By Rick VanSickle
The last time I sat down with Shiraz Mottiar to taste wines in person at the Malivoire Wine Company, Covid wasn’t even on the radar … and Mottiar was still the winemaker.
While Covid still lurks, Mottiar has since been appointed the general manager at Malivoire, and assistant winemaker Elisa Mazzi (below with Shiraz Mottiar) was named head winemaker. A lot has changed at this Beamsville Bench winery in the past few years, but the wines remain some of the most creative and progressive you will find in Ontario.
“Shiraz is the obvious choice to lead,” said owner Martin Malivoire, who started the winery 25 years ago. “Since the outset, ours has been a quality-focused winery and Shiraz has been unequivocally invested in pursuing the precision of our wines, the signature strength of our vineyards and evolving our company DNA.”
One of the very first decisions Mottiar made as GM in August was to name Mazzi as the head winemaker. “It’s a unique situation to be a winemaker and not make wine, just focusing on running the winery,” Mottiar told Wines in Niagara last week. “It’s tough to step back, but I do not wish to get in the way of Elisa making wines with her own creative voice.”
It was a pleasure to taste with both Mottiar and Mazzi at the estate and it was perfectly obvious that they share an admiration and respect for each other and seem to be in sympatico on the kind of wines they want to make in Niagara.
“Elisa has been integral to our success for the past decade as she has been my right hand and sounding board on many ideas,” said Mottiar. “She’s no clone of me, but we do have very similar taste preferences in wine and often find ourselves in agreement. I know she will continue to be faithful to our philosophy and follow the distinct path we have forged with Gamay, Chardonnay, and Rosé.”
Mottiar pointed out that Mazzi has been leading the sparkling wine program at Malivoire for years, and “I think she has quickly proven herself to be one of the best sparkling winemakers in the country. This is the area I know we will see her stamp her style first. She is a very technical and no-nonsense winemaker, very liked by our winemaking peers and adored by the entire Malivoire family.” High praise, indeed.
After more than 20 years from its perch on the Beamsville Bench, Malivoire has carved out a unique place in the Niagara winemaking mosaic. With the purchase in 1995 of what is now known as the Moira Vineyard, followed by the acquisition of the larger property where the winery now stands, Malivoire draws heavily on the original plantings of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Gewurztraminer, Gamay, and Pinot Noir that were bolstered in the following years by additional vinifera varieties for its Gamay, rosé, sparkling and Chardonnay dominant portfolio. It also relies on Mottiar’s own vineyard and assistant winemaker Dan Stouck’s family vineyard to feed a 24,000-case production.
Mottiar and Mazzi both implement a less is more philosophy in crafting wines. That means a sustainable approach to farming and winemaking with less oak and oak aging, more use of alternative vessels for fermentation and aging, including concrete and stainless steel, and innovation and creativity in raising their wines.
That philosophy works well with the styles of wines that the team chooses to make — one of the most unique Gamay portfolios in Ontario, several expressions of purpose-made rosé, a full range of Chardonnays, a growing bubbly production, plus Pinot Noir, experimental Demo Series wines, the outlier bigger reds from Stouck, and various blends and old vine Foch, among others.
Our tasting last week focused on Gamay, Chardonnay, and sparkling wines with a few other treats on the tasting table.
The extensive Chardonnay portfolio ranges from an unoaked style to the rest of vineyard-focused collection that uses only minimal or no new oak and lees aging from pristine fruit from the estate and Shiraz Mottiar’s own vineyard on the Beamsville Bench. It’s a Chardonnay program that evolved from crafting that variety from “rote” to “exploring new ways of making Chardonnay that opened up a new world,” said Mottiar.
Most impressive for its depth and innovation is the Gamay program, with Malivoire the first and only winery in Canada to champion this grape and make it its flagship variety. There are six different expressions of Gamay in the Malivoire portfolio, all serious and stylistic Gamays that lean heavily on various vessels for fermentation and aging, from concrete to mostly older oak in various formats from barrique to larger format barrels. Mottiar and Mazzi also play with whole cluster pressing and carbonic maceration to varying degrees, offering distinct Gamays not unlike those from cru vineyards in Beaujolais.
“Carbonic adds complexity to Gamays in a different way than cold soak,” said Mazzi at the tasting. “It takes the fruit in a different direction.” Mottiar agrees. “It brings brightness and life to a wine, and it works perfectly with Gamay.”
