I want to thank my readers for taking the time to review this special report on Prince Edward County – Ontario’s fastest growing wine region. This is your mini-inside track on how this region is progressing. As part of my journey in creating this report, I’ve walked the vineyards, talked to the producers and tasted the wines to provide you with unique advice and quality insights. Enjoy. – Carmelo Giardina
Prince Edward County – or the County as it is more commonly referred to now – is situated about 175 kilometres east of Toronto, south of Belleville toward the eastern end of Lake Ontario. This peninsula locale encompasses the County, Amherst Island and a narrow strip of land to the north. At a latitude of 44°N, this is Ontario’s most northern VQA appellation of origin – officially identified in 2007.
Introduction
My visit to the County, just this past September, was a three day whirlwind excursion, making every effort to visit as many wineries and eateries as I could manage. By the end of my trip, I had a much better feel for an area that I had not visited since 2017. Three years can make a world of difference in the wine industry.
What still stands out from that 2017 visit is learning from various producers why the County is highly praised and viewed by many as being quite similar to parts of Burgundy. It is here that you’ll find some of the finest examples of cool climate chardonnay and pinot noir made in the new world. And that’s no laughing statement. Additional Vitis Vinifera varietals (such as pinot gris, riesling and cabernet franc) and certain hybrid varietals (baco noir, marquette, vidal) lend more of a supporting role to an area that finds it challenging to farm many types (merlot, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, for instance) that require a more lengthy growing season.
Overall, I do believe that the County is making very good wine – as you will notice in the breakdown of my scores below. However, for the most part, this is still very much a two-horse town, with chardonnay and pinot noir setting the pace for attention and acclaim. But winemakers are clearly demonstrating their resilience and ambition to prove that additional varietals and styles can and should be part of the same conversation as excellent chardonnay and pinot.
I have no doubt that this winemaking community will continue to pursue and navigate the region’s unique terroir capabilities in order to produce exciting wines that resonate with consumers. As it stands, the County is still playing a game of catch me if you can with its sister region the Niagara Peninsula. But the quality gap is indeed shortening. Winemakers are taking more chances, and already some of those chances are cashing in big.
Appellation Overview
Prince Edward County sits along the north shore of Lake Ontario on a foundation of porous limestone that gives its grapes a distinctive minerality and vibrant acidity. Most vineyards are located in areas that receive maximum benefit from lake breezes. Prevailing westerly breezes travel steadily across Lake Ontario and the Bay of Quinte to help moderate temperatures. They are especially beneficial during the warm summer months, keeping average temperatures around 22°C, with pleasant cooling during the hotter days and keeping cool nights at bay.
The County’s topography is irregular, with hills creating various exposures for the vines, and valleys digging into the broad, flat Trenton limestone base. The loose gravely soils provide good structure, ample drainage, shale and minerals for healthy development of vines and fruit with character.
Vintage Overviews
2017: An exceptional vintage for chardonnay and pinot noir – two of Prince Edward County’s championed varietals. The weather patterns of the vintage affected the growing cycle, with slowed development at the beginning of the season, but then caught up very quickly in the late summer and fall. Producers enjoyed a full crop and their wide range of grape varieties and styles are now showing well.
2018: Above average heat paired with a dry summer allowed for a good level of ripeness and concentration to develop. Harvest was early and speedy. This was welcomed given the challenges posed by the mid-harvest rain and the desire to avoid the risk of disease pressures resulting from humid conditions. Overall a positive vintage that’s been showing well in many of the wines tasted on site.
2019: Weather conditions were generally cooler and wetter than normal. The growing season was slightly delayed, but the season ended well thanks to a sunny fall. Outlook is very good for wines from the 2019 vintage. A full range of exceptional white and rosé wines defined by crispness, acid and fruit are steadily making their way into market. And early reports suggest that 2019 may be a standout vintage for pinot noir.
A Mini Report
Within this wine report, which accounts for about 25 percent of the total scope of the region, I have included descriptions of the wineries that I visited along with detailed tasting notes for most of the wines that I sampled during my visit. You’ll also find price points and my quality-to-price-ratio score, measured on a scale out of 100 points.
Scores range from moderately – and even barely recommended – to very highly recommended. Roughly 85 percent of the wines I sampled fall into this range. A total of 66 wines are therefore included in this report.
With more than 40 wineries now operating in the County, it would be unfair to assume that this report is truly definitive of how things are shaping and progressing in the region, especially after visiting just 13 wineries. I do feel that I acquired a trusted sampling, but nevertheless, I’m going to formally refer to this as a “mini report” so as not to broaden expectations.
Quality-to-Price-Ratio Scoring (QPR)
The point of the QPR score is to help source out the very best buys for the consumer based on the quality of the product vs its price point. My time spent as a wine journalist has been relatively short, but over the last 20 years or so, I’ve had the privilege of tasting numerous wines at varying price points. More importantly, I examine QPR very carefully and I pay very close attention to quality differences within price point variations.
