By Rick VanSickle
As one of the most important wine monopoles in Canada, Niagara’s Hidden Bench Estate Winery can’t help but keep charting a course for others to follow.
As the estate’s key Beamsville Bench vineyards — Rosomel, Felseck and Locust Lane — only get older and the newest vineyard across the road from the estate, planted to 1.5 acres of Chardonnay, one acre of Pinot Meunier, seven acres of Cabernet Franc, and Pinot Noir to come next, owner/vigneron Harald Thiel shows no signs of slowing down or complacency.
After tasting the Hidden Bench portfolio over the years, there’s not a lot more I can say about the wines Thiel, above right, and his talented winemaker Alex Baines, above left, continue to craft and take to new heights that hasn’t been said before. I tasted 19 current and upcoming vintages across the wide swath of terroir-driven wines in the portfolio recently, and it’s difficult to not gush over these purely Niagara, or more accurately, Beamsville Bench, expressions across the board.
It’s not by accident they are among the best wines made in Niagara year after year since the winery was founded in 2013. Here are the ingredients that make Hidden Bench wines what they are:
The vision
The winery was founded in 2003 by Thiel and his family. From the very beginning, Hidden Bench’s focus has always been on Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling. In addition, the estate also produces limited quantities of Sauvignon Blanc and blends with Semillon, Bordeaux variety red wines, traditionally made sparkling wine, and Gamay. The three estate vineyards permit a total production of approximately 125,000 bottles from 150 tonnes of grapes, with the new vineyards a few years away from adding to that total.
The terroirs
The estate vineyards benefit from the highly sought after terroir that defines the Beamsville Bench VQA sub-appellation, which is composed of limestone rich, glacial till soils. Hidden Bench farms its low yield vineyards using organic and biodynamic practices to produce wines of “pronounced complexity and character which bear a sense of place and time.”
The technology
The winemaking and viticulture at Hidden Bench are enhanced by the selective application of the latest technology, in the vineyard and the winery, while respecting the traditional non-interventionist winemaking style and sustainability it embraces.
The sustainability
The estate applies Procert certified organic and sustainable best practices in the vineyard, the winery and the marketing of its wines to reduce the impact of its environmental footprint on the land, neighbours, and society. In addition, Hidden Bench strives to take a leadership role in the ongoing protection of the Niagara Escarpment UNESCO protected area surrounding the winery.
The vineyards
The slopes of the Beamsville Bench, where all the Hidden Bench estate vineyards are located, provide a natural vigour-tempering effect. Since 2010, Hidden Bench has been farming its low yield vineyards based on organic and biodynamic principles and all the vineyards have been certified organic by Procert since 2013.
Locust Lane Vineyard: The 21-acre Locust Lane Vineyard was the first vineyard purchased by Hidden Bench in 2003 and is located at the winery. This vineyard is unique in that it has both a west/east slope as well as a south/north slope, providing excellent air drainage and solar exposure. Originally planted in 1998, wines from this vineyard have shown a depth of character, with dark fruit and good tannin structure, according to Hidden Bench
Rosomel Vineyard: Situated about 6 km to the east of the winery, on the Beamsville Bench, lies the Rosomel Vineyard, acquired by Hidden Bench in 2004. The 23 acres of vines were originally planted 50 years ago by Roman Prydatkewycz. This vineyard has consistently produced award-winning wines over the years, including Roman’s Block Riesling, Nuit Blanche, Tête de Cuvée Chardonnay, and La Brunante.
Felseck Vineyard: The name Felseck means “corner of the cliff” in German and this 34-acre vineyard is situated where the Niagara Escarpment takes a dramatic turn from an east/west direction to a north/south direction. The name honours Thiel’s father and grandfather, who also had farms named Felseck. This vineyard originally planted in 1992 and was acquired by Hidden Bench in the spring of 2007. The high-density plantings (2,600 vines/acre) are primarily Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling with a significant east/west and north/south slope, which promotes air drainage and superior solar exposure.
You take all of that and put it into the hands of vigneron Thiel, Alex Baines, who was appointed winemaker in 2022 after joining the team in 2017, and vineyard manager Joel Williams and you have one unbeatable recipe for vineyard-specific wines. “We have remained true to our style,” Thiel tells Wines in Niagara, “which hasn’t changed.”
Here’s what I liked after a full portfolio tasting with Thiel and Baines at the estate recently.
The bubbles
Hidden Bench Blanc de Blanc 2018 ($55, 93 points) — The 100% Chardonnay grapes are from a blend of the estate vineyards with aging on its lees for six years prior to the disgorgement in May of 2025. The wine is topped with the same wine, so it’s a pure expression of Brut Natur, with no sugar added to the finished wine. It shows an elegant bead in the glass with a nose of pear, green apples, baked brioche, saline minerality, and subtle autolytic notes. The palate reveals perky bubbles and notes of pear, quince and apples with a creamy texture, flinty notes, baked bread/brioche, lemon curd and tension on a lifted, long finish. Can cellar this through 2032 for further development.
