By Rick VanSickle
In this Niagara Wine Report, we shine a spotlight on new wines from 16 Mile Cellar, our picks from the Vintages release this Saturday and offer a preview of the month-long Sip & Sizzle event in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Our recommendations from the Vintages release include tasty organic Gamays from both Southbrook and Hidden Bench, a cellar-worthy red blend from Henry of Pelham and a McWatters Collection Chardonnay from the Okanagan Valley. But first …
Four weekends of Sip & Sizzle in May
Beautiful spring weather in Niagara Wine Country means a migration of wine lovers pouring into the region looking to get their local taste swagger back.
The Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake association has just the ticket for that — the annual (not counting those terrible COVID years) Sip & Sizzle event is on the calendar for four weekends in May from Friday, May 5 to Sunday, May 28. It’s a golden opportunity for consumers to sip and savour tasty food paired brilliantly with Niagara wine (and other tipples) at 20 NOTL wineries and cideries.
Guests can choose from an individual tasting passport (16 tastings for per person, $75 plus tax and service fee) or a couple’s passport (16 tastings per couple, $75 plus tax and service fee). These passes give you access to all wineries taking part with a maximum of eight winery tastings in one day. In other words, both passes are for a maximum of 16 tastings. If you want to taste at all 20 locations, you can add extra tastings to your passes. A couple tasting at eight wineries in one day would use one couple’s pass completely. An individual would need at least two days to visit all wineries. But whether individual or couple, you can also spread your visits out over the four three-day weekends and just visit two or three wineries at a time.
Passports are for sale now and guests can book their experience by clicking here for individual passports or here for the couples passport (you can also click the ad on this page to get to the main Wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake site).
Tastings are available from 11 am to 5 pm. When purchasing your passes, indicate the wineries you wish to visit and on what date.
Reservations will close at 6 am the day before event date. There are also designated driver passes available at a discounted rate available on the ticketing website.
Here’s a little snapshot of some of the tastings:
Marynissen Estate Winery Grilled to Perfection: Grilled oyster or lions mane mushroom with a tart cherry and bourbon BBQ sauce and a cashew smoky gouda style cheese on a crostini paired with 2020 Heritage Nanny’s Blend Red Meritage.
Pillitteri Estates Seared Chicken with Peach Salsa: House marinated seared chicken served with a fresh and vibrant summer peach salsa to jump start the upcoming season prepared by Chef Michael Zappitelli of BarrelHead at Pillitteri to bring out the best in the 2019 Unoaked Chardonnay.
Chateau des Charmes A Taste of Italy at the Château: Fried spinach and ricotta arancini on a bed of a century old basil tomato sauce recipe, from the Cheese Boutique, topped with 3-year aged parmigiana Reggiano Vecchio from Italy. To complement the dish the chateau has selected the newly released 2020 Gamay Noir.
Niagara College Teaching Winery and Brewery Pozole: Citrus and coriander grilled chicken Pozole with fresh cilantro, tomatillo, and corn tostada. Paired with NC Teaching Winery 2019 Balance Sauvignon Blanc.
New Wines from 16 Mile Cellar
16 Mile Cellar is a small family-owned winery and vineyard founded in 2010. The property is in the Creek Shores sub-appellation on the Niagara Escarpment and focuses on Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay with mostly single-vineyard expressions. The wines are crafted by winemaker Morgan Juniper (above). Here’s what I liked.
16 Mile Cellar Renegade Pinot Noir Rosé 2020 ($18, available now, 92 points) — This is 16 Mile’s first single-vineyard rosé, sourced entirely from Susan’s Vineyard in the estate’s Creek Shores sub-appellation. It shows a light garnet colour in the glass with a juicy array of summer cherries, wild raspberries, strawberries, subtle brambly notes and just a hint of citrus rind. It’s made in a dry style, but the red berries are ripe and juicy with interesting earthy notes and a bright, fresh finish. Delightful rosé.