QPR scores of 90+ points are highly recommendable. Scores of 89, 88 and 87 points are recommendable, with certain reservations, while a score of 86 is merely average and satisfactory for the style or varietal. Those wines which I scored lower than 86 points did not qualify for this report. For the sake of transparency, a full explanation of how I score wines can be read here.
Report Statistics
Of all the wines that were sampled and scored (including wines that are not included in this report), the average score came to 89 – which constitutes an evaluation of “very good” when referencing my QPR scorecard. To break this evaluation down even further, if we are to look at how pinot noir and chardonnay each scored (the County’s most prized varietals), the results are:
- Pinot Noir (15 wines tasted): Avg Score = 90
- Chardonnay (18 wines tasted): Avg Score = 89.1
The results of other varietals or types are:
- Pinot Gris (just 4 wines tasted): 90.3 avg
- Sparkling/Pet Nat (6 wines): 89.7 avg
- Rosé (3 wines): 89 avg
- Cabernet Franc (6 wines): 88.8 avg
- Red Blends or other red varietals (9 wines): 88.6 avg
- White Blends or other white varietals (5 wines): 87.6 avg
- Orange Wines (2 wines): 87.5 avg
- Riesling (4 wines): 85.5 avg
Scores by Winery
The following are the average scoring results of each winery, at a glance, based on the wines that were included in this report only – with their corresponding summarized evaluation noted in parenthesis:
- Closson Chase Vineyards: 92.6 (Excellent)
- Rosehall Run: 91.4 (Excellent)
- Exultet Estates: 91.3 (Excellent)
- Redtail Vineyards: 91.3 (Excellent)
- Karlo Estates: 89.6 (Very Good)
- Keint-he Winery: 89.5 (Very Good)
- Morandin Wines: 89 (Very Good)
- Casa-Dea Estates: 88.6 (Good – Very Good)
- Trail Estate: 88.1 (Good)
- Lacey Estates: 88 (Good)
- Traynor Family Vineyard: 87.7 (Good)
- Black Prince Winery: 87 (Good)
- The Grange of Prince Edward: 86 (Satisfactory/Average)
The Wineries and their Wines
Wineries below are presented in alphabetical order, rather than the order by which I visited. Please feel free to click on any of the winery names below to jump straight to that particular winery’s information and wine evaluations:
Black Prince Winery | Casa-Dea Estates | Closson Chase Vineyards | Exultet Estates | The Grange of Prince Edward | Karlo Estates | Keint-he Winery | Lacey Estates | Morandin Wines | Redtail Vineyards | Rosehall Run | Trail Estate | Traynor Family Vineyard
BLACK PRINCE WINERY
Founded in 2001, Black Prince Winery is one of the oldest County wineries with a well-appointed tasting centre offering a large selection of wines. Situated on a 50-acre estate right on the edge of Picton, the property features a restored century barn suitable for special events, a barrel house offering live demonstrations weekly and daily tastings of local barrel aged wine vinegars, fruit vinegars & reductions and serves up tasty wood fired pizza. They even make hemp wine! Recipient of the Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence, Black Prince has produced accessible wines for almost 20 years and are pleased to offer a very unique experience in the County.
Black Prince Pinot Gris
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $24.95 |
| QPR SCORE: 87 |
A different style of pinot gris than I’m generally used to tasting. This one has all sorts of interesting aromas and flavours, zigging and zagging a bit, with obvious barrel play experimentation. Believe it or not, there’s very distinct aromas of candy corn that also play out on the palate – especially on the finish. There’s sweeter, riper fruits consisting of peach, pear and dried apricot too. It’s a softer expression with acids coming off a bit flat and not exactly balanced. That’s a bit of a shame, as pinot gris requires bright acidity as its backbone in order to really stand up, especially if it’s made in a slightly sweeter style. It’s a wine that wants to emulate Alsace, but perhaps a bit too much wood interplay is what’s standing in its way.
Black Prince Oaked Chardonnay
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $29.95 |
| QPR SCORE: 86 |
The County is one of the few places on Earth where both oak and grapes grow side by side and Black Prince Winery is most proud to release the first chardonnay aged for 18 months in Prince Edward County white oak barrels. It’s got a lighter, wheat colour to it with woodsy/oak and apple flavours, but for the most part, this is very much a restrained wine that’s super easy to drink and not very contemplative. It would’ve made for a much better story if I could honestly admit that the County oak influence made this a better, more complex wine, but that’s not the case here. If you’re curious enough to try this, you’ll want to think fast as only 100 cases of it were produced.
Black Prince Riesling
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $24.95 |
| QPR SCORE: 86 |
Harvested from 18 year old riesling vines, this is another one that’s over-experimented with a toasty barrel. Aromas of peach and pear are welcomed, but the banana cream and banana liqueur palate flavours don’t really make much sense to me. If the intention is to purposely stretch the boundaries of the varietal as far as it will go, then I guess they’ve succeeded. It’s a wine that has its moments with its off-dry, dessert style taste and unique expression, but after a few sips I’m left wanting to move on.