Hidden Bench Natur Sparkling Wine 2018 ($49, 92 points) — The blend from this zero dosage sparkling wine is 66% Chardonnay and 34% Pinot Noir from estate vineyards. It was in barrel for six months and spent six years on its lees. It shows a lovely light gold colour in the glass with a robust bubble and a nose of mixed red berries, lemon citrus, red bartlett pear, saline, toasty brioche, nectarine and flinty notes. It shows persistent, lively bubbles on a creamy palate with a medley of orchard fruits, more muted red berries, toasted hazelnuts, baked brioche and flint with a lively, finessed finish.
The Riesling
Hidden Bench Estate Riesling 2021 ($25, 92 points) — For the first time since Hidden Bench has been making Rieslings, there are no single vineyard expressions from the 2021 vineyard. All grapes from Locust Lane, Felseck and Rosomel were declassified into the estate Riesling at a tasty price of $25 a bottle. There are no tricks here, just a pure expression of Beamsville Bench Riesling. The nose shows while flowers, lemon/lime citrus, fresh apples, apricot, wet stones, and subtle flinty notes. The juicy palate reveals apple/quine, bergamot, wild honey notes, stony minerality and a perfect balance between sweet and tart through a lifted, finessed finish. Good value Riesling from a tricky vintage.
The Sauvignon Blancs
Hidden Bench Sauvignon Blanc Béton 2023 ($30, 91 points) — Though it does not say so on the label, all the fruit here is from the Rosomel Vineyard. It was wild fermented and aged in concrete vats for 10 months. Though Thiel doesn’t like comparisons to other regions, he feels the style here is more in line with the Loire than, say, New Zealand. The nose has brilliant aromas of green pear, passionfruit, garden herbs, melon and flinty notes. It has a plush texture and weight on the palate with kiwi, grapefruit, gooseberries, herbaceous notes and pear with a flinty/smoky edge through a lifted and fresh finish.
Hidden Bench Rosomel Vineyard Fumé Blanc 2023 ($30, 92 points) — This, as well, was sourced exclusively from the Rosomel Vineyard and was barrel fermented and oak aged in a combination of new and older French oak barrels. It’s a more elegant expression of Savvy with a nose of grassy/floral notes, grapefruit, pear, passionfruit and lightly toasted spices. It has gorgeous texture and integration on the palate in support of gooseberries, pear, herbs, citrus and flinty/saline notes on a bright and long finish.
Hidden Bench Rosomel Vineyard Nuit Blanche 2023 ($45, 93 points) — The estate’s ultimate expression of Sauvignon Blanc is blended with 23% Semillon all from the Rosomel Vineyard. It’s aged in French oak (only 6% new) for six months. A purely elegant rendition of Sauvignon Blanc with an enthralling nose of gooseberries, grapefruit, baked apples, lemon peel, briny/saline notes, and integrated herbs and spices. Just gorgeous on the palate with a real sense of pedigree and poise with a creamy texture followed by green pear, quince, baked apple, toasted walnuts, a honeyed texture, lemon-lime, nectarine, gooseberries, stony minerality and toasty spice notes on a vibrant and long finish. Really beautiful Savvy that could age well through 2031.
The Chardonnays
Hidden Bench Chardonnay Béton 2023 ($30, all gone, 92 points) — As Thiel says, this offering was “very popular” and sold out quickly. It was wild fermented and aged on its lees for 10 months in concrete followed by another eight months in stainless steel prior to bottling. It’s quite floral on the nose with an interesting saline/oyster shell thing going on to go with bin apples, beeswax, citrus and pear. It’s textured on the palate with some weight, flinty/mineral notes, apple, quince and bright lemon citrus with a lifted and long finish. Good value Chablis-esque Chardonnay. Can cellar a year or two but drinking great right now.
Hidden Bench Estate Chardonnay 2024 ($34, 92 points) — This blend of estate Rosomel, Felseck and Locust Lane vineyards Chardonnay was aged in a combination of French oak barriques, and large format puncheons (11% new oak) with 10% of the fruit aged in concrete. It has a persistent and vibrant nose of ripe pear, spiced apple, bergamot, saline and wet stones. It has lovely texture on the palate with ripe orchard fruits, a pure vein of stony minerality, baking spices and a lifted, vibrant finish. Can cellar through 2032.
