By Rick VanSickle
Three Niagara sparkling wines bested all the others in a blind tasting of 131 bubbles from six nations in the Americas.
It’s quite a feather in the cap for both Ravine Vineyard and York Vineyards, which together had the only three sparkling wines in the “outstanding” category, scoring 95 points and higher. That story leads off this Canadian Wine Report that also features our picks of the Niagara wines released at Vintages stores Saturday (including Bachelder Wines, Henry of Pelham, Stratus, Black Bank Hill, and Featherstone) plus new wines from B.C.’s River Stone Estate Winery, and the Grape Growers of Ontario have chosen a new Grape King.
Sparkling revolution in Canada
In a blind tasting of sparkling wines from the Americas, three Niagara bubbles emerged as the top scoring wines from the 131 wines tasted blind by a three-person panel from the UK-based Decanter magazine.
In fact, both St. David’s sub-appellation-based Ravine Vineyard and York Vineyards (which has yet to even release a wine locally) were deemed outstanding, with 37 other Canadian sparkling wines highly recommended. “These wines show the potential of this region,” said Decanter in naming the top three wines. “York Vineyards is currently the only estate in Ontario (and perhaps Canada) known to be focussed entirely on traditional method sparkling wine; barrel fermentation/maturation and extended lees aging here have resulted is some excellent wines.”
The six-nation tasting included wines from Canada, the U.S., Brazil, Uruguay, Chile and Argentina.
The three best “outstanding” wines in the competition, all from Niagara, were the Ravine Vineyard Vintage Brut 2011 (96 points), the York Vineyards Reserve Brut NV (96 points) and the York Vineyards Blanc de Blancs Brut NV (95 points). Wines in Niagara has reviewed all three of these sparkling wines and offer our previously published reviews below with the original scores, which are consistent with the Decanter scores.
Ravine Vineyard Vintage 2011 ($135, 95 points) — The fruit for this traditionally-made 100% Blanc de Blanc Chardonnay sourced from the Twenty Mile Bench was hand-picked at 18.7 Brix and sat mostly undiscovered on its lees for 10 years before being found by winemaker Lydia Tomek (above) and disgorged last November. A modest dosage was used, and the wine was finished at 1.7 g/l of RS, an extra dry style. The first 50 bottles were hand labelled with red ribbon and a wax imprint of Tomek’s thumb, the rest will have new labels once they arrive at the winery. It shows a light golden colour in the glass and a surprisingly robust bubble in the glass for a wine that has sat on its lees for a decade. The expressive nose is a complex and exciting array of toasty brioche, creamy pear, lemon tart, autolytic notes, roasted almonds and freshening saline notes. The vigorous bead on the palate lights up the pear/apple fruits, subtle flinty/stony notes, warm nutty/brioche, and bright citrus. The texture is rounded and creamy but benefits from a firm vein of acidity through a lifted and persistent finish. Just a beautifully aged, bone-dry sparkling wine and a rare treat for consumers. Can easily cellar for 5+ years for further development of tertiary notes.
What Decanter said about this wine: “Complex, with reductive notes adding interest. Citrus acidity and lemon sherbet to finish. Refreshing and very distinctive.”
York Vineyards Brut Reserve NV ($120, not released yet, 94 points) — The Brut Reserve is a select blend of 66% Chardonnay from 2016 and 34% Pinot Noir from 2017 from the best parcels available to Martin Werner (owner, along with his wife Rachael, above) and Peter Gamble (consultant). It was fermented and aged in French oak (20% new) for 24 months with a further 72 months of lees aging. It was given a dosage of 2 g/l of its own wine. Such a complex and contemplative nose of saline/minerality notes, baked brioche, fresh pear and apple, lemon peel, a lovely subtle reductive accent and a gentle yet persistent bead in the glass. Such wonderful texture and energy on the palate, combining stone fruits, minerality, crisp citrus, creamy/bready/brioche notes and toasty accents all leading to razor-sharp acidity on a clean, finessed and long finish that lingers for minutes. It would be a shame not to cellar a bottle for 7+ years.
What Decanter said about this wine: “Layers of fruit concentration. Lovely wood spice on the nose. Rich, round, complex, creamy palate. Gentle mousse and a long finish.
York Vineyards Blanc de Blancs NV ($160, not released yet, 95 points) — This is, of course, is 100% Chardonnay from the first grapes picked for the York project. It spent 24 months in French oak and 102 months on its lees with zero dosage (bone dry at less than 2 g/l of RS). This is a stunning wine, a tour de force for an extended lees aged sparkling that offers pure elegance and poise on the nose from the gentle bead in the glass to the toasted almond notes, quince, bergamot, lemon meringue, white flowers, flint and opulent brioche and biscuity accents. It turns more autolytic and textured on the palate, with deeper, layered, creamy notes of generous apple, pear and sharp citrus before showing flint, brioche and toasted nutty notes on a luxurious finish that is super long and vibrant. A stunning sparkling wine that will make even the most ardent fan of fine Champagne a believer in what can be done in Niagara. Yes, a big investment, but one worthy of your attention.
