A treasure trove of Paul Pender’s greatest wines at Tawse

By Rick VanSickle

I don’t recall the first Robyn’s Block Chardonnay I tasted from the skilled hands of Tawse winemaker Paul Pender, but I certainly remember the first one that completely blew me away.

The Robyn’s Block is part of the Cherry Avenue Vineyard estate holdings at Tawse, and it was certified organic in 2008. By the time the 2011 was released, it had morphed into this beautiful wine that, frankly, only a very few in the region could match at the time. It was a stunner and has been every vintage since then.

I do not know if Pender, taken from his family, friends, and Niagara winemaking community at such a young age in a senseless and violent altercation at his cottage last week, considered the Robyn’s Block Chardonnay his most precious gift to wine lovers; his modesty would never go there, but, for me, it is the pinnacle in what is one of the deepest, complete and remarkable portfolios in the country.

It is so hard to comprehend that the man who built it from the ground up is no longer with us, can no longer finish what he started or savour the hard work he put into it. I know it’s just wine and good wine will continue to be made at Tawse. The much larger concern is for Pender’s family, his wife Allison and his three children, his extended family and his many friends far and wide who are hurting right now. And will be for a very long time.

Pender’s memorial service is being held Friday at 2 p.m. (due to COVID restrictions it’s invitation only).  The service will be live streamed and you can check here for details.

Meanwhile the 31-year-old Hamilton man who is charged with second-degree murder in connection with Pender’s death appeared in court Tuesday and will be back in court Feb. 22. I won’t get into the details, but you can go to this CHCH TV segment for more information here.

Also: You can read about the tributes from around world and Pender’s legacy here and also follow his tribute page on Facebook here.

As a small tribute to Pender and the incredible wines he made as a winemaker, I put together this Top 10 list of what I believe are the greatest wines he ever made. Starting with my No. 1 pick … the Pender wine I hope you are drinking right now.

Here’s my list:

No. 1: The Tawse wine you are drinking right now

A lot of Tawse wines were opened in the past week in Niagara (and beyond) as an appropriate toast to winemaker Paul Pender. The body of his work at Tawse stretches from 2005 when he joined the winery as an assistant winemaker and then 2006 to 2022 as the head winemaker. That’s a lot of wine made by Pender spread across most varieties grown in Niagara and collaborations with pals from Prince Edward County and other friends in the wine industry.

For our No. 1 pick of wines by Pender, like many of you, we simply went to the nearest LCBO store and grabbed the first wine we saw made by him and ended up with this Vintages Essential Tawse Quarry Road Riesling 2019 ($25). It was on ice and poured an hour later. You simply cannot go wrong with any Riesling made by Pender, but at the single-vineyard level (at a pretty good price), this Quarry Road version is an extraordinary bottle of wine. On the nose it is a lime/mineral bomb with honeysuckle, grapefruit, honeycrisp apple and a floral note. There’s an interesting tug of sweet and tart citrus on the palate with lime zest, wet stones and ferocious acidity driving the boat on the finish.

No. 2: Tawse Robyn’s Block Chardonnay 2011

This will come as no shock to anyone who knows the wines at Tawse. You can pick any vintage of Robyn’s Block Chardonnay that Pender has made, and it has likely blown your mind. When first released, it was in a class nearly all its own; only a few were making Chardonnay at this level. The club has expanded since then with a growing number of wineries making serious Chardonnay and sharing the limelight with Tawse while making some of the most profound Chardonnays in Canada.

The 2011 Robyn’s Block scored 94 points by Wines In Niagara when released (an unheard of score back then) and was named the Most Thrilling Niagara White Wine in 2014. It has seldom scored lower than 93 points since its debut. The 4-acre Robyn’s Block, named for the eldest daughter of Moray and Joanne Tawse, is the top Chardonnay made at that winery year in and year out and is part of the Cherry Avenue Vineyard, the first vineyard purchased by Tawse in 2000. It’s fermented and aged in French oak for 12 months. The nose is focused and finessed with fresh citrus, touches of green apple and quince, wet stone and a floral note that all rises above the subtle oak spices. The crisp and zesty lime-citrus fruit and minerals glide on a razor-sharp beam of mouth-watering acidity and light up the palate. This is pure elegance in the mouth, a complex array generous (but never weighty) fruit flavours that are balanced out by a wisp of spice that build in intensity through a long, long finish. A brilliant Chardonnay made by Pender without a heavy hand in the cellar.

