By Rick VanSickle
It’s the most magical time of the year in Ontario Wine Country — in more ways than one!
Note, also in this report: Our picks from the big Ontario wine release at Vintages stores Saturday, including, Black Bank Hill, Closson Chase, Marynissen, Flat Rock Cellars, Hidden Bench, Domaine Le Clos Jordanne, Bachelder Wines, Featherstone and Henry of Pelham. Plus, we have a review for the new Pinot Blanc from Kirby Estate that you don’t want to miss.
Not only is the grape harvest in full-throttle mode, but a bountiful harvest of a different kind is ripe for the picking at LCBO Vintages stores Saturday — 25 100% VQA Ontario wines hit the shelves in a variety of styles and prices that will fit nicely into any budget.
You just have to tip your hat to the LCBO for its Sept. 7 Vintages New Release Collection magazine that shines a spotlight on the new wines being released. Under the headline Bring Home Ontario on the front page, along with beautiful photography of bottles of Domaine Le Clos Jordanne Chardonnay and Pelee Island Lola rosé, the cover begins what are 27 glossy, full-colour pages on nothing but Ontario wines, 25 of them featured and made available in the release.
It is the one time of the year that Ontario wines are featured front and centre on the cover and inside the pages and shelves at Vintages stores across the province. Cave Spring Vineyard gets the lion’s share of the coverage with a three-page feature touting its wines (with a giant photo of winemaker Gabriel Demarco sticking his nose inside a barrel wine) followed by another two-page feature later in the magazine on sustainable farming.
Other two-page features on Hidden Bench, Henry of Pelham, Black Bank Hill, Calamus, Domaine Queylus, Kew Vineyard, Bella Terra Vineyards, Featherstone and Flat Rock Cellars appear in the magazine. Closson Chase, Tawse, Domaine Le Clos Jordanne and Bachelder Wines all get one-page treatment. All wineries mentioned, plus many others, have wines available at Vintages stores beginning Saturday.
The welcomed exposure comes at a critical time for the Ontario wine industry. The LCBO has been under fire for not doing enough to help Ontario wineries increase its woeful market share, now below 5%, in the face of increased pressure from foreign wineries, backed by powerful and rich marketing arms, which have found a home for their own industry’s grape glut.
The LCBO, which reports to Ontario government’s finance department, sent a pointed letter to LCBO chair Carmine Nigro recently. Finance minister Peter Bethlenfalvy listed several bullet points that highlight ways to increase market share for Ontario wines — and he wanted it done this summer.
“With marketplace expansion around the corner and increased consumer demand for local Ontario products and those of other small producers, I am now directing the LCBO … to create more opportunities to promote these products in LCBO’s retail and wholesale operations,” Bethlenfalvy’s letter said.
“In support of this direction, and while being mindful of Ontario’s trade obligations, I would like the LCBO to undertake the activities below during the lead up to and post launch of Phase 1 of retail expansion this summer. LCBO shall consult with government and stakeholders to inform these activities,” he wrote, and included several areas of improvement he would like to see take place. They include:
•Establish an internal/external champion who will lead the LCBO’s efforts to respond to consumer demands for local Ontario products.
• Establish a collaborative forum with local Ontario industries to understand the needs of the industry.
• Provide prominent merchandising space, signage, and promotional opportunities for small and local Ontario producers that reflect consumer trends and demands.
• Update LCBO public reporting to separate out and highlight the successes of small alcohol producers.
• Develop a plan to measure progress and targets in supporting these initiatives.
• Develop training supports for retail employees to highlight small and local Ontario alcohol producers, for which there is increased consumer demand and interest.
• Leverage LCBO Food and Drink and digital advertising assets to be an active partner for small and local Ontario alcohol producers.
• Implement supply chain and inventory strategies to better assist small and local Ontario alcohol producers in response to increased consumer demand for these products.
With summer winding down, it’s not clear if the LCBO has moved on any of the bullet points above, other than the collaborative meeting, which is taking place today (Friday).
On another front, while harvest is a time of high hopes and optimism, grape growers have expressed concern that they are facing the worst over-supply of grapes since 2009. Debbie Zimmerman, CEO of the Grape Growers of Ontario, doesn’t know yet what the surplus will end up being, but it’s shaping up to be “really bad,” she told Wines in Niagara recenty. “Growers are under the gun and we’re trying to fix the surplus.”
A quick count of grapes for sale on the GGO website shows over 3,500 tonnes already unsold, with most of the over-supply is with the more expensive Bordeaux reds, particularly Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Not all wines for sale are posted on the GGO site and not all grapes listed for sale go unsold.
But the situation is dire enough for GGO chair Matthias Oppenlaender to call for a meeting with the provincial government Friday (today) with Ontario Craft Wineries and Wine Growers Ontario in attendance. “The industry’s current state is unsustainable now and for the future, and these meetings at that table with industry partners are critical for the stability of our growing future,” Oppenlaender said in the letter.