Black Prince Cabernet Franc Reserve
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $27.95 |
| QPR SCORE: 88 |
Made from County fruit that’s provided by two long-time local growers and their own estate grapes, this cab franc is produced in a fruit forward style that’s smooth and easy drinking. A dark fruit core over a medium body, with subtle earthiness, plum, raspberry and vanilla flavours. Peppery notes are nicely kept in check. Thumbs up to the oak treatment on this wine.
Black Prince Merlot
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $27.95 |
| QPR SCORE: 88 |
A smooth tasting merlot, that’s medium bodied and fresh with red fruits – including lovely flavours of raspberry, dry cherry and yes, a very nicely oaked profile. In fact, the grapes are all locally grown and were aged for over 18 months in barrels also crafted from Prince Edward County white oak. It works and it’s attractively priced.
CASA-DEA ESTATES WINERY
An Italian-inspired winery and banquet facility, this picturesque property is now one of the largest wineries in the County. The 65-acre vineyard is mainly planted with pinot gris, chardonnay, riesling, pinot noir and cabernet franc. Their focus is on making consumer affordable VQA wines from 100 percent County grapes. Upon visiting, I enjoyed pizza on their patio with a glass of wine and afterwards was invited to taste through several of their wines.
Casa-Dea Melon de Bourgogne
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $20.95 |
| QPR SCORE: 90 |
Light in colour, body and alcohol (11.8%), this unfiltered, refreshing sipper exhibits beautiful aromas of pear, apple and honey. The palate carries over the apple and adds a citrus vibe with a slightly salty texture. The mouthfeel is quite elegant. An excellent companion for seafood.
Casa-Dea Pinot Grigio
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $19.95 |
| QPR SCORE: 91 |
A solid tasting pinot grigio here. This is expressive and full of character. Candied pear and lemon aromas lead to a very distinctive and welcomed mineral, grapefruit saltiness on the palate. Nicely ripened apple notes and a crisp, focused acidity round out the experience. Contains seven percent chardonnay and three percent riesling for those added complexities. Attractive price.
Casa-Dea Chardonnay Reserve
| VINTAGE: 2017 |
| PRICE: $26.95 |
| QPR SCORE: 87 |
I wanted more from this chardonnay that’s labeled as their ‘Reserve’. It’s light on the mouthfeel with apple, pear and a slight mineral note. There’s a bit of an acidic burst on the finish, but overall, this is a very typical chardonnay, lacking the kind of structure and complexity that would normally aid its cause in identifying it as a more premium label.
Casa-Dea ‘Eva’
| VINTAGE: 2017 |
| PRICE: $48.95 |
| QPR SCORE: 87 |
This is one of six wines that make up the winery’s ‘Limited Edition’ collection, and thus, each wine receives its own distinctive Italian name. The ‘Eva’ is an appassimento style wine made of dried chardonnay grapes, which help to concentrate the natural sugars and flavours. Aromas of sweet apple, apricot, peach nectar and floral notes delight the senses. The palate is understandably sweet (24.7 g/L residual sugar) and the alcohol content high (14.8%), and I’m not completely sold on the flinty and petrol notes that I get on the mid-palate and finish. It’s an interesting varietal interpretation and it will prove to be a style that some will embrace, but it’s not an expression of chardonnay that I can fully accept myself.
Casa-Dea Pinot Noir
| VINTAGE: 2016 |
| PRICE: $21.95 |
| QPR SCORE: 88 |
Just four wines from the 2016 vintage were tasted during this trip, three of them coming from Casa-Dea. This pinot is a bit closed-nosed, with only a mere hint of clove and cherry to be found at the moment. On the palate it’s minerally fresh and light on its feet, with red fruits and some accented spice. Acids are balanced. A generally pleasing and value-driven pinot here. Nothing more, nothing less.
Casa-Dea Cabernet Franc Reserve
| VINTAGE: 2016 |
| PRICE: $26.95 |
| QPR SCORE: 90 |
This reserve labeled cabernet franc was aged two years in French oak and has plenty of character, boasting lovely flavours of red fruits, blackberry, black currant and spice. It’s smooth and soft in texture with gentle tannin structure. Ageworthy, I’d recommend resting another two or three years before opening.
Casa-Dea ‘Adamo’
| VINTAGE: 2016 |
| PRICE: $52.95 |
| QPR SCORE: 87 |
Another selection from the ‘Limited Edition’ series of wines at Casa-Dea is the ‘Adamo’ – a combination blend of 69 percent cabernet franc and 31 percent Zweigelt that has also been made using the appassimento method. This was aged in oak barrels for two years and expresses flavours of cherry with hints of tobacco, chocolate and spice lending support. It’s a smoothly textured wine that doesn’t sit too heavy on the palate (the relatively modest 5.7% g/L of residual sugar can be thanked for that). It’s alc./vol is a reasonable 14.9% considering the style, however it feels a bit heavy-handed, an indication that this isn’t completely balanced. If I’m being asked to pay $50+, I need this to be better.