16 Mile Cellar Civility Chardonnay 2020 ($35, released at the beginning of May, 93 points) — This single-vineyard, estate Chardonnay from Susan’s Vineyard is whole cluster pressed, wild fermented and spends 12 months French oak. It shows an attractive golden colour in the glass and has a fresh, saline nose of ripe pear, bergamot, golden apple, and nicely integrated oak spice notes. There’s more concentration and density on the palate with a rich profile of ripe stone fruits, flinty/stony notes, a creamy (yet pristine) texture, harmonic spice notes and a fresh, lifted finish. I retasted this wine after an initial review a year ago for this report and love how it has integrated and rounded out with elevated flinty/toasty notes. In a nice place right now.
16 Mile Cellar Rebel Chardonnay 2020 ($25, released at the beginning of May, 92 points) — This Susan’s Vineyard Chardonnay is from a blend of neutral oak barrels. The nose is fresh and lively with notes of bright apple, pear, subtle creamy notes, and lemon zest. It has a creamy texture on the palate with integrated pear/apple fruits, a touch of flinty minerality and reduction, a pinch of spice and mouth-watering acidity on the lifted finish.
16 Mile Rebel Pinot Noir Unfiltered 2020 ($25, released at the beginning of May, 92 points) — This is a blend of four Pinot Noir Dijon clones from Susan’s Vineyard that’s aged in neutral oak for 12 months. It shows a gorgeous rich garnet colour in the glass with a nose of ripe black cherries, black raspberries, cassis, fresh turned soil and a lovely savory/spicy accent. It’s mouth caressing on the palate with ripe and juicy red fruits, anise, fine tannins, toasty spices, smooth texture, and a long, finessed finish. Can cellar 5+ years.
Our picks from the April 15 Vintages release
Southbrook Triomphe Gamay 2021 ($29, new review, 92 points) — I only recently tasted this at the winery with newly-installed winemaker Casey Hogan. He likes the estate Gamays to have some oak, in this case 100% neutral French oak for 9 months, to give the wines added texture and complexity. It shows lovely brambly raspberries, plums, dark cherries, and rhubarb with pepper, herbs and anise accents. It’s smooth on the palate with modest structure then bright red berries, savoury/earthy notes, plums, red currants and subtle pepper and spice all leading to a vibrant finish. Can cellar 3+ years if so inclined but drinking great right not.
Hidden Bench Estate Gamay 2020 ($30, 92 points) —This Gamay is aged in French oak (14% new) for nine months. The nose is quite plummy with dark cherries, violets, forest berries and integrated spice notes. It’s juicy and dense on the palate with some structure and tannins that showcase the dark cherries, black raspberries, earthy/savoury notes, and spice on a fresh, finessed finish.
Henry of Pelham Estate Cabernet/Merlot 2019 ($28, 89 points) — This blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from the estate tier is aged in a combination of American and European oak, 30% of which is new, for 10 months. The nose shows ripe cherries, black currants, blackberries, subtle earthy notes, and toasted spices. It’s quite ripe and fruity on the palate with the full range of dark berries, vanilla bean, black licorice, cedar plank and spice notes to go with soft tannins and a bright finish. Can cellar 4+ years.
A treat from the Okanagan Valley
Chronos McWatters Collection Chardonnay 2020 Okanagan Valley ($44, 90 points) — This B.C. Chardonnay was stainless steel tank fermented and did not undergo malolactic conversion but underwent weekly lees stirring for three weeks post fermentation. It’s a lighter-bodied, un-oaked style with a nose of pear, apples, lemon blossom and fresh saline notes. It’s pure and delicious on the palate with a basket of Okanagan summer fruits and balanced nicely by zesty lemon-citrus notes on a clean, crisp finish.
Also released, but not reviewed by Wines in Niagara:
• Bachelder L’Ardoise Niagara Chardonnay 2020 ($25)
• Vineland Estates Pinot Grigio 2021 ($18)
• Adamo Estate Parke Vineyard Grower’s Series Pinot Noir 2017 Niagara ($32)
• Marynissen Cabernet Franc 2020 ($19)
• Pearl Morissette Chamboulé Pinot Noir 2021 ($34)
• Cave Spring CSV Riesling 2019 ($32)
• Featherstone Sauvignon Blanc 2022 ($18)
• Pearl Morissette Flammerole Chardonnay 2021 ($35)
• Glass Tiger Sparkling Riesling 2019 ($23)
• Sperling Vineyards Old Vines Riesling 2019 ($35)
Comment here