By Rick VanSickle
Cory Mio is obsessed by two things — grape clones and the creepy/weird things he unearths in his Beamsville vineyard.
Also in this Canadian wine report: New Chardonnays from Westcott Vineyards, B.C.’s Hester Creek coming to the LCBO, and our picks from the Niagara wines coming to Vintages July 6, including Cloudsley Cellars, Henry of Pelham, Wending Home and Fielding Estate.
Mio, above, and his wife Lena are a first-generation grape growing family who are just beginning to make their own Sempre Mio branded wines from their farm in the Lincoln Lakeshore sub-appellation. They grow 12 sustainably certified acres of vines, with an emphasis on a diverse collection of Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc clones. They have smaller blocks of Gamay, Marsanne, Viognier and Cab Sauvignon, with another acre of sustainably certified Albariño that was only planted in May.
And then there are the clones. “I’ve done at least 1,000 hours of clonal research. My passion is clones. I find it under-explored here,” Mio said. “Especially the ones that do well.” There are 13 Chardonnay clones planted in the vineyard and eight of them included in the first release of his own label Chardonnays being unveiled soon and reviewed below. The clones include VCR 10, Hyde Wente, 76, 548, 1066, 1067, 1068 and Corton Charlemagne. It just doesn’t get any more obsessive than that.
“We’re building our winery to be different,” said Mio in a previous interview. “It’s just not about where the grapes are grown, it should also be about what you’re growing. All these clones have different attributes.”
Mio released a Marsanne last year to critical acclaim and is about to unveil his first two Chardonnays this summer, as he methodically develops a unique portfolio of his own wines under the Sempre Mio brand. There is also another Marsanne to be released later this summer.
As we embarked on an impromptu tour of the vineyard recently onboard his converted dune buggy, Mio proudly drove us up and down the small rows of Ontario’s first Albariño vines. Mio isn’t certain if they will survive Niagara’s often harsh winters in Niagara, but he’s more than willing at least be the first to try it. The tiny vines, only planted in late May and early June, look healthy as they soak up the early summer sun.
As we chug along (and, yes, I was hanging on for dear life), Mio points to the various blocks of the grapes he grows and mainly contracts out to clients who want his premium fruit. It is in this vineyard that Mio has found a mysterious collection of trinkets and curiosities he has documented on Instagram under the title Top Five Things Found in the Mio Vineyard. You can watch his quirky and intriguing IG stories here.
As we sit down to taste the new Chardonnays, a lineup of those found curiosities has gathered on the table before us. It is a growing collection of unexplainable things found in the vineyard, including:
• #5 The lamb toy that “appears to have a lazy eye.” It can also turn its head 360 degrees (not kidding!).
• #4 Half of an old horseshoe.
• #3 A plastic weird bird thing: “I don’t know how it got there but it didn’t fly there.”
• #2 A beautiful brass angel thingamajiggy.
• #1 A porcelain duck: “The weirdest thing I found in the vineyard. I don’t know why or how it got there.”
I tried to ignore the collection of oddities that was spread out across the tasting table, some of which are downright creepy, as we tasted through the wines, but it wasn’t easy. Note their appearances in various photos. Here’s what I liked:
Note: The Mio wines are made by Jeff Moote and will be available at Collab Wine and Beverage next week. The yellow label Chardonnay will be sold for $33, available in singles or as part of a two pack. The Primo Mio (black label) is only offered as part of a two pack with the yellow label Chardonnay, The two pack price will be $83.
Sempre Mio Chardonnay 2023 ($33, 92 points) — Mio says that the estate Chardonnay’s personality is definitely “our property and our style.” It consists of all five blocks of Chardonnay on the farm and all eight Chardonnay clones. It’s aged on its lees for 18 months in two barrels of French oak (one 50% new, the other 50% used barrels) and it is wild fermented and undergoes wild malo. It has an enticing nose of saline, pear skin, bright apples, a touch of flint and integrated spice notes. While no reduction is detected on the nose, it shines through on the palate and works well with the rich, concentrated pear, quince, lemon curd, chalky/savoury notes and spices on a more rounded finish with mouth-watering acidity. Can cellar to 2032.
Sempre Mio Primo Mio 2023 ($50, 93 points) — Mio did not set out to do a “reserve” version of the Chardonnay, but one barrel “spoke to us, it had its own personality. For us it speaks of Niagara, our home.” Everything about the wine was made the same way (other than no new oak) as the wine above but turned out very differently. “Why? It’s the magic of wine,” Mio says. On the nose it shows a more elegant style if not just a little more reserved than the estate Chardo. There is lovely saline and seashells on the nose in a clean, bright style that shows orchard fruits, citrus zest and a touch of spice. It’s creamy and layered on the palate with a melange of ripe pear and apple, lemon tart, a touch of toasty vanilla, spice, no reduction, and a long, lifted finish. Consumers should give this a little time to open on the nose. You can cellar until 2032.
