By Rick VanSickle
For three years, a “secret project” wine made from grapes grown in the sweet spot of the Beamsville Bench has been silently aging in oak awaiting its big moment.
Note, also in this Niagara Wine Report: The first wine from grape grower Martin Schuele, and new releases from Liebling Wines.
I first tasted the 2022 hush-hush Cabernet Sauvignon from barrel with winemaker Kevin Panagapka in 2023 and I was absolutely blown away, but sworn to secrecy until the time was right. And now that Panagapka and his silent partner are ready to release this special wine into the world, the story behind it can now be told.
Panagapka, above in 2023 tasting a barrel sample) owns the successful brand 2027 Cellars and is the senior winemaker at the Niagara Custom Crush Studio, but the new wine is made under the label Solo Per Amici (SPA), which translates to “only for friends.” The wine was previously reserved for friends and clients of the partner, who prefers to remain private, but were made by Panagapka. So impressed with the fruit from the tiny seven-acre vineyard in one of the warmest pockets on the Beamsville Bench, Panagapka finally convinced the partner to share the love beyond friends and family.
“I had been looking for a Cabernet Sauvignon block that consistently ripens every year,” Panagapka said as we tasted the wine at The Crush last Saturday, along with Peter Rod. After making a few vintages for the silent partner and finally convincing him to release the first commercial wine from his vineyard, Panagapka believes that “bar none, this is the best Cabernet Sauvignon I’ve made in my life. It’s probably the best red I’ve ever made period.” And that’s saying something if you have tasted any of the 2027 Cabernet Francs or Pinot Noirs Panagapka makes. “I really believe this will become a collector’s wine.”
The Solo Per Amici Vineyard, above, is planted to Chardonnay, Merlot and 35-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines. For the first commercial release of the 2022 Cab Sauv, Panagapka was meticulous in the way he made the wine, with no short cuts. The fruit was hand harvested, hand berry sorted and whole berry fermented. Only free run juice (with minimal, gentle pressing) was used.
After fermentation and full malo, the wine was sent to the “best oak barrels on Earth,” (Tonnellerie O barrels from Burgundy), for 24 months. Half of the barrels were new, the rest used and after aging in oak for two years the wine is further left to mellow for eight months in bottle before being released.
The wine will be available soon through the Niagara Custom Crush Studio at $85 per bottle ($1,020 for 12 bottles in a custom wooden crate). There are only 100 cases available and savvy shoppers will have to act fast once released. Watch The Crush’s website for updates on how to get the wine when it’s available here. Also watch The Crush Instagram feed here for updates.
Here’s what I liked:
Solo Per Amici Cabernet Sauvignon 2022 ($85, 95 points) — Let’s be perfectly honest here, Cabernet Sauvignon grown in Niagara, generally speaking, is hard to ripen in anything but the warmest of vintages. What winemaker Panagapka has achieved here with this blockbuster wine is a perfectly ripe, concentrated and complex Cab Sauv that will stand the test of time and challenge any pre-conceived notions that it can’t be done in Niagara at the highest levels. Our sample was decanted for a minimum of three hours. The nose is densely fruited with ripe cassis, blackberries, leather, cocoa, graphite, dried Cuban tobacco, roasted espresso bean, a hint of black cherries, almost kirsch-like, with such beautifully elegant barrel spice notes. The fruits on the complex, textured and supple palate are deep, rich and layered with crème de cassis, ripe, plump blackberries, saddle leather, dark chocolate, boozy black cherries, vanilla-tinged spice notes, and subtle eucalyptus accents on a sturdy frame with ripe, fine-grained tannins and a such a long, echoing and lifted finish that shows both power and finesse. So much to love about this big, yet approachable, Cabernet Sauvignon that has a long, promising future ahead. I can’t remember tasting a better Cabernet Sauvignon from Ontario ever before. Can cellar through 2040 and maybe beyond, but don’t be afraid to open a bottle now with the right cut of red meat.
Peter Rod, a 38-year veteran of the food and drinks business, wine educator and certified sommelier, has some thoughts on this Cabernet Sauvignon. He has tried it twice now and offers his impressions from the tasting on Saturday.
“I’m sorry, I lived out in B.C. until 2000 and missed the celebrated Cabernet Sauvignons of John Marynissen, but I would argue the SPA is the best pure Cabernet I’ve had in Canada,” he said.
“I’ve been very impressed over the years with Creekside Reserve, Stratus White Label, and others but none quite like this. For me the SPA captures the essence of the varietal offering great concentration, fine-grained, silky, dense tannins, just right juicy acidity which creates magical balance and wonderful complexity. Already beautifully perfumed, the nose is dominated by primary and secondary aromas, but it will evolve and express so much more over the next 20 years as more of these aromas are released and tertiary aromas develop. I really can’t wait to see where this wine goes even though it is so approachable now.