“As we are all aware, the industry’s current state is unsustainable now and for the future, and these meetings at that table with industry partners are critical for the stability of our growing future,” said Oppenlaender in his letter. “We need a plan reflecting the value of grapes grown in Ontario for the wine produced in Ontario. We have asked the Ontario Government to take immediate measures to assist this year’s crop by purchasing all unsold grapes.”
In addition, said Oppenlaender, “we have requested the government of Ontario to create a $25 million per year transition fund reserve to assist growers with stabilizing our sector. This reserve money could be used to purchase unsold grapes or vineyard removal. The transition fund will provide assurance to growers that lingering contractual changes will be addressed appropriately while a longer strategy is developed.”
Del Rollo, chair of Wine Growers Ontario and vice president, corporate affairs, at Arterra Wines Canada, called the meeting on Friday crucial for the Ontario wine industry. “The entire landscape of beverage alcohol is in a state of turbulence,” he told Wines in Niagara. “There are challenges coming with the biggest changes in 100 years.”
There is irony that comes with a looming grape glut. As I travel around Niagara and talk to winemakers and grape growers, the 2024 harvest looks remarkable. The early picks, most of them for sparkling wines, show healthy, ripe and clean fruit. Harvest is ahead by a week or so and the latest stretch of dry, warm days and coolish nights has enabled a stress-free harvest so far. There are some reports of disease pressure during the endless humidity of July and August, but the return to normal has eased at some of those concerns somewhat.
Our wine picks from the big
Ontario wine release on Saturday
Black Bank Hill Chardonnay 2020 ($35, 93 points) — This is the last vintage from sourced grapes (Wismer Wingfield on the Twenty Mile Bench) for the Chardonnay. Note the late vintage release, which is a theme with this winery. “I like wines that are aged for a long time,” said Taylor Emerson, who prefers to hold back wines in bottle longer than most to show his wines at their best. The fruit is whole-bunch pressed, settled, and racked into second- and third-use French oak barrels for wild fermentation and 19 months of élevage (in used French oak barrels) on its lees. It’s ripe and concentrated on the nose with poached pear, yellow apple, lemon curd, stony/saline minerality, a touch of toasted coconut and creamy spice notes. It shows opulent, generous stone fruits on the palate, chalky/stony notes, a creamy texture, vanilla toast, lemon zest, caramel, and spice with enough juicy acidity to keep it in balance. Drinking really nice at the moment but can hold until 2028.
Closson Chase The Brock Chardonnay 2021 ($25, 92 points) — The Brock from this Prince Edward County winery was sourced from the KJ Watson Vineyard in the Niagara River sub-appellation in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The fruit was destemmed, whole berry pressed, and it was 50% fermented in stainless steel and 50% fermented in French oak barrels. A very different expression of Chardonnay than the three County Chards. It has a ripe nose of pear, apple, quince, floral notes, subtle citrus, and integrated spice notes. It’s ripe and juicy on the palate with poached pear, sun-drenched apples and peaches, a subtle reductive note, lemon pie, and oak spices all nicely balanced and vibrant through the finish.
Flat Rock Twisted Special Anniversary Edition 2023 ($20, 89 points) — The quirky “Twisted” series of wines from Niagara’s Flat Rock Cellars was launched with the Twisted White two decades ago. To celebrate “20 Twisted Years,” Flat Rock’s newest take on the Twisted theme is this blend of 75% Riesling, 15% Gewurztraminer and 10% Chardonnay. It has an interesting nose of grapefruit, peach, apricots, saline freshness and a touch of ginger and lychee. It comes together nicely on the palate with a fruity profile that combines peach, grapefruit, apricots, ginger and honey with a vibrant finish. A fun wine with just a kiss of sweetness.
Hidden Bench Estate Organic Riesling 2020 ($25, 92 points) — The estate Riesling is a blend of all three Hidden Bench vineyards. The nose shows gushing lime, nectarine, white pear and yellow apple notes. It’s juicy, bright and carries a mineral edge on the palate to go with lime/citrus, green apples, peach tart, a touch of sweetness and feisty, lifted finish keeping it all in balance. Can cellar to 2029.
Domaine Le Clos Jordanne Jordan Village Chardonnay 2021 ($30, 92 points) — If you took this sensational “Village” level Chardonnay to Burgundy and poured it for locals at this price they would be shocked. It represents incredible value for what you get. Such a generous nose of saline and wet stones with ripe pear, yellow apple, lemon freshness and perfumed/spice notes. It has a comforting creamy texture on the palate to go with ripe pear, quince, lemon curd, stony minerality and spice with a fresh, lifted finish. Great wine, incredible value and ready to drink now or in the next three years.