CLOSSON CHASE VINEYARDS
For over 20 years Closson Chase Vineyards has been producing exceptional quality chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot gris from their 35-acre estate. Their wines are among the very best, not just in the County, but in Ontario, and even Canada as a whole. I can remember a visit to the famed purple barn back in 2017 and musing about their lineup of chardonnays, which include impressive single vineyard offerings as well as multi-vineyard selections that are tiered to reflect their quality. They were all simply a cut above. Their pinot noir portfolio is designed to reflect the chardonnay program, and as you’ll find below, they too are very much next level.
Closson Chase ‘KJ Watson Vineyard’ Pinot Gris
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $23 |
| QPR SCORE: 94 |
Despite this wine not coming out of the estate vineyard, this particular pinot gris has become synonymous with Closson Chase over the years and directly suits the style of the winery. From the KJ Watson Vineyard in Niagara’s Four Mile Creek sub appellation, this simply has to be one of the very best Ontario expressions of pinot gris that I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. This wine is just so compellingly alive and character-driven; it literally had me giddy with enjoyment. Its aromas of wet stone, citrus and melon are a tantalizing start. The palate is bright, zesty and explosive with fresh grapefruit citrus, honey, peach and pear. Acids are racy and burst with a clean freshness. The finish has an unmistakable crisp, minerally driven character. Such a complex wine that really deserves to be tried even if you’re just a casual fan of pinot gris, but especially if you haven’t yet tried this particular offering. Impressive all the way.
Closson Chase ‘Vineyard’ Chardonnay
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $33 |
| QPR SCORE: 93 |
This is a 50/50 blend of South Clos Vineyard and Churchside Vineyard fruit – two of the most attractive sites for chardonnay in the entire county. Its buttery and brioche aromatics pull you right in to palate pleasing flavours of orchard fruit, salted minerality and wet stone. The soft and elegant mouthfeel quickly envelopes the mouth producing a full and complex finish with excellent balance. No sharp acids to be found. Cellar potential is three to five years. Very good value.
Closson Chase Grande Cuvée Chardonnay
| VINTAGE: 2017 |
| PRICE: $95 |
| QPR SCORE: 91 |
The team at Closson Chase clearly wants chardonnay enthusiasts to take note of this particular ‘Cuvée’. Definitely the right vintage to get things started for this inaugural label (2017 was a superior vintage), this too is a 50/50 blend of South Clos and Churchside vineyards. The best barrels are selected and honed in on (40 percent new French oak for 16 months vs. 10 percent French oak applied to the ‘Vineyard’ chard), resulting in an even more structured and balanced wine that promises a cellaring potential of 7-10 years. Pineapple, baked apple and melon notes burst on the nose. Dig a little deeper and you’ll find wildflower, peach, spice and buttered bread notes. The palate mirrors the fruit and spice on the nose and presents such a luscious texture with impeccable acidic balance. I noticed less acidic impact than the ‘Vineyard’ chardonnay (something that might only be recognized during a side-by-side tasting). The wine is no doubt a showstopper (one of the best Canada has ever produced?). The price of this wine, on the other hand, may stop people in their tracks. Sure to cause a buzz throughout the region, Closson Chase is making a bold statement with this, and they’re betting the barn on its success. Is it worth paying a whopping $62 more for than the equally impressive ‘Vineyard’ chardonnay? Right now, my answer is no. No doubt, this wine is excellent, but on a QPR scale, it ranks on the lower end of the value spectrum, and thus the final score must reflect that.
Closson Chase Churchside Pinot Noir
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $42 |
| QPR SCORE: 93 |
This – just released – 2018 edition of the Churchside pinot expresses the warmth of the vintage with a softer profile of dark fruit flavours, beetroot, mushroom and earthy notes. There’s an excellent spicy and mineral core to this wine, not to mention it’s very balanced and smooth, leaving the palate feeling fresh and clean. Cellar it for up to five years. I’d say it has to be one of the better single vineyard offerings in the province for the price. Just 380 cases produced.
Closson Chase Grand Cuvée Pinot Noir
| VINTAGE: 2017 |
| PRICE: $90 |
| QPR SCORE: 92 |
You’re getting the sense that the wines from Closson Chase are very quality-driven. Capping off my tasting experience was this blockbuster of a pinot noir. Designed to complement the Grand Cuvée chardonnay, this is a 60/40 blend of Churchside and South Clos vineyard fruit. From the stunning vintage that was 2017, this is a wine that takes Ontario’s (already) distinguished capabilities of crafting magnificent pinot to another level. It opens with a mineral freshness before expanding voluptuously with richened red fruits, spiced plum, Christmas pudding and dried cherry lending support. No sourness at all. Subtle earth notes round out the extremely lengthy experience. It’s a complex wine that deserves your full attention. Cellar potential is 10 years. I wasn’t joking around when I said that this takes Ontario-made pinot to a new level of sophistication. It’s pricey – perhaps a bit too pricey right now for most to wrap their mind around (see my note on the chardonnay) – but well done nonetheless.
