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13th Street winemaker J.P. Colas chases the purest expression from Niagara’s mineral-rich vineyards

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There is no question that Niagara can produce some pretty awesome Chardonnay. The cool climate and mineral-enriched soils provide the perfect ingredients for personable and elegant Chardonnays that can comfortably stand beside some of the finest wines in the world.

The best Chardonnays in Niagara are trending downward in terms of the amount of oak that is used to enhance the flavours as winemakers realize the true beauty of this grape lies in the goût de pierre à fusil, that flinty minerality, that runs through the veins of the best bottles made in most appellations of the region.

This is not at all like the hot climes of California where those over-ripe and big Chardonnays typically see 2,000% oak heaped upon 2,000% malo. This not a region where 15% alcohol is desirable or, for the most part, accomplished.

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Niagara Chards are about finesse and balance achieved from a cool (relatively speaking) growing season and interesting soils that vary from appellation to appellation.

I feel a lot of what Niagara does, some of the finest examples in their purest form, are akin to Chablis, the northernmost wine district in the Burgundy region of France.

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The cool climate of Chablis produces wines with more acidity and flavors less fruity than Chardonnay grown in warmer climates.

There is always a distinct flinty-steely minerality to wines made in Chablis as compared to the rest of Burgundy. Part of its uniqueness is the deft touch (or none at all) with oak. The wines there are made with little or no wood influence and vinified in stainless steel tanks. What you taste is the grapes, the purity of where the grapes are grown, and, as a result, some of the most easily recognized Chardonnays in the world.

While the use of oak is subtly increasing at some domains in Chablis, they will never (I hope) reach the tooth-pick inducing levels of other regions in Burgundy or the rest of the world.

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This is where we can shine and do shine. Pure, unadulterated Chardonnays that have a sense of place and, to coin an oft-used phrase, “somewhereness.”

I applaud the Niagara wineries that are slowly paying homage to this style of winemaking. There is a growing trend toward unoaked or minimal oak used in their Chards, or, at the very least, one of the Chards in their portfolios.

In the past, unoaked Chardonnay has been relegated to the lower end of the spectrum while wineries saved the best grapes from the best vineyards for their top wines made with substantial oak.

We are starting to see a lot of attention paid to single-vineyard unoaked Chardonnays with delicious results. And we are getting a clearer picture of what Niagara is, what Niagara terroir is, and just how unique it truly is.

Take 13th Street’s June’s Vineyard, for example.

June’s Vineyard, located in the Creeks Shores sub-appellation, is a unique site with significant quantities of decomposed yellow limestone scattered throughout giving the wines an extra dimension of stony minerality on top of ripe fruit aromas and flavours. Named after one of the owner’s of the winery, this site, planted in 1999, continues to deliver exceptional Chardonnay and Riesling.

13th Street has championed this vineyard and recognizes the unique flavours that can be obtained. It makes both a Chardonnay (unoaked) and a Riesling from the vineyard.

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The Chard, like all the wines at 13th Street, is made by winemaker Jean-Pierre Colas, who knows a thing or two about making a pure expression of this grape. In his home country of France, he worked at the notable Chablis house, Domaine Laroche, where he oversaw production for a period of 10 years.

During his tenure at Domaine Laroche, Colas produced Wine Spectator Magazine’s 1998 White Wine of the Year, an award he received for his Domaine Laroche Grand Cru Les Clos 1996. Also in 1998, Jean Pierre was awarded with the Best Wine in Wine Enthusiast, Grand Cru Chablis Blanchots “Reserve de l’obedience” 1996 (99 points).

He makes the June’s Vineyard Chardonnay in 100% stainless steel with absolutely no oak, but uses 100% malo to round out the flavours and add a creamy feel to the wine.

“You want to please me?” he says, as we taste through the new releases. “Give me a bottle of this for lunch.”

Clearly, this is the style of wine Colas gets excited about. He calls it a “true expression of Niagara,” an observation that is hard to argue with.

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I tasted through the new whites and reds from 13th Street with Colas (above with Bodnar Rod), sommelier Peter Bodnar Rod, director of media relations and hospitality, and Ilya rubin, director of sales. Some of these wines are available now at the winery or will be released at the Christmas Open House at the winery on Dec. 7.

The annual open house runs Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will include samples of the new releases, hors d’oeuvres, a special Grande Cuvee and gourmet cheese tasting and a sabreing demonstration by Bodnar Rod.