Here’s what I liked for the current and upcoming releases from Malivoire. You can check here for availability.
The bubbles
Malivoire Che Bello Sparkling NV ($18, LCBO, 89 points) — The Che Bello is Malivoire’s fun and price-friendly “Processo” style bubbles for everyday sipping. It’s made in the charmat method from a blend of Seval Blanc (mostly) and declassified Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. It’s labeled non-vintage, but this version is from fruit grown in 2022. Mazzi likes how this Prosecco style wine “brings the fruit out.” It has an inviting fruity nose of lemon, juicy peach, apples, and floral notes with a soft, mellow bead in the glass. It has more bubble pop on the palate with vibrant, juicy orchard fruits, citrus zest, a light, creamy texture, and a clean finish with a touch of residual sugar.
Malivoire Biscous Brut NV ($35, 92 points) — The Biscous bubbles take a more serious turn. Though it is not dated on the label, the fruit is from the estate’s Moira Vineyard, planted in 1996, from the 2018 vintage and is made in the traditional method from a blend of 63% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Noir. It was oak fermented and spent 36 months on the lees. Quite expressive on the nose with baked brioche, poached pear, lemon biscuit, subtle toasty notes, warm apple pie and a persistent, elegant bead. It caresses the mouth with delicate effervescence and notes of citrus, pear, apple, a touch of flint and toasty brioche all leading to a bright, lively finish.
Malivoire Biscous Rosé NV ($35, 93 points) — The Biscous Rosé is made from 100% Pinot Noir that’s fermented in oak, spends 24 months on the lees and gets an 8 g/L dosage. It shows a light salmon colour in the glass with notes of field raspberries, strawberries, red currants, flinty/toasty notes, and pretty floral accents. It’s beautifully elegant on the palate with a creamy texture, brambly red berries, touch of earthiness and flint with a lifted and clean finish.
The Chardonnays
Malivoire Small Lot Chardonnay 2021 ($25, 91 points) — This is Malivoire’s version of an unoaked Chardonnay. It’s 95% picked from the original Moira Vineyard and the rest (Chardonnay Musque) from the estate vineyard. It was raised in stainless steel with lees aging for 10 months. What a delight! There is a beautiful vein of salinity that dominates on the nose, followed by ripe pear, yellow apple, citrus/grapefruit, and floral notes. It has a creamy texture on the palate to go with rich pear and quince notes, citrus zest, a touch of peach, stony minerality and a bright, finessed finish.
Malivoire Estate Grown Chardonnay 2022 ($22, Vintages Essentials, 92 points) — The estate Chardonnay is a blend of both the Mottiar Vineyard (owned by Shiraz Mottiar on the Beamsville Bench) and estate fruit that’s aged on a combination of new and older French oak barrels. Such gorgeous elegance and poise on the nose with salinity and wet stones to go with pear, apple, toasted almonds, lemon/citrus and just a pinch of spice. It’s harmonious on the palate with the ripe, layered orchard fruits and citrus folding seamlessly into the flinty/stony/nutty accents, elegant spices, and fresh, lively finish. A beauty of a wine at this price.
Malivoire Mottiar Chardonnay 2021 ($35, 93 points) — The Mottiar Vineyard, and home to Shiraz and his family, is 2 km west of the winery, and perched atop a high moraine ridge. This 3-hectare site, because of its higher elevation, is typically cooler than the estate vineyards and yields fruit with distinctive minerality. The wine was partially wild fermented and underwent partial malo with aging in mostly used 300L French oak barrels for nine months. It really is a mineral bomb on the nose with wet stones, chalk, and saline notes to go with pear, yellow apple, lemon tart, savoury accents, and underlying spice. It’s perfectly fresh and dry (zero g/L of RS) on the palate and racy with a pure vein of salinity and flint that lifts the quince, lemon tart, apricot, and ripe apple flavours through a layered and finessed finish.
