By Rick VanSickle
Self-diagnosed as “experimental, a little edgy and a lot esoteric,” Prince Edward County’s Trail Estate Winery has never strayed from the path less followed.
Also in this Ontario Wine Report: Two new wines from Niagara’s Liebling’s sophomore release, plus picks from the Vintages release Saturday including two wines from Bachelder, and sparkling wines from Henry of Pelham and Westcott.
Winemaker Mackenzie Brisbois (above) has an uncanny knack for sourcing top vineyards across Ontario that farm organically or sustainably that best fit into her eclectic array of fun and joyful wines that live on the edge of funky (but eminently quaffable) while zealously keeping her prized County estate vineyard grapes for some of the best Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs made in Ontario.
It’s a small vineyard (6.5 acres planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Baco Noir, and a bit of Riesling, Cabernet Franc, Geisenheim and Gewürztraminer) with tiny yields and limited supply, but she makes the most of it while bulking up on sourced grapes for her natural, orange, piquettes, and pét nats wines, along with more traditional Bordeaux variety red wines she produces. It’s a delicate balancing act that works well for Trail, which has thrived with an exciting, well-rounded portfolio of kitschy and traditional wines all made with minimal intervention.
So, when Brisbois comes to Niagara and knocks on your front door with a case of wine to taste, you are more than excited to see what’s new from this talented winemaker.
As a recent post on the Trail Facebook said: “We grow grapes as best we can and as close to organics/or better that we can — and many of the growers we work with do the same. It’s never about producing x juice for that price and delivering x wine that month (if you’ve looked at our release timelines, you’ll know no such schedule exists here!)
And that is evident in this tasting update from Trail. It’s a mix of current wines, wine club only wines and a glimpse into future wines that Brisbois is waiting patiently to come around to her standards for release. The wines run the gamut from the wilder side of winemaking that pushes the boundaries of natural and low intervention expressions, to the more traditional County Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and red wines Brisbois sources from trusted Ontario farmers. Bear with me as I navigate through one of the most abstract portfolios in Ontario.
The wines
Trail Traditional Method Pinot Noir — Sparkling 2017 ($62, 93 points) — This spectacular 100% estate Pinot Noir bubbly was pressed and cold settled before being wild fermented in stainless steel. After settling, it was sterile filtered prior to bottling for a secondary fermentation. This disgorging now has 72 months of lees aging with zero dosage. It has such an interesting and enticing nose of fresh red berries, warm bread/biscuit, toasty brioche, spice, and toasty almonds. It has an elegant, persistent bead in the glass with tart forest berries, cran-cherries, citrus, brioche, toasty/nutty notes, spice and a lifted, bright finish. Beautiful sparkling wine and just getting better with each disgorgement.
Trail Estate Chardonnay 2023 (not released or priced yet, 93 points) — All the winemaking at Trail is conducted with minimalist intervention to let the fruit and sense of place show its stuff. The estate Chardonnay is aged in 30% new French oak and the rest in neutral barrels. The wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulphur additions. Trail estate’s Chardos always bring a certain joie de vivre vibe to the table whenever I open a bottle. The nose has a lovely saline fresh and stony minerality as the opening note with Bosc pear, apples, lemon zest and subtle spice notes that follow. It’s crisp and vibrant on the palate with a flinty/reductive entry followed by bergamot, orchard fruits, spice and a long, lifted finish. Can cellar through 2030.
Trail Estate Chardonnay 2022 ($40, current release, 94 points) — The fruit was hand-picked and sorted in the field from the Trail Estate Vineyard. The North and South Block were vinified and blended separately prior to bottling. The grapes were whole cluster pressed and were put straight to barrel. The wine was fermented and aged in 500L French oak barrels (no new oak) and was bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulphur levels. This Chardonnay is exactly why terroir is important, why we clamour for regional authenticity, and why it so exciting to watch how Ontario has been able to express this grape in so many wondrous ways. Prince Edward County just might be the most profoundly mineral laden region in Ontario, and it is manifested in both the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. This 2022 version of the estate Chardonnay from Trial is Exhibit A for County minerality, with such a stylish nose of crushed oyster shells, matchstick, and wet stones that marry perfectly with the lemon tart, ripe pear and apple with fully integrated spice and savoury notes. The palate reveals more of those profound reductive notes (which, by the way, Brisbois considers a trait aligned more to the terroir of PEC than winemaking style), fresh saline and sea saltiness followed by lemon tart, quince, bergamot and subtle spices with a long, incredibly lifted and finessed finish. Go get some while it lasts!