Bachelder Les Villages Bench Pinot Noir 2021 ($35, 91 points) — The Bench Pinot is sourced from the Wismer-Parke, Wismer Wild West End, Saunders, and McNally vineyards. It shows a little lighter colour in the glass than the NOTL Pinot but nose lights up with bright cherries, fresh-picked raspberries, and integrated spice notes. It’s riper and denser on the palate with a melange of red berries, a touch of anise, smooth tannins, and lip-smacking freshness on the vibrant finish.
Featherstone Onyx 2020 ($40, 93 points) — This is the top wine made at Featherstone and is only made in the top vintages. The blend of one-third each of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet is chosen from the finest barrels of the vintage and is aged for 22 months in American oak. This is a thrilling red and it begins on the nose with ripe dark cherries, perfumed spices, blackberries, cassis, earthy-savoury notes, pepper, dried tobacco and subtle minty herbs. It’s smooth on the palate with lifted, super-ripe cherry compote, black raspberries, cassis, mocha and ripe tannins, in a dense and luxurious style all balanced by mouth-watering acidity on a long, echoing finish. A real beauty here, again, at a terrific price for a wine of this quality that will age nicely until 2034. Go get it!
Henry of Pelham The School House Cabernet Merlot 2020 ($30, 91 points) — The hits just keep on coming from the spectacular 2020 vintage. Here’s another late release red blend from Henry of Pelham’s Short Hill Bench vineyards. The wine is aged in French and American oak (30% new) for 10 months with extended bottle age. It has a vivid nose of black cherries, plums, anise, black currants, and rich spice notes with earthy undertones. The tannins are plush and plentiful with notes of black cherries, jammy raspberries, eucalypt, anise/fennel accents, subtle tar, and graphite with a lifted, long finish. You can age this for 7+ years.
Also released, but not reviewed by Wines in Niagara:
• Cave Spring Estate Riesling 2021 ($22)
• Cave Spring Estate Cabernet Franc 2022 ($21)
• Domaine Queylus Tradition Pinot Noir 2021 ($36)
• PondView Vidal Icewine 2021 ($20 for 200 mL)
• 13th Street Gamay Blanc de Noir Sparkling 2021 ($35)
• Kew Vineyards Marsanne 2020 ($20)
• Tawse Limestone Ridge-North Riesling 2021 ($22)
• Calamus Ball’s Falls Red 2022 ($17)
• Pelee Island Lola Cabernet Franc Rosé 2022 ($19)
These Ontario wines are at 20 “Our County Boutique” select Vintages stores:
Featherstone Frostbite Select Late Harvest Gewurztraminer 2022 ($30 for 375 mL, 91 points) — If the super-sweet icewines of Niagara aren’t your jam, this 100% Gewurztraminer “late harvest” wine with a third of the sugar content (66 g/L of RS) might just be your newest best friend. It has an enthralling nose of lychee, grapefruit, brown sugar, bruised pear, apple cobbler and apricot tart. It’s silky and sweet (but not too sweet) on the palate with wild honey, ripe apricots, pears, peach preserves, lemon tart and a fairly lifted finish. A nice treat.
Marynissen Hanck Vineyard Heritage Collection Riesling 2022 ($23, 90 points) — Another Riesling crafted with low alcohol and high RS (25 g/l) using arrested fermentation, the intentional act of stopping an active fermentation before dryness. The nose is clean and lifted with notes of lime, grapefruit, some ginger spice, apple, peach and stony minerality. There’s honey goodness on the palate, with ripe peach, saline minerality, yellow apple, bergamot and juicy acidity on the finish keeping the sweet notes in balance. Can cellar 5+ years.
Also released, but not reviewed by Wines in Niagara:
• Reif The Stars Dry Sparkling Riesling ($27)
• Rosewood Neptune Riesling 2019 ($35)
• Megalomaniac Narcissist Riesling 2021 ($20)
And a Pinot Blanc from Kirby
Estates that hits the spot
Kirby Estate Pinot Blanc 2023 ($35, just released, 93 points) — It’s not often you find a Pinot Blanc being made in Niagara, let alone in this style that proprietor Scott Kirby uses as his inspiration, a style prevalent in the Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige. It was during a tasting of different Pinot Blancs from around the world with colleagues, including consultant Peter Gamble and winemaker Matt Smith, that Kirby decided on Alto Adige as the way to go for his first estate Pinot Blanc from the Kirby Vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The fruit comes from a 1996 planting and is aged in French oak (20% new) for nine months with full malo. The inviting nose shows stony/saline minerality, white peach, pear, lanolin, citrus and light spice notes. It has gorgeous texture and concentration on the palate with stone fruits, a touch of flint and rousing saline, lemon tart, a bit more spice and lifted, finessed and long finish. This is serious Pinot Blanc and has enough structure and acidity to cellar until 2028.
Note: You can order it here.
Comment here