EXULTET ESTATES
Located in the most southern portion of Prince Edward County, a centuries’ old farm, formerly including a dairy operation, cheese factory, and apple orchard, has been resurrected to a new life. Exultet Estates Winery focuses on the distinctness of their property, relative to their short distance to the lake, and is planted to 10 acres of vines – mostly chardonnay and pinot noir, with some vidal and pinot grigio, all planted in 2004. About 1,000 total cases of wine are produced each year (roughly 100 cases of each type), so what you’re getting here is extremely limited. The way I see it is if you’re going to choose a brand name like ‘Exultet’ for your wines, it better be worthy of the name. After all, Exultet comes from the Latin word meaning ‘to sing praise’. And yes, the wines are very good. I wouldn’t go so far as to say they’re the best in the County (something owner Gerry Spinosa would like to have you believe), but they’re definitely on to something here.
Exultet Cru X Chardonnay
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $49.95 |
| QPR SCORE: 91 |
The entry level chardonnay from Exultet makes a bold statement at its $50 price point. The winery’s objective is to give consumers a very terroir-expressive wine, and it is the Spinosa family’s belief that this particular 200 acre property (10 acres of vines) is a very special and distinct place within the County. Terroir geeks tend to eat stuff like that up. And so this – along with the rest of their portfolio – is really for them. The Cru X chardonnay leads with a mineral saltiness and broadens to include flavours of exotic fruit. The finish is refreshing and long. Will age gracefully for the next five years.
Exultet ‘the Blessed’ Chardonnay
| VINTAGE: 2017 |
| PRICE: $65 |
| QPR SCORE: 92 |
Previous vintages of the ‘Blessed’ chardonnay have won top honours at the Ontario Wine Awards and the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Ontario Wines. It’s definitely among a small handful of chardonnays made within the County that can claim to be a step up in quality. Pleasing aromatics delight the senses immediately, with honey, caramel, pineapple, peach, apple and citrus fruits all beautifully harmonizing together. The palate introduces more salinity – more intensely flavoured than the ‘Cru X’ offers. I get a beautiful taste of peach marmalade, followed by butterscotch on the finish. A true cellar keeper that will reward throughout the coming five to seven years. Terroir junkies will want to invest in this. Casual consumers, on the other hand, may find this to be a bit of a steep ask.
Exultet Royal Road Recipe Pinot Noir
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $44.95 |
| QPR SCORE: 93 |
Hand-tended and hand-picked fruit, grown with organic materials when possible and minimal chemical use are fundamental to achieving excellent wines – especially wines that are true expressions of terroir, like pinot noir is. Soil, climate, and geography all coming together to produce an identifiable wine is icing on the cake. ‘The Royal Road Recipe’ is made of estate grown pinot noir, of multiple clones, and is quite complex and beautifully structured. Strawberry jam and raspberry sorbet aromas are accented by subtle earthy notes. The wine is minerally fresh and clean tasting on the palate with ripe red fruits, balanced acids and a savoury finish. It’s definitely approachable now but it will age nicely over the coming three to five years. Pretty bang on with the QPR here.
Exultet ‘Beloved’ Pinot Noir
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $65 |
| QPR SCORE: 89 |
It may not be completely fair to score this four points lower than the Royal Road Recipe pinot. After all, I was sampling the wine just one week after its release. So it’s very young and tightly wound at the moment. All said, that County hallmark mineral acidity kicks in immediately, almost biting and a bit too sharp at the present moment. That will smoothen out over time in bottle. Sour cherry and bright red fruits extend all the way to the finish. I wrote a note after tasting this that said “terroiristic”. No doubt, this is a wine of a place and time, likely to see its full potential met in five to six years.
GRANGE OF PRINCE EDWARD VINEYARDS AND ESTATE WINERY
One of Prince Edward County’s largest vineyards, the mother-daughter winemaking team of celebrated artisan Caroline Granger and her daughter Maggie produces low intervention wines made from 100 percent estate-grown fruit. With 60 acres of vines planted to seven different varietals, The Grange produces a diverse portfolio of wines including late harvest and sparkling styles. Visiting the historic tasting barn and surrounding grounds is an experience unto itself, with picnics among the vines being a huge draw for visitors.
My first experience visiting this winery was back in 2017. I was impressed with the wines I tasted (especially their 2013 Northfield cabernet franc) and with the place overall. But that was when Caroline was still very much in control of the winemaking operation. Since then, the brand has undergone a shift in style and image, with new label branding and the wines being even more naturally focused (perhaps under the influence of upstart Maggie). It’s a style of winemaking that either has its supreme endorsers or its skeptical naysayers. Of the four wines that I tasted from their sampling kit, only two were deemed somewhat satisfactory enough to recommend.
The Grange Riesling
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $28 |
| QPR SCORE: 86 |
I’m really trying my best to embrace the natural wine movement. But it can be a tough pill to swallow when you’re not always given the best examples of the style. Made with a wild ferment and minimal intervention, I will agree with the winery’s technical notes in saying that this riesling is unique from rieslings of past vintages. However, that’s not necessarily a good thing here. The nose is admittedly attractive. Lime zest and ripened tangerine dominate, sparking a sense of intrigue. But the taste is a different story. The orange and citrus flavours, accented with floral and pine notes, are very intense – a bit like a bull in a china shop. It’s an almost chemical taste that seems manufactured. But I know it isn’t. It’s just not what I have come to expect from a riesling. Fans of the winery may love it for its radical and natural constitution. I find this wine to be a bit strange, challenging my threshold for acceptance.