What Decanter said about this wine: “Smells like a sparkling Puligny-Montrachet. Loads of acidity. A reductive edge adds to the appeal.”
Grape growers choose Jeff Duc as new Grape King
“We are delighted that Jeff Duc, Niagara-on-the-Lake grower has been selected Grape King, said GGO Chair Matthias Oppenlaender. “Jeff comes from a rich history of grape growers, and his knowledge is a wonderful combination to be selected as an ambassador for our industry.”
The annual crowning of the Grape King is a time-honoured tradition that began in 1956 to recognize exemplary vineyard management stewardship in the grape growing industry,” said Debbie Zimmerman, CEO of the Grape Growers of Ontario.
The Grape King is nominated by their peers and selected by industry judges who visit each of the nominated vineyards. The Grape King serves as a representative for Ontario’s grape and wine industry at events across the country, starting with the Invitational Grape Stomp on Sept. 27th in Montebello Park and in the annual Grande Parade on Sept. 28th the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival.
Duc is a third-generation grower in Niagara-on-the-Lake, managing the farm alongside his dad at Forrer Farms. They farm approximately 250 acres of vineyards with varieties including Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon, Merlot, and some hybrids. They also produce icewine.
Between high school and college, Duc travelled to Australia and did harvest work for a winery in the small wine region of Mudgee. After returning from Australia, he graduated from the Niagara College Wine and Viticulture program, where he met his wife, Beth. They now have two kids, Abby and Michael. Abby is in 11th grade and has spent two summers working on the farm. This year, she decided to take a break from the farm and gain experience working for someone else. Michael is in 5th grade.
Duc is a member of the board of directors of the Grape Growers of Ontario and the board of directors of the Niagara Peninsula Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association and is involved in multiple committees for both Boards.
Duc was officially installed as the 67th Grape King at his vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake on Wednesday, following the GGO’s annual Celebrity Luncheon.
New release collection at LCBO Vintages stores
Ontario wines are well represented at the Vintages release this coming Saturday. Here is what Wines in Niagara can recommend:
Henry of Pelham Speck Family Reserve Riesling 2022 ($33, 94 points) — This top tier Riesling from HoP is always one of the best Rieslings made in Niagara from vintage to vintage. It’s from the estate’s Short Hills Bench vineyard, planted to the Weiss 21b clone in 1984. It has a beautiful nose of gushing lime, Meyer lemon, fresh salinity, wet stones, peaches, and apricots. It feels dry on the palate, despite over 10 g/L of RS, and shows fresh squeezed lime, grapefruit, peach tart, pears, chalky minerality, razor-sharp acidity and a bright, lifted finish. Can age through 2034.
Stratus Chardonnay 2021 ($35, 91 points) — This is the baby sister Chardonnay to the signature “bottled on the lees” version. It’s barrel fermented and aged in neutral oak for 10 months. The wine is highly aromatic with ripe white peach, yellow apple, lemon curd and a touch of tropical fruits. It’s ripe, round, and juicy on the palate and shows stone fruits, lemon tart, and a touch of citrus zest on a freshening finish.
Featherstone Rosé 2023 ($17, 89 points) — The Featherstone rosé has always been more on the robust side, but the colour on the 2023 vintage has been dialed back a bit to a bright rosy glow in the glass. “We don’t want any rough edges in our rosé,” Louse Engel said. And at 13% abv, “we don’t want it to be lightweight.” The blend is 41% Cabernet Franc, 31% Merlot and the rest Gewurztraminer. The nose pops with brambly red berries, anise, rhubarb and red currants. There is a touch of sweetness on the palate with ripe raspberry-cherry, red apples, a touch of citrus and a bright, lifted finish.
Black Bank Hill Pinot Noir 2020 ($35, 92 points) — This is the last of the purchased grapes before flipping over to the estate vineyard for Pinot Noir. It’s sourced from two Twenty Mile Bench vineyards — Glen Elgin and End-of-the-Road. It’s destemmed, lightly crushed, wild fermented and spends 18 months in neutral oak French barriques. It shows a profound perfumed/floral note on the nose with red currants, dark cherries, black raspberries, crunchy cranberries, and elegant spices. It’s a bold Pinot on the palate with fine-grained tannins and some structure to go with earthy/savoury red berries, a touch of anise, umami/mushroom notes, elegant oak spices and a tangy, lifted finish. Can cellar this to 2030.
Henry of Pelham Family Tree The Goat Lady Chardonnay 2023 ($17, 88 points) — This Chardonnay from the Family Tree tier at Henry of Pelham was aged in American oak for seven months. It has a rich, creamy nose with ripe pear, peach, juicy apples with a spicy edge. It’s generous and bold on the palate with the full range of orchard fruits and baking spices with a rounded, creamy finish.
