The BIG HUGE BLOCKBUSTER Christmas releases at Vintages continue this Saturday with some mighty fine Niagara wines plus a spectacular Armagnac I can highly recommend hitting the shelves.
Part II of Vintages’ holiday bliss features a unique, sparkly take on icewine, a couple of fine local bubblies that are sure to bring joy and a selection of holiday entertaining wines you can keep around the home for guests and family during the festive season.
Here are my Niagara wine recommendations from the release this Saturday, plus Armagnac from de Montal and a couple of Niagara ciders released recently:
Inniskillin Sparkling Vidal Icewine 2014 ($80 for 375 mL, 94 points) — What a sensational treat from winemaker Bruce Nicholson. Sparkling icewine is extremely difficult to make with few wineries attempting the style, but Nicholson has perfected it. The nose is a gorgeous mélange of orange marmalade, honeycomb, peach and mango. It has a rousing mousse on the palate to go with sweet, compoted fruits, fresh and delicate notes of pineapple, tangerine and peach and a luxurious texture that’s accentuated by the tiny bubbles that tickle the palate through the finish. A rich, exotic treat that is well worth the high price.
Flat Rock Cellars Riddled Sparkling 2009 ($30, 91 points) — The base wine is 92% Chardonnay with a touch of Pinot Noir and spends four years on the lees before disgorging. The nose shows lovely and inviting brioche, toast, lemon-lime, grapefruit and apple notes. A soft but persistent mousse delivers an array of bright lime, green apple and creamy pear notes in this nicely aged and mature sparkling wine.
Featherstone Black Sheep Riesling 2014 ($17, 91 points) — Always a favourite Riesling of mine from Niagara. The aromas jump from the glass: Lime, apple, flint and a melange of citrus. On the palate this is all about the flinty minerality, citrus and a touch of apple. A firm bed of acidity makes this electric all the way through the finish. I tried this beside the 2013 version and can recommend that you throw a few of these Rieslings in the cellar for a year or two for even greater pleasure.
Henry of Pelham Estate Chardonnay 2013 ($20, 89 points) – All fruit is grown on the estate’s Short Hills Bench vineyards. This is gorgeous with a nose of pear, oak spice and vanilla cream. The pear and apple fruit on the palate is wrapped in toasted oak and lifted by an energetic wave of citrus and acidity through the finish. Everything in balance here, nothing overdone.
Inniskillin Montague Vineyard Pinot Noir 2012 ($30, 91 points) — This single-vineyard Pinot from the Four Mile Creek sub appellation shows an expressive nose of black cherry, raspberry, violets, leather and spice. It’s a gorgeous Pinot from Niagara-on-the-Lake with cranberry, cherry, earth, bramble and dark chocolate on the palate to go with fine tannins through a long finish.
Featherstone Cuvée Joy 2011 ($35, 92 points) — A traditionally-made sparkler made from 100% estate-grown Chardonnay. This is a delightful, yes, joyful, wine with a nose of brisk lemon, baked apple, toast, citrus and interesting yeasty-bready notes. Perfect tiny bubbles tickle the palate with a lovely melange of citrus, toast and creamy notes all lifted by wonderful, refreshing acidity.
And some other Niagara wines being released but not reviewed:
- Reif Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 ($26)
- Rockway Vineyards Small Lot Block 11-140 Cabernet Franc 2012 ($25)
- Calamus Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 ($29)
- Cave Spring Indian Summer Select Late Harvest Riesling 2013 ($25 for 375 mL)
- Cave Spring Riesling Icewine 2013 ($50 for 375 mL)
- Henry of Pelham Cabernet Icewine 2013 ($40 for 300 mL)
- Coyote’s Run Rare Vintage Chardonnay 2013 ($25)
A fine Armagnac being released:
De Montal Grand Bas Armagnac 1996 ($100 for 700 mL, presented in attractive wooden gift box, 94 points) — De Montal is a superior producer of authentic French Armagnac from the Bas region. This vintage-dated spirit is a rarity and only made in exceptional vintages. Forty vintages have been declared since 1893 and distilled from local grapes — mostly Folle Blanche, Ugni Blanc, Baco Blanc and Colombard — and matured in cellars more than a 100 years old.
The nose shows dried fruits, toffee, caramel and subtle violets. It is like velvet on the palate with extraordinary depth and persistence with a range of dried apricot, marmalade and stone fruits followed by earthy spice notes, toffee, caramel and creamy vanilla. Just a lovely sip at the end of the day or by the fire with a nice Cuban cigar. A must buy for the brandy lover.
A couple of Niagara ciders:
Ontario craft cider continues its exciting rise in popularity. It’s only a matter of time before the LCBO/Vintages catches on to the excitement of consumers clamouring for better (and more) examples of interesting craft ciders.
For now, the most intriguing ciders are being poured at key bars and pubs that have multiple taps on hand. Or you can venture out to the various cideries popping up around Ontario to get your hands on these hard-to-find ciders.
There is renewed excitement from the Ontario Craft Cider Association (OCCA) with the recent passage of Bill 110 (Growing Ontario’s Craft Cider Industry Act).
The Bill, co-sponsored by Conservative MPP Sylvia Jones and Liberal MPP Arthur Potts, received second reading in the Ontario Legislature in early November. Once fully implemented, Bill 110 will provide a level playing field for Craft Cider comparable to Ontario’s Craft Brewers.
Thomas Wilson, Chair of the Ontario Craft Cider Association, expressed his gratitude to the sponsors of the Bill. “I want to personally thank MPP Sylvia Jones and MPP Arthur Potts for all the work they have put into championing this industry. This Bill will launch a new chapter in the successful Ontario craft beverages industry creating jobs and economic growth, particularly in rural Ontario.”
Bill 110 will ensure that the tax or mark-up imposed on Ontario Craft Cider does not exceed the mark-up or tax imposed on craft beer in Ontario, ensuring the industry receives the same incentives enjoyed by craft beer producers.
With a level field, the potential for expansion of this home grown industry is immense. Increased sales will contribute to Ontario’s rural economic growth, create new jobs and strengthen communities throughout the province.
As excitement builds, more and more ciders are turning up, even in wine country. Niagara College has just released its first cider made by students of the wine-making course and Vieni winery has just released a sparkling cider. Here’s what I enjoyed recently:
Niagara College Teaching Winery Cider 101 ($3.50 per can, 5.5% alc, 87 points) — This is the first cider made by the college at the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus and a fine debut it is. The apples were harvested and fermented in 2014 with seven months of lees contact to give the final cider a creamy feel on the palate. It’s a blend of ambrosia, IDA red, matsu and red delicious apples with a creamy nose of soft apple, yeasty notes and subtle spice. It has gentle effervescence in the mouth with pure apple flavours and citrus zing on the finish.
Vieni Sparkling Cider ($14 for 750 mL, 6% alc, 88 points) — Attractive packaging to go with a lively, seductive nose of apple, citrus, touch of honey and brioche notes. The mousse is vibrant and sparkly on the palate with crisp apple and refreshingly dry and clean through the finish. Lovely sparkling apple cider for year-round pleasure.
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