The Grange Pinot Noir Unfiltered
| VINTAGE: 2016 |
| PRICE: $32 |
| QPR SCORE: 86 |
One of only three 2016 vintage wines that I tasted during my visit to the County was this pinot that’s made completely unfiltered – which means sediment is likely to be found in your bottle, so decanting it before serving would be best advised. There’s earth and dark cherry on the nose. The palate flavours mirror those earth and cherry notes, with tobacco leaf and smoke adding to the mix. The drying flavours suggest that this wine is already at its peak, but this could be a result of the warmer vintage and the style that the Grange imposes on the varietal. Either way, it’s one to definitely drink now as opposed to cellaring. Satisfactory at best here.
KARLO ESTATES
Karlo Estates is an artisanal winery that crafts unique wines in both single varietal bottlings and classic blends. Favouring natural winemaking with little intervention, the winery undertook its first planting of grapes in the spring of 2006 and officially opened for business in 2010. The initial varietals planted were pinot noir, chardonnay and frontenac noir. Additional plantings in subsequent years have increased the vineyard size to 14 acres. In addition to estate-grown fruit, the winery also purchases grapes from other top quality vineyards in Prince Edward County, and a few in Niagara. However, the focus is always on County fruit first. The winery tends to have a wider array of offerings, consisting of interesting single varietals and eclectic blends that showcase both the style and image of the winery and of its winemaker, the very celebrated Derek Barnett.
Karlo Estates ‘Three Witches’ (White Blend)
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $20 |
| QPR SCORE: 88 |
Three Witches is a dry, white, old world blend of three grapes: sauvignon blanc, sémillon and gewürztraminer. Attractive floral and honey aromas will immediately have you under this wine’s spell. Dare to take a sip and succumb to an enticing, light bodied wine consisting of zesty and exotic fruit flavours, complemented by flinty mineral notes and a dose of that hallmark County acidity. There’s a hint of bees wax on a nicely poised and refreshing finish. It’s a versatile wine that’s elegant enough to drink on its own or to pair with appetizers at any social gathering.
Karlo Estates ‘Estate’ Chardonnay
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $45 |
| QPR SCORE: 89 |
I’ll start by saying that despite this being a very good wine, I’m possibly not as big a fan of this estate chardonnay as many others might be. My initial impressions are that this comes off a bit lopsided, requiring some more time in bottle to sort itself and even out a bit. The process of producing this chardonnay does hold promise for that to happen. After all, winemaker Derek Barnett does know a thing or two about making very good chardonnay. With this, he’s barrel fermented and aged it for 11 months, then over its lees, as opposed to stirred, in fourth fill French oak barriques. It went through full malolactic fermentation, part spontaneous to generate more complexity. It was then settled in tank for a half month before bottling. Right now, this displays typical aromas of candied pear, hay and some wet straw that don’t have me singing all the way to the moon. The palate is dry with sharpened tasting notes of citrus, vanilla and caramel. It’s only just beginning its complex journey. If you’re willing to take this wine to task for yourself, you may wish to give it a couple years before opening.
Karlo Estates ‘Patio Reserve’ Rosé
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $18 |
| QPR SCORE: 90 |
This wine is an “assemblage” of sémillon and estate-grown malbec (yes, you read that right) – the only malbec grown in Prince Edward County. It’s dry and delicious with crisp acidity and brimming with fresh flavours of strawberry, cranberry and rich red fruits. It was fermented in stainless steel tanks to maintain freshness and it also had lees contact for four months after fermenting, giving the wine a rich texture. I like the sleek bottle and labelling that’s used for this. Makes for a great gift, if not a gift for yourself!
Karlo Estates ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $65 |
| QPR SCORE: 89 |
This is a deep, full-bodied pinot noir that’s full of complex aromas and pronounced flavours, including smoke, cigar box, leather, spice and black cherry. The mid-palate contains that tell-tale County mineral acidity – still quite edgy at the moment – and there’s a lingering rhubarb-cherry finish. Terroir-driven and more old-world in style, the pinot from this ‘Estate’ is definitely one to track and re-visit. It’s young and needs a bit more time to fully harmonize, so don’t rush this. Right now the value is a bit off for me, and as you’ll see below, my feeling is that I’d rather spend $30 less for their County version.
Karlo Estates Lake on the Mountain Pinot Noir
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $35 |
| QPR SCORE: 90 |
Right now I prefer this village style pinot over their ‘Estate’ version for its more approachable attributes – and the QPR is more attractive too. The fruit is sourced from a unique little micro-climate within the County that’s about 100 metres higher than the Bay of Quinte. Up there, the grapes grow smaller, so the skin-to-must ratio is a little more intense, making for a beautifully structured wine. Aromas of earth and spice intertwine with cherry and raspberry. The palate is elegant and layered with more earth, cherry, mineral acidity and spice. Very good depth here considering this is supposed to be a more easy-going wine – there’s just 11.2% alc/vol declared. Owner Sherry Karlo refers to this as the “Southern Belle”, as it is friendly and charming – testament to a unique terroir.