“The other nice thing is it is Niagara all the way. Great vintage, masterfully grown, no expense spared, fabulous winemaking leads to this superb expression of power and elegance, proving that with the changing climate, select sites in Niagara might actually be ideal for ultra-premium Cabernet Sauvignon when the right decisions are made.”
Another grower joins the winemaking club
With the launch of the first wine from Schuele Vineyards last Saturday, the ever-expanding club of Niagara grape growers making wine from their own grapes has a new member.
Martin and Lydia Schuele, above, proudly poured their debut wine, a Chardonnay from the 2023 vintage, last Saturday at the Niagara Custom Crush Studio where the wine was crafted by the winemaking team there and where consumers can purchase here or at The Crush retaill store.
The Beamsville grape grower, farming about 120 acres of vines, primarily sells his grapes to Arterra Canada. The family-owned operation has been growing grapes since arriving from Germany in the early 1980s. It is a coveted vineyard and one of the most ascetically pleasing in the entire Niagara region.
Here’s what I liked:
Schuele Vineyards Chardonnay 2023 ($28, 93 points) — The grapes are grown in the Lincoln Lakeshore sub-appellation on the south shore of Lake Ontario. The grapes were fermented in stainless steel tanks before aging in French oak barriques (mostly used) for 12 months. It’s a lovely Chardonnay on the nose with a pristine, clean entry that shows saline freshness, lemon grass, pear, subtle tropical notes of mango and passion fruit, stony minerality and integrated toasty spices. On the palate, I’m struck by the freshness and purity of this Chardonnay with all those bright orchard fruits, lemon verbena, tropical accents, touch of flint, pear and spice all leading to a lifted, long finish with mouth-watering acidity. Such a great Chardonnay at a terrific price point.
Three new wines from Liebling’s second vintage
Another now firmly established grower family continues to turn heads with the Liebling brand that showcases the grapes they grow in two different tiers.
The story of Liebling began in 1984 when patriarch Matthias Oppenlaender travelled to Ontario to plant a 40-acre vineyard nestled under on the Niagara Escarpment in Queenston. At the time, many thought vinifera grapes could not be grown in Ontario, let alone have the ability to make quality wine from those grapes. Oppenlaender took this as a challenge, and at the young age of 22, with adventure and opportunity calling, he left his farming family in Germany to prove the naysayers wrong.
Almost 40 years later, the Oppenlaender family created Liebling Wines to commemorate their “oma, the one who encouraged our dad (Mattias) to come to Canada and who continued to support him while living over 6,000 kms away. Out of nine children, our dad was the one that she called her Liebling, her darling, and if you ask the others, her favourite,” according to the Liebling website.
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 family affair, led by Mattias Oppenlaender and his daughters Alison and Jessica (photo above). “It’s like my dad’s dream finally coming to fruition,” Alison told Wines in Niagara in a previous story.
The first vintage of Liebling wines was from the 2022 vintage with the 2023 wines being released this year. Wines in Niagara tasted two Gamays and a Cabernet Franc for this tasting report. Note: Liebling wines can be purchased here or through Collab Wine and Beverages here. Here’s what I liked:
Liebling Gamay 2023 ($26, 90 points) — The Gamay grapes are from the family’s Creek Road Vineyard in the Four Mile Creek sub-appellation. The wine was aged for nine months in once-filled French oak barrels. This is classic Niagara style Gamay with a vivid nose of juicy plums, brambly wild raspberries, some floral and forest floor accents and spice notes. It’s mouth-filling on the palate with purple plums, earthy red berries, anise, and savoury notes in a bright and juicy style with a smooth, lifted finish.
Liebling Family Select Gamay 2023 ($32, 92 points) — This more structured Gamay from the top tier Liebling family of wines is also from the Creek Road Vineyard but spends 18 months in gently used French barriques. It takes on a more serious, complex tone on the nose with nuanced notes of violets, Morello cherries, fresh picked raspberries, a touch of cassis and elegant spice notes. It’s just lovely on the palate with red berries, red currants, subtle earthy/savoury notes with a smooth, silky texture, and integrated spices on a lifted, long finish. Gamays are generally to by enjoyed in their youth, but more structured examples such as this can benefit from some short-term love in the cellar.
Liebling Cabernet Franc 2023 ($32, 92 points) — The Cabernet Franc is from the family’s Oppenlaender Vineyard in the Four Mile Creek sub-appellation. It’s aged for 18 months in French oak barriques (one new, three used). This enticing wine is all about the juicy and expressive fruits on the nose — black cherries, wild raspberries, black currants, and pomegranate with a touch of violets, herbs and spice. It’s medium bodied on the palate and shows a melange of red berries with a savoury edge, some licorice notes, toasted vanilla bean and a long, finessed finish. Can cellar through 2032.
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