Also released, but not reviewed by Wines in Niagara:
• Closson Chase Churchside Pinot Noir 2021 ($45)
• Leaning Post Pinot Noir 2021 ($35)
• Hinterbrook Nomad Riesling Icewine 2019 ($36 for 375 mL)
• Flat Rock Good Kharma Chardonnay 2023 ($18)
• Jack Rabbit Special Edition White 2020 ($20)
• Thirty Bench Small Lot Wood Post Riesling 2019 ($32)
• Malivoire Courtney Gamay 2021 ($35)
Coming to LCBO Flagship stores only
Bachelder Beam City Pinot Noir 2021 ($40, 91 points) — This is new to the Pinot portfolio from a “village assemblage” of Beamsville Bench vineyards. As Thomas Bachelder tells it, this “Goût de Beamsville is an insider’s look into the taste of the town. Quite simply, we came up with the idea of the Beam City assemblage whilst blending and building the Les Villages Bench Pinot Noir blend: as we were tasting through all the barrels, we realized we had two glorious wines, both from Beamsville; two family-owned vineyards from whom we had made unforgettably perfumed wine.” This is a lovely blend that brings all the Beamsville Bench attributes together in one bottle. The nose shows ripe red berries, floral/perfume notes, earthy/savoury notes, and fine oak spices. It’s rich, layered, and silky smooth on the palate with brambly wild raspberries, dark cherries, plums, and toasted spice notes through a pristine, lifted finish. Great debut with more of this come in future vintages.
Bachelder Bai Xu Niagara Cru Single Vineyard 1981 Planting Vieilles Chardonnay 2021 ($50, 92 points) — The Byland Vineyard is located close to two major bodies of water — Lake Ontario, and the Niagara River. The Chardonnay grapes, Clone 95, were planted in circa 1981. It starts on a shy saline note then opens to wet stones, white flowers, quince and peach, citrus/lemon and seamless oak spices. It’s richer on the palate with riper orchard fruits, saline minerality, lemon zest, lovely integrated oak spices and a lifted, finessed finish.
New River Stone red wines
from the Okanagan Valley
What began as a dream in 2001, River Stone Estate Winery was founded by Ted Kane who had a love for science and a fascination with fermentation. It all started with the discovery of a bare piece of land that was near perfect for growing grapes. The winery is located in the South Okanagan Valley’s Oliver region and has two distinct estate vineyards — River Rock and Boulder City — and an annual production of around 5,000 cases.
This release features four of the top wines made at the estate from the 2020 and 2022 vintages. I wanted to send kudos to the marketing team for their thorough and professional tech sheets they send out with their wine samples. They are complete and technically robust so geeks like me can really get a feel for what the winemaker and owner Kane is trying to achieve with his wines. Bravo! Here’s what I liked from the four wines. You can purchase the wines online here.
River Stone Merlot 2020 ($31, 90 points) — The Merlot is sourced from the estate’s River Rock Vineyard and aged in French oak (33% new oak) for 18 months. It has a lovely, pretty opening on the nose that features ripe cherries, strawberries and raspberries with a subtle note of earth and cassis with integrated spice notes. On the palate, look for plush tannins followed by a melange of ripe red and dark berries, savoury/earthy notes, spice and plenty of finesse on the echoing finish.
River Stone Stones Throw 2020 ($37, 92 points) — The blend is 73% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec and 4% Petit Verdot that’s all grown a “stone’s throw” from each other in the River Rock Vineyard. The wine is aged in French oak (33% new oak) for 14 months. This has a rich and savoury nose of ripe blackberries, dark cherries, dried tobacco leaf, cassis, subtle herbaceous notes, dark chocolate and vanilla-tinged spices. It’s nicely integrated on the palate with a ripe melange of dark and red berries, savoury/earthy accents, smooth tannins and a lifted, long finish. Can cellar to 2030.
River Stone Corner Stone 2020 ($47, 94 points) — This is a barrel selection that ended up with 35% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Petit Verdot all from the River Stone vineyard. It was aged in French oak (33% new) for 12 months. A special wine, wow! Right from the get-go on the nose there are such lovely notes of dense dark cherries, black raspberries, cassis and fresh turned soil with elegant oak spices. It’s generous and ripe on the palate with firm tannic structure, full-on dark cherries, anise, ripe blackberries, smoky/savoury notes, enticing spice box and a long, beautifully finessed finish. Can easily cellar this through 2034.
River Stone Malbec 2022 ($39, 93 points) — Not a lot of Canadian wineries take on Malbec as a single-variety wine, but River Stone has done so nicely with this one. It’s aged in French oak (33% new oak) for 14 months) The expressive nose shows the full range of summer berries, plums, forest floor, a touch of eucalypt, and fine oak spice. It’s mouth-filling on the palate with a dense core of cassis, anise, black currants, ripe plums, dusty tannins, licorice, smoke and spice with bright acidity and finesse on the finish. Cellar to 2028.
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