Karlo Estates Petite Pearl
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $24 |
| QPR SCORE: 87 |
One of the few hybrid grape varietals grown on the estate property, this is a grape that’s from pinot parentage – a rebellious child in that it couldn’t be more opposite. Bred to withstand -40C temperatures, it thinks that the County climate is hot, so it acts like a hot climate grape. It produces a wine that is higher in alcohol and dark in colour with very intense aromas and flavours. Right away, I smell cigar box, smoke and even coffee and black licorice notes. The palate has distinct acidity with a mineral edge to it. It’s a touch too sweet, with an abundance of stewed-like fruit, and finishes warm with a bit of a spicy bite. An interesting wine, but perhaps a bit clumsy at the same time.
Karlo Estates ‘Estate’ Malbec
| VINTAGE: 2017 |
| PRICE: $39 |
| QPR SCORE: 90 |
As proof would have it, malbec does grow in the cooler County environment and this is a wine that, unsurprisingly, has attracted some serious attention. Firstly, it’s important to know that it would be wrong to compare this to the Argentinian malbecs one can find readily available at the LCBO for a fraction of the price. Malbec was originally a cool climate varietal which gained fame amongst oenophiles when grown in the Cohors region in the southwest of France. So it is only natural that these vines have proven to be a delicious cool climate expression of this old world grape varietal. With this being the only two acres of malbec grown in Prince Edward County, what we get is a unique wine, with equally unique flavours. The colour is a deep, purplish maroon and it smells of an assembly of dark fruits, tar and spice. The palate flavours are definitely brooding, with peppercorn spice, black cherry, tobacco and stony minerality. Tannins are grippy and the finish is smooth with further flavours of vanilla and red licorice. If you let this sit in your glass long enough, it will continue to develop. The price point is understandable – in fact, I think it’s quite fair. Where my concern lies, is that it may be somewhat wishful thinking to expect many average consumers to venture outside the box, beyond their safe haven (and value confines) of the LCBO for this particular style of malbec. Though, one can hope.
Karlo Estates Van Alstine Red
| VINTAGE: 2017 |
| PRICE: $29 |
| QPR SCORE: 94 |
One of the stand-out wines from my entire trip was this ruby Port style fortified wine made from the estate grown hybrid gape frontenac noir. Boasting 18% alc./vol and 95 grams of residual sugar, this is something to be savoured. Seducing aromas of spicy black berry fruit encircle the nose along with red licorice, stewed cherries, raspberry, dark chocolate and cedar. It’s round, soft and full on the palate with rich, ripened fruit flavours and a beautiful finish that lingers. A perfect companion to dark chocolate after dinner or pair with aged cheeses. Cellar worthy for the next two decades, it’s the first fortified wine to be made in the County, and it’s a showstopper.
KEINT-HE WINERY AND VINEYARDS
Keint-he is a boutique winery that mainly focuses on chardonnay and pinot noir. Centrally located in Prince Edward County’s wine region, these are wines that exhibit terroir-specific minerality and acidity. The vines are lovingly raised in the limestone rich soils of their three distinct and unique vineyard sites. And they only focus on those grape varietals that most effectively showcase the region. The wines not only reflect a sense of place, but also reflect a standard for quality and the character of the region in which they are produced.
Keint-he Arrow-Matic White
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $23 |
| QPR SCORE: 86 |
This is a blend of 35 percent melon de Bourgogne, 35 percent pinot gris and 30 percent riesling. The blend is intriguing – especially with its lightly bronzed colour and its relatively dry 6 g/L of residual sugar. But unfortunately, the whole of this wine is not greater than the sum of its parts. The wine is merely satisfactory, with its basic lemon and dry citrus aroma and flavours dominating. It’s drinkable – better with food – but I was expecting a more pleasant wine with complex notes, something that its price point seemed to suggest.
Keint-he Greer Road Chardonnay
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $40 |
| QPR SCORE: 92 |
This single vineyard offering is unfined, unfiltered and spontaneously fermented with wild yeast, spending 16 months in French oak, of which 33 percent was new. The result is a very expressive chardonnay with inviting honey suckle and orchard fruit aromatics. The mouthfeel is smooth and round with a mineral core to it – typical of so many County wines. Elegant notes of lemon zest and salted spiced caramel round out the finish. A terrific chardonnay with very good complexity.
Keint-he Portage Pinot Noir
| VINTAGE: 2017 |
| PRICE: $25 |
| QPR SCORE: 91 |
This is a blend of pinot noir fruit grown in Keint-he’s four estate vineyards. Despite its value-centric price point, it’s a wine to be taken seriously. It’s brightly coloured with aromas of baking spice and ripened cherries. Light to medium bodied, it’s mouthfeel is soft and gushing with cherry and cran-rhubarb flavours. Easy drinking, very food friendly and attractively priced.