Malivoire Moira Chardonnay 2020 ($45, 94 points) — The birthplace of Malivoire’s original wines is the Moira Vineyard, purchased on the Beamsville Bench in 1995. It is where Martin and Moira Saganski make their home. With excellent drainage and a low water table, the Moira Vineyard is distinguished by vines whose deep roots ensure robust health and vigorous fruit acidity. Only older French oak barrels are used to age this wine, sourced from the best rows in the vineyard, for nine months. This is all about elegance and poise on the nose with pretty floral notes, lemon zest, salinity, ripe apple, bergamot, toasted almonds and just a subtle accent of oak spice. It’s rich and savoury on the palate with integrated pear/quince, flinty minerality and citrus zest that’s layered and complex through a long and finessed finish.
The Gamays
Malivoire Genova Gamay 2022 ($28, 91 points) — This is a Vinemount Ridge sourced Gamay with partial whole cluster pressing, partial carbonic maceration, fermentation in a limestone concrete tank and aged for six months in neutral French barriques. Quite a floral nose with crunchy raspberries, plums, cherry/kirsch, and spicy/peppery notes. It’s smooth on the palate with ripe red berries, plums, red currants, floral accents, and a touch of spice on a tangy finish. Could age this for two or three years.
Gamay Le Coeur 2022 (wine club members only, 93 points) — Whole grape clusters were directed to a trio of small stainless-steel “pots,” purged of oxygen, and the vessels sealed for 10 days of carbonic maceration. After wild yeast whole-cluster fermentation, the wine was pressed and drained to neutral French oak puncheons to age six months. A very different nose of wildflowers and herbs, earthy red berries, plums, red currants, forest floor notes and subtle spices. The palate reveals an interesting aniseed/fennel note on a bed of brambly red berries, plums, intriguing orange zest and spice with smooth texture and a tangy, lifted finish. Could age this up to five years.
Malivoire Gamay Concrete 2022 ($28, 92 points) — The Gamay from the Estate Vineyard, south block, and separate picking of the north block were fermented in two concrete different tanks. The two blocks were blended after pressing and aged in mature 300L oak barrels for seven months. It has a pure and perfumed nose of pretty red berries, some darker fruits like cassis and plums and underlying earthy/savoury/peppery notes. It’s a more robust style on the palate with black raspberries, ripe cherries, plums, subtle herbaceous notes, hinting at pepper and followed by a tangy, lifted finish.
Malivoire Wismer-Foxcroft Gamay 2022 ($28, 92 points) — 30% of the fruit from this Twenty Mile Bench vineyard was whole cluster pressed in stainless steel tanks and then aged in all used, large format oak barrels for five months. A much more archetypal Gamay with bright and brambly red berries, plums, crushed herbs, pepper, black olives, and subtle spice notes. It’s bright on the palate with crunchy red berries, cranberries, plums, spice, some structure, spice, and herbs on a tangy finish.
Other red wines
Malivoire Mottiar Pinot Noir 2022 ($40, 92 points) — The Mottiar Pinot Noir is 85% fermented in concrete and aged for 8 months in used oak barrels. An intriguing nose of violets, brambly red berries, cranberries, a subtle melange of darker fruits and integrated, elegant spices. It opens up on the palate with florals, dark cherries, brambly raspberries, silky smooth texture, crushed stones, spice and length on the lifted finish. Can cellar 4+ years.
Malivoire Demo Series Analog 2022 ($30, 91 points) — This is a blend of 77% Cabernet Franc and 23% Gamay. The Gamay was whole cluster pressed with full carbonic maceration then co-fermented in concrete tank with destemmed Cab Franc. The blended wine was aged in used oak barrels for eight months before bottling. There’s a lot going on here! It has an enchanting nose of ripe red berries, minty herbs, plums, and savoury/spicy notes. It’s lovely on the palate with floral/herbaceous accents to go with crunchy/savoury red berries, anise, cassis, spice, and a bright, lively finish. Can age 4+ years.
Malivoire Stouck Merlot 2021 ($45, 93 points) — The Stouck Vineyard is owned by assistant winemaker Dan Stouck’s family, located just down the road in the Lincoln Lakeshore sub-appellation. This is always the “biggest” red wine in the Malivoire portfolio. It was aged in a combination of American and French oak barrels, one-third new oak, and finished perfectly dry. It’s tight at this young stage, but when it opens up there is an array of dense and concentrated red berries, cassis, kirsch, earthy notes and fine oak spices. The tannins are firm on the palate and the ripe berries are joined by touches of cassis and anise, cocoa, cedar, lavish spices, and a long, lingering finish that will reward with 10 or more years in the cellar. If opening soon, decanting is recommended.
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