And one fun wine …
With that freaky little lamb staring at me, we tried one more wine that, unfortunately, you will never get to taste. There were only 14 bottles made, all by Mio himself. It has no name and is made as a true “field blend” that includes as least some of every grape and clone grown at the farm and consists of 50% red and 50% white grapes. All the grapes were co-fermented and finished in a loosely defined rose style wine, something farm workers would create to celebrate the end of harvest. “It’s just a little project for fun,” said Mio. “It is at the very least an interesting wine that will possibly never be repeated.” It’s loaded with strawberry and wild raspberry flavours, and some dark berries with herbs, earthy undertones and juicy acidity. A fun wine for friends and family to share over an outdoor BBQ feast on a warm summer’s night.
Two new Westcott Chardonnays
Westcott makes its estate wines from the two vineyards it owns. The Home Farm Vineyard is nestled in the Vinemount Ridge sub-appellation and spans 40 acres. The second vineyard, located in the Twenty Mile Bench sub-appellation, where Grant Westcott and wife/partner Carolyn Hurst live, is the Butlers’ Grant Vineyard that spans 43 acres.
Here’s what I liked:
Westcott Vineyards Estate Chardonnay 2023 ($32, released soon, 92 points) — The fruit comes from both estate vineyards — the Westcott Home Farm and Butlers’ Grant. The grapes are hand-picked, whole bunch pressed, wild fermented and then aged in French oak for 10 months. I’m finding the Niagara Chards from 2023 to be more robust and giving in their youth and that is on display here in spades with the estate wine and single block Chard reviewed below. The nose shows ripe pear and yellow apples in an opulent style balanced by citrus zest and saline with butterscotch, toasty vanilla and spice. It has a creamy, buttery texture on the palate with baked pear, apple crumble, toasted almonds, lemon tart, baking spices and a luxurious finish. It’s rocking right now and there’s really no need to cellar more than a couple of years.
Westcott Vineyards Block 76 Chardonnay 2023 ($50, released soon, 93 points) — Sourced from a small, unique block of Chardonnay at the Home Farm Vineyard. The grapes are hand-picked, whole bunch pressed, wild fermented and then aged in neutral French oak for 16 months. This is always one of Niagara’s top expressions of Chardonnay from higher up on the escarpment. It shows more elegance than the estate with lovely fresh saline and stony minerality followed by pear perfume, crisp apples, citrus, bergamot and fully integrated spice notes. It has a plush texture and profound stoney/saline minerality on the palate with fruits of apple, pear, quince and lemon chiffon with leesy notes, ripe fruit sweetness (even with only 2 g/l of RS) and a caressing, long and luxurious finish. Can cellar to 2030.
B.C. wines coming to Vintages stores
As Ontario VQA wines continue to see a 62% increase at LCBO stores across the province due to the U.S. wine ban, the monopoly is starting to reach out beyond Ontario to other provinces to diversify its Canadian content.
The Okanagan Valley premium producer, Hester Creek Estate Winery, has four wines coming to Vintages stores in the coming months.
Hester Creek sits on 115 acres of land with 88 acres under vine. The wines are made by Mark Hopley, who takes his inspiration from the terroir that surrounds the winery.
Note: These prices reflect the price at the winery. The prices when they get to the LCBO are unknown at this time and Wines in Niagara will update when we get them.
Here’s what I liked:
Hester Creek Chardonnay 2023 ($25, Vintages Aug. 2, 91 points) — The grapes for this Chardonnay were hand harvested from two South Okanagan vineyards. It was whole cluster pressed with the juice cold settled for five days prior to fermentation and the resulting wine was aged for 10 months in French oak, in a combination of new and neutral barrels. It has an assertive nose of ripe pear, yellow apple, bright and zesty lemon, toasty vanilla bean and spices. It’s fresh and layered on the palate with ripe orchard fruits, crisp citrus, toasty spices and mouth-watering acidity keeping it bright and finessed through a long finish.
Hester Creek Character Red 2023 ($23, Vintages Aug. 2, 91 points) — This is a blend of Petit Verdot, Malbec, Syrah and a unique Italian Merlot clone. Each variety was hand harvested and sorted before being gently destemmed and fermented in separate lots. It was aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels for eight months. Not sure of the percentages of the four grapes but Syrah makes a bold statement on the nose with lovely smoky/meaty notes followed by dark cherries, black currants, black and red peppercorns and savoury spice notes. There is some structure and grippy tannins on the palate with a full range of darker berries, licorice, kirsch, dark chocolate, cedar accents, pepper and spices with a vibrant, lifted finish.
