three vintages I have tried of the winery’s top Chardonnay, this is the best so far. The style is somewhere in the middle of the fleshy 2007 version and the mineral-spicy, cool 2008 vintage. Sullivan has delivered a perfectly balanced 2009 Dijon-clone Chard with apple, tropical fruits and pear-vanilla aromas with added mineral and hazelnut notes. This gorgeous Chard is perfectly poised in the mouth with pear-apple fruit in harmony with subtle charred oak, nutty notes, minerality and a touch of citrus zest. Amazing wine. It spent 16 months in a mix of 500-litre French oak puncheons and barriques, half of which was new oak.
Rosehall Run Pinot Noir Rosehall Vineyard 2009 ($39, 91 points) — This top cuvee Pinot is farmed from the oldest vines on the estate and finished in French oak barrels for 16 months with 50% new barrels. There is no fining or filtration. The common thread with Sullivan’s Pinots is the richness and depth of the red fruits he coaxes out of his grapes. Black cherry, raspberry, cranberry and strawberry mingle with cassis, sweet cedar spice and a nice mineral note. It’s silky smooth in the mouth with bramble and cherry fruit with subtle savoury notes, spice and touches of toasted oak and vanilla. All that and a vibrant acid core through the finish.
Enjoy!
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