Hidden Bench Téte de Cuvée Chardonnay 2022 ($65, 95 points) — This top Chardonnay from Hidden is a blend of the top barrels from Rosomel (nearly 50-year-old vines) and Locust Lane vineyards. It was aged in 100% French barrels (22% new) for 16 months and bottled unfiltered and unfined. The Téte de Cuvée is one the most consistently highly awarded Chardonnays on this website, and for good reason. The best from the old-vine vineyards, meticulous winemaking and expressive of where it’s grown, this is what Niagara Chardonnay can be in the right hands and the 2022 vintage is no different. It consistently has an air of sophistication and elegance on the nose with profound saline/seashell minerality, essence of pear, white peach, orange blossoms, lemon curd and toasted nuts and spices. It’s rich yet poised on the creamy palate with layers of primary orchard fruits, profound flinty/savoury accents, lemon butter, toasted almonds and integrated spice notes with mouth-watering acidity, elevated finesse and length. So good! Can cellar through 2034.
Hidden Bench Felseck Vineyard Chardonnay 2022 ($55, 94 points) — The grapes are 100% from 30-year-old Felseck Vineyard vines. It’s aged for 16 months in French oak barriques (8% new oak) and is bottled unfiltered and unfined. This expression is slightly more overt on the nose, yet still carries a semblance of elegance, with ripe pear, quince, yellow apples, lemon tart, nectarine, stony/saline notes and toasted spice accents. The fruits on the creamy palate carry some weight and reveal poached Asian pear, preserved lemons, yellow apples, bergamot, toasted almonds and vanilla-tinged spices on the lifted, long finish. Can cellar through 2032.
The Pinot Noirs
Hidden Bench Estate Pinot Noir 2023 ($39, 92 points) — The estate Pinot is a blend of Locust Lane, Felseck and Rosomel vineyards with aging in French oak (26% new) for 10 months followed by eight months in stainless steel tanks before bottling unfined and unfiltered. It’s quite robust on the nose with brambly raspberries, violets, dark cherries, anise and spice notes. The range of red berries are forward on the palate with floral/spicy notes, anise, a plush texture, underlying floral notes and a lifted, long finish. Can cellar through 2032.
Hidden Bench Rosomel Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 ($65, sold out, 95 points) — The dedicated and knowledgeable Hidden Bench wine club members know what’s up, and when they empty the shelves of a given wine, like they did with this Rosomel Pinot Noir before it was even released to the public, you know the wine is special. The pedigree of the old-vine Rosomel Vineyard is legendary, and it shines in the 2022 vintage. The Pinot is aged in 100% French barriques (no new oak) for 10 months then blended and aged further in stainless steel barrels (60%) and neutral oak barrels (40%). It was bottled unfined and unfiltered. The beguiling nose is highly perfumed, pure and elegant with notes of potpourri, crushed violets and rose petals, brambly red berries, foraged mushrooms, and lovely all-spice notes. It’s silky yet assertive on the palate, the epitome of an iron fist in a velvet glove, with notes of dark cherries, essence of raspberries, crunchy cranberries, purple floral notes, truffles, and integrated, elegant spice notes on smooth, luxurious and lifted finish that echoes for minutes. A block-buster Pinot Noir that you can cellar through 2035. You are very lucky if you acquired any of these bottles.
Hidden Bench Felseck Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 ($55, 94 points) — Hard to pick a favourite between these three single-vineyard estate Pinot Noirs, they are all exquisite examples of what Niagara can do with these Burgundian grapes in the hands of skilled winemakers and viticulturists. The Felseck is aged in 100% French oak (12% new) for 10 months and another further aged in stainless steel barrels (76%) and used French oak (24%). It’s bottled unfined and unfiltered. Pure magic on the nose and perfectly balanced from the get to with elegant notes of rose petals, fresh raspberries, cherries, cranberries, subtle cassis, crushed stones and graphite with integrated fine oak spice. It’s a touch meatier on the palate with some tannic structure, earthy/savoury notes, red berries, anise and spice that comes at you in layer after layer with a long, echoing and finessed finish. Can cellar through 2035.
Hidden Bench Locust Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 ($55, 93 points) — The Locust Lane Pinot was aged in 100% oak barriques (11% new) for 16 months before the barrels were blended and returned to stainless steel barrels and barriques before being bottled unfiltered and unfined. Another defined and enticing nose of forest berries, dark cherries, sun-drenched strawberries, some brambly/earthy notes, crushed gravel and elegant spice notes. It has lovely texture and feel on the palate with smooth tannins that work in harmony with the earthy/bramble notes, medley of red berries, subtle reduction, aniseed and spice on long, lifted finish. Can cellar to 2034.