Hester Creek Old Vine Cabernet Franc 2022 ($30, Vintages in early October, 93 points) — The Cab Franc was harvested with each bunch hand sorted before being destemmed with whole berries sent to the estate’s Italian Ganimede fermentation tanks where they were cold soaked for two days before undergoing a 15-day fermentation. The wine was then pressed off the skins aged for 18 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels. Really nice Cabernet Franc here from the South Okanagan’s Golden Mile Bench terroir. It has a penetrating nose of black currant puree, wild raspberries, anise, mulled herbs, pepper and toasted vanilla bean and spice. It’s mouth-filling on the palate with ripe dark berries, sun-drenched raspberries, anise/licorice, firm tannic structure, oak spice notes and a lifted, finessed and long finish. Can cellar through 2035.
Hester Creek The Judge 2021 ($50, early December release at Vintages, 93 points) — Crafted in a classic Bordeaux style using Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a co-fermentation of Petit Verdot and Malbec, each varietal was hand-picked, hand sorted and destemmed before being cold soaked for two days prior to inoculation. Fermentation took place in Italian Ganimede fermentation tanks before the wine was gently pressed off the skins. The lots were blended and barrelled down in a combination of new and neutral French oak barrels. After aging for 24 months in barrel, the wine was blended and bottled in May of 2024. It has a juicy, rich and concentrated nose of black currants, blackberries, kirsch, figs, vanilla bean, wild herbs and baking spices. It’s made in a big, bold style, yet still shows some elegance on the palate with a melange of dense dark berries, black cherries, anise, plums, cocoa, and fine oak spices all shrouded in tannins and spices with a lifted, finessed and long, long finish. A lovely vintage of the estate’s flagship red with room to improve through 2040 and beyond. Just add the BBQ’d ribeye steak for maximum pleasure.
Our picks of the Niagara wines
coming to Vintages July 6
Cloudsley Twenty Mile Bench Chardonnay 2022 ($37, 92 points) — This Chardonnay was made with fruit sourced from the Wismer family’s Foxcroft (85%) and Wingfield (15%) vineyards. It’s wild fermented and is aged in French oak barrels (20% new) for 18 months. It shows ripeness on the nose to go with poached pear, yellow apples, bergamot, wet stones, saline freshness, and toasted spices. It has a creamy texture on the palate and shows rich, savoury stone fruits, lemon curd, flinty minerality and length through a lifted finish. Can cellar to 2027.
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.
Wending Home Wending North White Blend 2020 ($25, 92 points) — This is a fascinating proprietary blend of 27% Ehrenfelser, 18% Auxerrois, 18% Pinot Gris, 16% Riesling, 16% Gewurztraminer and the rest Chardonnay all sourced from the north side of the estate vineyard. I don’t know how owner/winemaker Ron Giesbrecht dreamed up this blend, that is a bit reminiscent of the Alsatian Edelzwickers, but he nailed it! Such an attractive and perfumed nose of pear, lychee nut, grapefruit, lemon blossoms with floral notes and minerality. It has a gorgeous, slightly unctuous texture with rich and savoury notes on the palate and then pear, lychee, flinty minerality, wild herbs and citrus with length and freshness through the vibrant finish. A beauty of a wine unlike any other you’ve had from Niagara.
Fielding Rosé 2024 ($18, 89 points) — This is a blend of Gamay (60%) and Merlot (40%). It shows a light copper colour in the glass with a nose of fresh red berries, and citrus zest. The fresh strawberries and raspberries on the palate are joined by a touch of anise, plums and citrus zest on the lifted finish.
Also coming to Vintages, but not reviewed by Wines in Niagara:
• Hidden Bench Béton Chardonnay 2023 ($30)
• Domaine Le Clos Jordanne Claystone Terrace Chardonnay 2022 ($42)
• Nomad Fumé Blanc 2021 ($20)
• Marynissen Platinum Series Rosé 2022 ($30)
• The Organized Crime Pipe down 2021 ($25)
• Lakeview Pinot Noir 2021 ($25)
• Fogolar Hanck Vineyard Riesling 2021 ($21)
• Hare Cabernet Franc 2019 ($38)
• Queen Bee Blanc de Noirs Sparkling 2019 ($35)
• Lakeview Cabernet Franc Icewine 2022 ($35 for 200 mL bottle)
• Cave Spring CSV Chardonnay 2022 ($35)
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