By Lidija Biro
Flat Rock Cellars’ “Capstone Release” for media and trade has quickly become both well received and eagerly anticipated.
The third annual event recently featured a vertical tasting that previewed barrel samples of the 2025 vintage wines alongside the 2023 and 2017 vintages of the three single‐vineyard Capstone wines: Gravity Pinot Noir, The Rusty Shed Chardonnay, and Nadja’s Vineyard Riesling. The aim was to trace the wines’ evolution across time and season.
Before diving into the notes, a brief refresher on Flat Rock Cellars.
Founded in 1999 by president/proprietor (and self-styled head cheerleader) Ed Madronich, Flat Rock sits on the Niagara Benchlands’ Twenty Mile Bench appellation. The 80 acres of vineyards were planted in 2001-2002 to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling, with a small block of Gewürztraminer, rooted in a patchwork of clay, loam, and limestone. The first commercial releases followed the 2003 and 2004 harvests.
Flat Rock is certified sustainable and employs geothermal heating and cooling, cleans with ozone to reduce chemical use, and is built as a five level gravity‐flow facility, which is both gentler on the wine and less energy‐intensive. Underground barrel cellars provide natural temperature and humidity control, and lightweight glass helps shrink the winery’s carbon footprint.
Madronich, above, speaks with pride — and precision — about Flat Rock’s terroir: “We’ve got some really amazing wines. One of the most important things here is the slope; there is a 90‐foot drop from top to bottom. That drop matters for airflow and water drainage. Most vineyards, even on the bench, flatten out. Nobody really has that 90‐foot vertical drop.
“The soil depth differs as well. It’s Burgundian to the nth degree. Walk down the slope and it’s a different soil, a different substructure, a different temperature, a different microclimate — all within this one vineyard,” Madronich explains.
“And our distance from Lake Ontario is key. Being farther from the lake means less moderation, so it’s warmer in summer and the fruit ripens every year. We often harvest earlier than other vineyards and can make better picking decisions. In winter, that can be a challenge, of course—there’s a greater risk of cold damage without that moderating effect.”
As for winemaking, Flat Rock Cellars has had several talented and well-respected winemakers through the years. Currently, Marlize Beyers holds the winemaking reins. The philosophy has always remained the same: harmony, balance and purity, reflecting the vineyard. However, Beyers also brings a definite intent to her winemaking, striking a balance between power and delicacy.
“We constantly want to get better and better at the wines we make. And one of the things that I love is the diversity of vintage,” says Madronich. “Different vintages require different handling.”
So, let’s dive into the 2025 vintage. According to Madronich it was a slow start to the season with plenty of rain early on which benefitted the vines. Then it proceeded to be dry and hot delivering really ripe fruit. The Flat Rock team is embracing all of the uniqueness of the 2025 vintage and has fittingly named it “Embrace.”
“The wines of 2025 capture the warmth of the season, and the restraint required to shape it into something complete,” according to Flat Rock. “They are powerful without heaviness, concentrated without losing energy, and already show great potential to become exceptional.”
What we tasted from Flat Rock Cellars
Flat Rock Gravity Pinot Noir 2025 (barrel sample, bottling scheduled for August 2026) — This barrel sample gives a good idea of what the final wine will be. It’s fruity with cherry, cranberry, some beetroot and spice. The palate offers a silky smooth texture, fine-grained tannins and bright acidity.
Flat Rock The Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2025 (barrel sample, bottling scheduled for August 2026) — Habitually whole bunch pressed and fermented in French oak with full malolactic conversion, this Chardonnay is already showing ripe nectarine notes alongside green apple, lemon and candied citrus peel. Crunchy acidity progresses into a saline finish.
Flat Rock Nadja’s Vineyard Riesling 2025 (bottled March 2026) — Vibrant and intensely floral with notes of bergamot, lime and green apple, this Riesling was whole bunch pressed and fermented in stainless steel tanks. It shows the dry stony terroir of the vineyard with a distinct petrichor bouquet.
Note: From Wines in Niagara’s Ontario Wine Vintage Charts: The 2025 vintage turned out to be one of the rarer vintages in Ontario. First of all, if history is our guide, it’s mainly the even years that have proven to be more cellar worthy. It was also a year that started out poorly with a cool spring and late start to the harvest on Sept. 3, five days later than the 2024 harvest. But by the time the hot and dry summer turned to harvest, winemakers began to feel confident of an excellent year for both red and white grapes across the board in 2025, with concentration of fruit, ripe tannins in the red wines and plenty of zippy acidity for freshness.
Flat Rock Gravity Pinot Noir 2023 (winery library sample) — A little reductive on first sniff but that disappeared with time in the glass, this wine shows deeper, richer cranberry and mulberry flavours with subtle spice compared to the 2025 sample. Yet, it signals where the youthful and energetic 2025 wine may head as it develops more complexity and intensity before bottling.
Flat Rock The Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2023 ($33) — Slightly reductive, which evaporated with time in the glass, the wine shows the same nectarine, green apple and citrus notes of its younger cousin showcasing the fingerprint of the vineyard regardless of vintage.
Flat Rock Nadja’s Vineyard Riesling 2024 (2023 vintage is still available, $30) — We tasted the 2024 Riesling to compare with the 2025 and found the same floral, green apple and lime cordial notes. Refreshing acidity is nicely balanced with 9.5 g/L of residual sugar but tasting dry.
Note: From Wine’s in Niagara’s Ontario Wine Vintage Charts: The vintage (2023) was remarkably saved by a dry, warm fall that provided relief from the wet, dreary, and smoke-filled summer that put harvest behind in most Ontario regions by up to three weeks. In the end, most varieties in all regions came out the other side in good shape and winemakers were breathing a sigh of relief. The crop was bountiful, so much so that it created the biggest surplus of grapes since 2008 … Rated 8 our of 10
Flat Rock Gravity Pinot Noir 2017 — Still fresh and ageing gracefully, this wine’s ruby colour has developed an amber tinge. Lovely floral notes on the nose and more spice and wood notes on the palate pushing the fruit into the background.
Flat Rock The Rusty Shed Chardonnay 2017 (Winery library sample) — A lovely, aged Chardonnay still showing citrus blossom, apple and nectarine fruit but a richer texture which bodes well for the development of the 2025 wine.
Flat Rock Nadja’s Vineyard Riesling 2017 (Winery library sample) — Rieslings age so well. This one shows all the aroma characteristics of earlier vintage samples but reveals that with maturity comes balance and richness.
Note: From Wines in Niagara’s Ontario Wine Vintage Charts — All summer long it looked grim for the 2017 grape harvest in Ontario with cool, wet weather and the odd hailstorm thrown in very good measure. Then Sept. 1 rolled around, bringing extended heat and sunshine for one of the nicest falls on record and one of the latest harvests on record. Rated 7.5 out of 10
For Madronich, the two most important things in making the best wine possible are staying true to the vineyard and how it’s handled in the winery. “It’s the vineyard and what you do in the winery that are the most important things and quite frankly, at the end of the day, it’s the owner’s commitment to doing those things well.”
And Ed Madronich is fully committed to that!
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