No. 3: Tawse Cherry Avenue Pinot Noir 2016

While Tawse was built on a sturdy foundation of Burgundian varieties, in my opinion the Pinots have been mostly overshadowed by the Chardonnays, but only barely. When Pender hit the sweet spot with this tricky grape, he knocked it out of the park. This Cherry Avenue Pinot from the warm 2016 vintage was a bit of a shocker for me. The cooler vintages in Niagara had always shown more promise for Pinot, but this was packed with berry flavours and maintained wonderful finesse. It is simply the best Cherry Avenue I have tasted. This version, even with 16 months in French oak, is made with a deft touch (assuming mostly older barrels) and shows a lighter colour in the glass and reveals dark cherries, brambly raspberries, light spiced notes and an intriguing vein of minerality/iron on the nose that is pleasingly inviting. It dances lightly on the palate with savoury red fruits, a floral note with that intriguing minerality that builds in intensity through the silky smooth and finessed finish. Niagara Pinot at its best.

No. 4: Tawse Van Bers Cabernet Franc 2010

While a lot of the Bordeaux variety wines moved to Redstone after it was built, Pender made standout, bolder red wines that have stood the test of time at Tawse. I believe the 2012 vintage of the Van Bers was the last at Tawse, but this 2010 vintage, at the time one of the best vintages ever for Niagara, showed Pender at his finest with this Niagara-friendly variety. It sold for $50 through the Classics Collection a few years after its initial release and I described it as a “blockbuster of a wine, a brilliant example of what can happen to this classic varietal if all the stars align.” And align they did in 2010 for Cabernet Franc at this vineyard in the Creek Shores sub-appellation. This wine possesses a thick and rich nose of alluring field raspberry, warm summer cherries and anise all enticingly blanketed in spicy oak, earth and just a touch of wild herbs. The earthy flavours are married perfectly to the ripe red fruits, smoke, tar, anise and eucalypt. Ripe tannins emerge to offer structure and power and lead to a long, long finish. Enjoy this for many years to come.

Note: Vineland Estates winemaker Brian Schmidt dedicated his final piece on his journey of discovery as a winemaker to Paul Pender and his love for Cabernet Franc. Go here read his piece on Facebook.

No. 5: Tawse Cherry Avenue Vineyard Gamay 2019

Quarry Road and Cherry Avenue are synonymous for the top wines in the Tawse portfolio and Pender was at his best working with these two estate vineyards. He made Gamay in two styles — one under the natural badge and this one that sees oak introduced for a bold, spicy style. The grapes were hand-picked and aged for six months in French oak barrels (40% new). It’s big and bold (for a Gamay) with a plummy, cherry-bomb nose that adds spice and savoury notes to the mix. The palate shows tart cherries, crunchy cranberries, plums, savoury spices, light tannic structure and sizzling acidity on the finish. Can cellar this for further interest.

No. 6: Tawse Quarry Road Chardonnay 2013

I think you will find Tawse fans equally divided between Quarry Road and Cherry Avenue (Robyn’s Block) as being their favourite vineyard for Chardonnay made by Pender. Neither is the wrong answer; they are just different. I freely admit to being drawn to mineral notes in Chardonnay — they add dimension and complexity to the experience. This version of Quarry Road, from vines planted in 1998 on mixed limestone and clay soils, is farmed organically and biodynamically, like all estate grapes. It was barrel fermented with wild yeast and aged in French oak for 12 months (20% new). This has minerality in spades; a flinty/chalky/gun smoke quality that transitions effortlessly from nose to palate and combines with fine oak nuances to form the backbone of this elegant Chard. With the mineral component, look for poached pear and a range of orchard fruits on the nose and underlying barrel spice notes. It is magical on palate with those flinty, chalky, almost smoky mineral notes that integrate so well with the depth of pear and apple skin and elegant spices. This is a highly structured Chard but still shows grace and nuance that only improved with age. Another beauty from the cooler 2013 vintage that was very kind to Chardonnay.