Trail Estate Oh Julius 2023 ($34, 89 points) — This is an eclectic blend of Niagara grown Riesling, Gewurztraminer, L’Acadie Blanc, and Muscat that was fermented on the skins for an average of 5 to 10 days. It was then pressed, allowed to settle for a few weeks and then bottled unfined, unfiltered and unsettled with minimal SO2 “to keep the open bottle fresh once opened, while still maintaining a fresh and vibrant nouveau style,” Brisbois said, calling the Oh Julius a “a good gateway orange wine.” It’s a fun wine that’s surprisingly clean, bright and cheerful on the nose with notes of tangerine, citrus zest, peaches and subtle earthy/savoury notes. It’s lively on the palate with light tannins, pulpy grapefruit and lemon, fresh orchard fruits and a fresh, zesty finish.
Trail Estate Juicy Red 2023 ($34, coming soon, 89 points) — The Juicy Red mixes it up with the varieties each new vintage, but it is always built as a fun, off-the-wall, fresh, natural wine. The blend with this version is Marquette, Viognier, Gewurztraminer and Cabernet Franc (sourced from various vineyards in Ontario) with minimal intervention and a tiny amount of sulphur added. The Marquette does the heavy lifting here, providing notes of fresh picked red berries and earthy savoury accents on the nose with the other grapes offering florals, herbs, grapefruit and ginger. It lives up to its name on the palate with an array of juicy red berries, mulled herbs, a touch of reduction, subtle tannins and electric acidity providing the lift on the finish. You can drink this now, either slightly chilled or at room temperature.
Trail Estate Pinot Noir Clone 667 2023 (wine club only, 93 points) — This is a clonal specific Pinot Noir from estate fruit that spends 10 months in second fill French barrels and bottled unfiltered and unfined. The nose has enticing fresh red berries with added anise, violets, touch of spice and reduction with a subtle note of fresh turned soil. On the palate the ripe raspberries and cherries provide a richer profile with added cassis, polished tannins and a long, luxurious finish bolstered by mouth-watering acidity.
Trail Estate Pinot Noir Clone 115 2023 (wine club only, 93 points) — As a comparative, Brisbois bottled another single clone Pinot Noir. Winemaking was the same and the result is a similar wine yet there are subtle differences. I found the 115 a bit richer and deeper with more oomph and energy on the palate.
Trail Estate Pinot Noir 2023 (not released or priced yet, 94 points) — The estate Pinot, which will be released to all consumers at some point, has a fresh nose of raspberries, Morello cherries, cran-cherry notes, fresh cut flowers, a touch of reduction and spice. The red berries are a bit riper on the palate with added anise, pine nuts, spice and a long, silky finish that will reward with a bit of aging. Can cellar through 2030.
Trail Estate Wismer Wingfield Cabernet Franc 2021 (not released yet, 92 points) — The 2021 vintage “was a very interesting year to make wine,” Brisbois said. She aged this Niagara sourced wine in a mix of Hungarian and French oak (45% new barrels) for three years and added back lees “to build structure.” Even with all that aging, the wine shows a lighter shade of red in the glass, but didn’t skip a beat on the nose, with a melange of red berries, black currants and sweet oak spices, subtle savoury notes and mulled herbs. There is some structure on the palate and some tannic grip with integrated raspberries, cherries and red currants, herbs, anise and spice on a lifted, fresh finish. Should be ready to drink when released or cellar two or three years.
Trail Estate Cabernet Franc 2021 (not released yet, 91 points) — This is sourced from Niagara’s Foxcroft Vineyard on the Twenty Mile Bench, but Brisbois didn’t reference the which one on the bottle because she felt the vintage produced an “atypical” wine. This wine, too, spent three years in barrel, all French in 10% new wood. “They needed three years to concentrate,” Brisbois said. This is also lighter in colour in the glass but big on the nose with wild raspberries, plums, herbs, dark cherries, spices and floral notes. It’s bright and lively on the palate with a melange of red berries, purple plums, herbs, anise with some tannic structure and a bright, finessed finish. Can cellar to 2028.
Trail Estate Grimsby Hillside Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2022 (not released yet, 93 points) — The Grimsby Hillside Vineyard, owned by the Franciosa family, is nestled on the gently rolling hills at the base of the escarpment in the Lincoln Lakeshore sub-appellation. The 2022 vintage was a bit more typical for Ontario. This was aged for 20 months in French oak barriques, with a 50-50 split between new and second fill barrels. 15% Viognier was added to the blend “to brighten the palate and lift aromatics,” said Brisbois. Wow, this is so deep and layered on the both the nose and palate with aromas of brambly red berries, cassis, plums, floral notes, a touch of herbs and perfumed spices. It’s rich and concentrated on the palate with assertive structure, tannins, a bevy of ripe red berries, savoury herbs, plums and spice all leading to long, echoing, lifted finish. Can cellar this to 2032.
New white wines from Liebling
It was only two years ago that Liebling Wines was born into the world, beginning a farm family’s foray into making wine from the single vineyards they tend and the vines they grow. Crafted in collaboration with winemaker friends, Liebling “connects the passion of grape growing with winemaking.”