The rest of the red wines
Hidden Bench Gamay 2023 ($30, Vintages, winery, 92 points) — The Gamay grapes were sourced from the estate’s vineyards in the Lincoln Lakeshore (contracted by Hidden Bench, farmed and planted to organic fruit in 2013) and Beamsville Bench sub-appellations. It’s aged in 100% French barriques (10% new) for nine months. This is a more serious, complex style of Gamay than what you usually see in Niagara with a fruit-laden nose of purple plums, raspberries, violets, cranberries, brambly/earthy notes and just a hint of spiciness. It shows some texture on the palate and light tannins with a melange of red berries, plum pudding, savory/earthy notes, integrated spice and mouth-watering acidity on a lifted finish. Can cellar this through 2031.
Hidden Bench Malbec 2023, ($45, 92 points) — Not a lot of Niagara wineries are making a single-variety Malbec, but Hidden Bench began bottling this wine, sourced from all three estate vineyards, beginning with the 2016 vintage and it has found a dedicated following. It’s aged for 10 months in concrete followed by another 10 months in neutral oak barrels and bottled unfiltered and unfined. It shows a rich, garnet colour in the glass with enticing aromas of ripe dark berries, anise, juicy plums, crème de cassis, dried tobacco, cocoa and floral notes with just a hint of spice. The palate reveals silky tannins, ripe black currants, blueberries, anise, purple plums, black cherries, a hint of mocha and spice with a lifted, finessed finish. Can cellar for further integration through 2034.
Hidden Bench Terroir Caché 2021 ($48, Vintages now, winery, previously reviewed, 93 points) — Hidden Bench makes two Bordeaux-inspired blends from its organic vineyards. The top barrels go into the flagship red La Brunante, but in 2021, no Brunante was produced, so the Terroir Caché benefitted from the declassified grapes grown in the three estate vineyards — Rosomel, Locust Lane and Felseck. The blend is 50% Merlot, 29% Malbec, 17% Cabernet and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon with aging in French oak barriques for 20 months (42% new oak, the rest mostly neutral). The nose has a lovely sandalwood perfume opening note followed by ripe black currants, dark cherries, plums, truffle notes, cocoa, and subtle earthy notes with vanilla-tinged spices. The tannins are assertive on the textured palate with layers of ripe, dark berries, anise, wild raspberries and cherries, with more cocoa, toasty vanilla and spice that all lead to a long, echoing finish with mouth-watering acidity keeping it fresh and lively. If pouring this for guests this Christmas, it’s best to decant for an hour or two prior to drinking. It can be cellared through 2035.
Hidden Bench Terroir Caché 2022 ($48, new vintage, 94 points) — The winemaking team at Hidden Bench elected to make both the Terroir Cache and the flagship top red La Brunante (reviewed below) in 2022. This wine is more in line with Merlot dominant Right Bank Bordeaux blends while the Brunante is more Left Bank with Cabernet being the dominant grape in the blend. This is sourced from all three estate vineyards and is a blend of 46% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Franc, 16% Malbec and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s aged in 100% French oak (27% new) for 20 months and is bottle unfined and unfiltered. The nose shows intense floral notes followed by dark cherries, black currants, Damson plums, anise, damp earth accents, figs and cocoa with toasty vanilla and spice. The fruits on the palate are concentrated and dense with cherry/kirsch notes, juicy plums, red and black currants, anise and toasty vanilla-tinged spices on a structured frame with firm tannins all leading to a long, layered finish with finesse and flair. Can cellar through 2038.
Hidden Bench La Brunante 2022 ($95, spring release, 95 points) — This signature red Left Bank style Bordeaux blend from Hidden Bench is only produced in years when the estate believes that optimal vintage conditions have resulted in exceptional grapes. It’s a blend of 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Malbec and 32% Merlot that’s aged in French oak (33% new oak) for 20 months and bottled unfiltered and unfined. This wine has appeared on Wines in Niagara’s Most Thrilling Red Wine list frequently and was named the top red wine in 2020. While it is tough to top the ripe 2020 vintage, the 2022 benefits from extremely low yields after leaving one bunch of grapes per shoot in the vineyard to maximize ripening of this Cabernet-dominant red wine. It shows a dense ruby red colour in the glass and a tight nose before opening up with swirling to reveal a riot of perfectly ripe cassis, blackberries, dark cherries, anise, saddle leather, mocha, graphite, vanilla bean and elegant spice notes. The fine-grained tannins on the palate are evident but velvety smooth in support of the jammy blackberries, cassis, brambly raspberries, pencil shavings, graphite, leather, mocha, subtle eucalypt and generous vanilla-tinged spices. The finish is bolstered by mouth-watering acidity that leads to a long, luxurious and lifted finish. Another blockbuster Brunante with the structure and intensity to improve in your cellar through 2040, if you have the patience.
Comment here