Here’s what I can recommend from my tasting.

the whites

13th Street June’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2012 ($22, winery now, 91 points) — I am going to load up on this wonderful and pure expression of Niagara Chardonnay. The nose shows fresh green apple, pear and citrus with flinty minerality swirling around. What you taste is “the soil, the grapes and the kick of a substantial vintage,” says Bodnar Rod. Indeed, it is pure and fresh with a creamy note on the mid-palate all lifted by generous acidity. The fruit is front and centre but has the full support of the vineyard’s limestone minerality. Gorgeous.

13th Street June’s Vineyard Riesling 2012 ($20, winery, Vintages in spring, 89 points) — An aromatic Riesling with peach, citrus, buckwheat honey and subtle minerality in the background. It’s made in an off-dry style with ripe peach and some tropical notes to go with underlying sweet minerality. Solid, approachable Riesling for drinking now.

Also try the 13th Street Vineyard Riesling 2012 ($24, winery now, 90 points) made from two clones (21b and 239). It’s drier than the June’s but still juicy with peach, grapefruit and lanolin notes.

13th Street Pinot Gris 2012 ($20, spring release, 89 points) — Colas elected to make his Gris in 100% stainless steel with no malo. It was the perfect vintage to let the ripe fruit express itself in its purest form. Loaded with apple and ripe pear fruit with a hint of minerality in the background. The 2012 Gris shows richness and power on the palate without the sweetness. The apple crisp, grapefruit and pear flavours are bolstered by a nice hit of acidity. Delicious stuff.

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13th Street Pinot Noir 2011 ($24, Dec. 7 release at the winery, 88 points) — The nose shows savoury cherry, raspberry and subtle cassis and blueberry fruits to go with light spice undertones. It’s fresh and bright, lifted by the firm acidity of the vintage, but still shows generous red fruits, cedar and supporting spice.

13th Street Syrah 2011 ($30, Dec. 7 release at the winery, 90 points) — The nose shows sweet red fruits, roasted deli meats, raspberry, currants, cracked pepper corns and a lovely violet note. Shows wonderful freshness on the palate with harmonious red and dark fruits bolstered by pepper spice and gaminess.

13th Street Merlot 2012 ($18, Vintages/winery Jan. 4, 90 points) — OK, here’s the thing. Sometimes a winery just has to do what it has to do. If it needs to get a red wine on the shelves in a hurry, then that’s just what it has to do. Case in point: This 2012 Merlot, a beautiful, pure Merlot from a warm vintage but made without the benefit of oak aging of any kind. The nose shows bright cherry fruit, plums, currants and subtle cocoa notes. On the palate, the grape tannins help to prop up the plump and juicy red fruits that have a savoury-meaty edge to them. P.S. Colas saved a wee bit of this same Merlot and has it percolating in oak. I definitely want to see both versions side by side. Can’t help but wonder where this Merlot would be with the benefit of a little oak.

13th Street Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 ($30, Dec. 7 release at the winery, 91 points) — A difficult variety to make in the best of vintages, but to achieve this level of ripeness from 2011 is a tribute to the grower and winemaker. It’s made with 100% oak aged for 18 months, 35% of it new oak. The nose shows lovely blackberry and cassis fruit, oak spices and cocoa. The fruit is ripe and meaty on the palate with notes of licorice and tar and built on a firm foundation of fine tannins. It’s highly structured and will need time to round out all the moving parts but the rewards will be great.

13th Street Essence Cabernet Franc 2011 ($45, Dec. 7 release at the winery, 92 points) — The Essence series of wines at 13th Street was designed with winemaker Colas in mind, a “signature series” of wines that would capture the heart and soul of the vineyards and vintage from which they came, with Colas’s special signature style evident in the finished product.

The wines were developed to clearly express Colas’s winemaking philosophy — one of minimalist intervention, natural and patient winemaking with wines crafted based on aroma, taste and texture not numbers from a lab report. These wines are made from only those varieties that showed exceptional potential in the vineyard and cellar and only in those vintages that permitted such excellence.

The nose of this Cab Franc is a treat — smoky, swirling spices to go with sweet cherry pie, plums, blueberry, black currants, cigar leaf and violets. It’s ripe and concentrated in the mouth, a big wine to be sure, with meaty, lavish fruit and grippy tannins but the lush fruits and spice are never overshadowed by the oak. A well done Cab Franc that will need time to be fully appreciated.

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13th Street Grand Cuvée Blanc de Noir 2007 ($59, Vintages now, 93 points and previously reviewed) — A gorgeous and generous nose of lemon and brioche, green apple and fresh baked bread with creamy vanilla and toast accents. It’s built in an austere style with chiselled acidity and a fine mousse that tickles the palate and gives way to fresh apple and lemon flavours. Tertiary notes of warm toast, custard and tangy minerality add to the complexity of this well-built sparkler. Drinking rather well right now but can cellar a wee bit longer to draw out further nuances.