The story of Liebling began in 1984 when patriarch Matthias Oppenlaender travelled to Ontario to plant a 40-acre vineyard nestled under on Niagara Escarpment in Queenston. Almost 40 years later, with a new generation joining the fold, the Oppenlaender family created Liebling.
Liebling Wines is a celebration of a 40-year grape-growing career, and it is a “collaboration between farmer friends, winemakers and the many hands that play an integral part in nurturing and crafting grapes into wine.” The brand is a family affair, led by Oppenlaender’s daughters Alison and Jessica.
Now into its second vintage, Liebling is now releasing its fresh whites — the Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc — that continue to follow the philosophy of the brand. “Liebling Wines are fresh, approachable, and always authentic from single vineyards across Niagara,” the family said. “They’re unpretentious, straightforward, and fun. They are wines to celebrate the everyday, the opportunities, the adventures, and most importantly, to celebrate love.”
I would also add, the wines have already established a reputation for crafting Niagara-centric wines at attractive prices for consumers. Both white wines come in at $22 a bottle. The following wines are available (and made by) Collab Wine and Beverage (located at Marynissen Winery) by clicking here.
Here’s what I liked:
Liebling Riesling 2023 ($22, released soon, 90 points) — The grapes are from the Lingard Vineyard on the St. David’s Bench that was planted in 2006 to the 21b Clone. Fermentation was stopped to leave a bit of residual sugar (8 g/l) to balance the crisp acidity. A classic Niagara Riesling nose of lime, grapefruit, floral lift, lanolin and white peach. It’s nicely balanced on the palate with lip-smacking citrus, summer peaches, ginger, honeycomb and yellow apple with a zippy, lifted finish. Can cellar through 2031.
Liebling Sauvignon Blanc 2023 ($22, released soon, 91 points) — The Sauvignon Blanc grapes are from the Andrews Vineyard in the Four Mile Creek sub-appellation. This is made in a fresh, vibrant style with a cool-climate nose of grapefruit, kiwi, passionfruit, green pear, and herbs. The fruits are more rounded on the palate (thanks to different picking days over two weeks) and reveals more tropical fruits to go with bright citrus and kiwi with mouth-watering and a tangy finish. Drink now or in a year or two for more integration.
Niagara wines coming to Vintages April 26
Some top-notch Niagara wines are coming to Vintages Saturday. Here are our recommendations.
Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Carte Blanche Estate Blanc de Blancs 2017 ($50, 95+ points) — The 2017 vintage of Carte Blanche is easily among the best sparkling wines made in Ontario that I have tasted. It’s made from 100% estate grown Chardonnay from the Short Hills Bench with 20% of the fruit barrel fermented. Secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle (traditionally made) and is followed by a further 54 months aging on the lees. Such an intriguing nose of lemon tart, brioche/autolytic notes, apple/quince fruit, poached pear, pie crust and showing a light golden colour in the glass. It’s pure hedonistic pleasure on the palate with a soft(ish) but elegant bead, ripe stone fruits, baked bread/biscuit notes, lemon, fresh saline/flinty minerality, and mouth-watering acidity keeping it clean and fresh through a lifted finish. Such depth and verve. Wow, just beautiful!
Westcott Violette Sparkling 2023 ($27, 90 points) — This charmat style of sparkling wine is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Pinot Meunier. It shows energetic and persistent bubbles in the glass with fresh, vibrant pear, green apples, floral lift and lemon zest. It’s crisp and lively on the palate with pear, quince, citrus, a kiss of sweetness and sizzling finesse through the lifted finish.
Bachelder Wismer-Foxcroft Nord Chardonnay 2022 ($56, 94 points) — Bachelder has always worked with the Wismer family, now in its second generation, and has been growing grapes on the Vineland Bench for 25+ years. “Craig Wismer is a wine lover with a good palate, a man of passion and commitment, and he and I have been thick as thieves for years in our pursuit of understanding soils, terroirs, clones and viticulture,” said Bachelder. The Foxcroft Vineyard “Nord block” is just off Victoria Avenue on Moyer Road. Such a minerally nose of saline, flint and crushed oyster shells to go with ripe stone fruits of pear, apple, nectarine with subtle spice notes. It’s more concentrated on the palate with pear, quince and lemon zest, and holds that flinty mineral edge though a razor sharp and lifted finish. Can cellar to 2030.
Bachelder Beam City Pinot Noir 2021 ($40, 91 points) — This is new to the Thomas Bachelder Pinot portfolio from a “village assemblage” of Beamsville Bench vineyards. As 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 un- forgettably 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.
Other Niagara wines released, but not reviewed by Wines in Niagara:
• Hidden Bench Rosomel Vineyards Fumé Blanc 2022 ($30)
• Leaning Post The Fifty Chardonnay 2022 ($26)
• Lakeview Cabernet Franc 2019 ($25)
• Twenty Bees Queen Bee Meritage 2020 ($25)
• Marynissen Heritage Collection Charmed Rosé Sparkling 2022 ($25)
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