No. 7: Tawse David’s Block Merlot 2013

Looking back on Pender’s winemaking, I’m impressed with how he coaxed the best out of what were traditionally not favourable vintages for many of the wines he made. 2013 was cool, Merlot loves warmth, yet this was the best Merlot Pender made. After a horrible winter in 2014, this is the last vintage ever of the David’s Block Merlot and it went out with a bang. Despite the cooler vintage, Pender gave this Merlot a proper send off. It has a gorgeous, irresistible nose of black currants, sweet tobacco, and array of elegant spice notes, earth, kirsch, ripe blackberries and earthy/brambly notes. It’s thick and juicy on the palate and shows a range of currants, black pipe licorice, graphite, earth, meaty notes and layers of complexity and spice. This is a highly structured Merlot with a firm tannic backbone. I bet it is tasting fantastic today.

No. 8: Tawse South Bay Chardonnay 2015, Prince Edward County

Mentoring upcoming winemakers, helping other winemakers wherever he could and collaboration with other winemakers were admirable traits for Pender. Collaboration is on full display with this Prince Edward County Chardonnay. In 2013, Pender swapped Quarry Road Pinot Noir for Huff Estate’s South Bay Chardonnay in Prince Edward County and repeated that in 2015 and created this beauty. It was a nice addition to the estate’s single-vineyard, terroir-driven Chardonnay program that produces some of this country’s finest examples of this versatile grape. There was such a rich flintly/stony elegance on the nose with notes of apple, pear and integrated oak spice. It’s mouth-filling and vibrant on the palate with pure apple, poached pear, elegant spice and profound minerality notes all perfectly balanced and finessed through the finish. This is fresh and lively from start to end with layers of complexity and pleasure.

No. 9: Tawse Quarry Road Pinot Noir 2017

It’s hard to discuss Pender’s winemaking legacy without including the Pinots from the top two estate vineyards. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling are the three pillars in the house of Tawse and Pender was a master with these grapes. Quarry Road and Cherry Avenue are equals, in my opinion, and it’s hard to pick a favourite. The Tawse Quarry Road Vineyard on the Vinemount Ridge has yielded some spectacular wines over the years, but you can put the 2017 vintage at the top of your list. The organic vineyard is farmed biodynamically and the wine spends 12 months in French oak, 20% of which is new. It has a beautiful nose of pure black cherries, cranberries, violets, forest floor and elegant spice notes. It’s rich and meaty on the palate with crunchy red berries, earth, anise, fine tannins, soft texture, minerals and length through a vibrant finish. Lots of aging potential here.

No. 10: Tawse Dry Vermouth

There was seemingly no end to what Pender would tackle at Tawse. As the wine portfolio continued to grow from the modest 200-case debut production to where it is today, innovation grew with it. First Pender added cider to the mix, a delicious, dry and refreshing cider, then came the popular “natural series” that he once vowed he would never make (that’s another story, see previous post). But when Tawse agreed to introduce spirits into the mix, it became an obsession for Pender. My first look at what Tawse and Pender had built — an elaborate labyrinth of copper, stainless steel, gauges, columns and the centrepiece of it all, a top-of-the-line Italian copper pot still — I was in awe.

The idea for the still came during a trip to Burgundy while Pender and Tawse were visiting a few years back. In Burgundy, portable distilling trucks wind their way through the vineyards and villages of Burgundy after harvest to distill the residual skins and seeds left behind after pressing grapes. The distilled clear liquid is called Eau-de-vie de Marc de Bourgogne (often simply called Marc de Bourgogne) and comes from one of 30 appellations for French Eau-de-Vie. Most wineries will age the distillates in small oak barrels and either keep it for personal use or sell it to consumers as Marc de Bourgogne. At Tawse, an organic and biodynamic winery with geo-thermal system and a wetland bio-filter, finding a use for the pomace from the harvest fit in perfectly with the nose-to-tail, environment-friendly philosophy of the winery. “We wanted to be able to use the grape skins,” Pender explained. “And we didn’t want to do just do one thing.”

It started with grappa and evolved into a full portfolio of spirts, including this Tawse Dry Vermouth unlike any I have tried. I can remember the days when Vermouth was but a seldom used spirit that you basically squirted a mere drop into a dry Vodka martini just so you could say you weren’t guzzling pure vodka on ice. A bottle would last years and years. The spirit here is sourced from certified organic estate Riesling that’s steeped with 14 different botanicals and fortified to 18.5% abv. On Pender’s advice, I tasted this straight up on ice with a big wedge of lime. It had a beautiful nose of citrus, herbs, sage, wildflowers and some exotic tropical fruit notes and, of course, lime. It was smooth and refreshing on the palate with notes of chamomile tea, pear, fresh herbs, citrus and a zesty, refreshing finish. A lovely afternoon cocktail.