Keint-he Little Creek Pinot Noir – Benway Block
| VINTAGE: 2017 |
| PRICE: $55 |
| QPR SCORE: 89 |
Made from fruit grown in Keint-he’s oldest southern sloping vineyard, this pinot is composed of a three barrel blend. It was spontaneously fermented with wild yeast before undergoing spontaneous malolactic fermentation. The wine was then aged in 33 percent new French oak for 20 months and bottled without fining or filtration. Right now, the wine is still very much tight-nosed and is lacking the type of structural depth that I was expecting from this (perhaps an effect of the malo fermentation?). But there is a certain elegance about this wine, with palate pleasing bright fruit, balanced acidity, mineral notes and a cran-cherry edge. It’s refreshingly clean and should cellar well for the next few years.
LACEY ESTATES WINERY
The Lacey family purchased their vineyard property in 1982 and dug into the Hillier clay-loam soils in 2003 to plant what would become 12 acres. They made their first wines in 2007. The focus is on hand-crafted, small-production wines from their estate vines. Winemaker Kimball Lacey is sinking his County roots deeper every year while wife Liz Lacey runs the well-appointed tasting room and retail store.
Lacey Estates Mon Ami Sparkling
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $20 |
| QPR SCORE: 88 |
Made of 55 percent riesling and 45 percent vidal grapes, the nose on this sparkling had me a bit worried at first with its funky and fermenting aromas. However, one sip and that worry did wash away with its fresh and effervescent palate flavours of ripened orchard fruits. It’s light on the mouthfeel with tight bubbles that seem to float their way along the tongue. Very much akin to a cider spritzer. Good price point.
Lacey Estates ‘Inox’ Chardonnay
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $22 |
| QPR SCORE: 86 |
This is an unoaked chardonnay with fruit sourced from Niagara’s Greenlane Estate Winery. It’s tight on the nose (not much there to smell unless you dig really deep) and despite unoaked, it comes off tasting woodsy with some baked bread notes. This is merely borderline for me – a simple chardonnay that’s drinkable. Not much to contemplate here.
Lacey Estates ‘Infinity’ Chardonnay
| VINTAGE: 2017 |
| PRICE: $26 |
| QPR SCORE: 90 |
Ah, much better. An oaked chardonnay that delivers a nice soft mouthfeel with a splash of that County mineral acidity and tropical fruit notes that weave their way in rather beautifully. Oak is present and accents the wine nicely with subtle spice notes. The finish is buttery and long. Good value chardonnay here.
MORANDIN WINES
This is a family-owned vineyard and craft winery that emphasizes vintage year and single varietals, while proudly expressing the unique terroir of single vineyards. Christian Morandin and his wife bought their 33 acre property in 2005 and planted five acres of vines in 2010 (two acres each of pinot noir and chardonnay, and one acre of pinot gris). In 2018, their facility opened to the public. The winery is known for producing small batch estate-grown and bottled wine in the traditional old world style. Around 1,000 cases in total are produced each year, making each bottle produced a very limited and special edition. I met with Chris Morandin, whose family is from the Veneto region of Italy. We walked his property, and as I tasted his wines – those that were still available – he was kind enough to tell me his story.
Morandin Wines Rosé
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $25 |
| QPR SCORE: 87 |
An interesting blend, this rosé is made from fruit sourced from both Niagara and the County. The viognier and riesling grapes are from Niagara’s Redfoot Vineyard (Lincoln Lakeshore appellation) and Mayfield Vineyard (Twenty Mile Bench) respectively. The shimmering rosé colour comes from a touch of gamay noir from Hillier Creek Vineyard in Prince Edward County. There’s inviting aromas of fresh cherries that lead to a clean and refreshing taste. There’s nothing too complex about this wine and there’s not a whole lot of length to it, but it will pair nicely with shell fish, appetizers or just sip it on its own.
Morandin Wines Pinot Gris
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $27 |
| QPR SCORE: 89 |
This is not Morandin’s own estate pinot gris, rather, the fruit for this wine was sourced from South Bay Vineyards within the County. Barrel aged in neutral oak for six months, this is a very clean and refreshing pinot gris with balanced acidity. It’s a wine that’s easy to drink and easy to like.
Morandin Wines Viognier
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $30 |
| QPR SCORE: 92 |
Entirely sourced from Niagara’s Redfoot Vineyard, almost half of the fruit was fermented and aged in French oak for six months before bottling, adding a beautiful element of complexity to the finished product. Aromas are quite pleasant – which is typical of the varietal when made well – but it’s the lovely palate flavours that demand your attention. Mineral freshness and dry citrus notes clear a path for an almond butter finish. It’s lively but it’s smooth and round, making for an excellent viognier – something that tends to be in very short supply here in Ontario.
Morandin Wines County Chardonnay
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $39 |
| QPR SCORE: 89 |
Once again, this is not from estate grown fruit, but rather from the County’s knotty Vines Vineyard. Aged for nearly two years in French oak, while resting on its lees, this chardonnay is wafting with nutty aromas that complement a balanced and smooth mouthfeel with subtle flavours of buttered toast, orchard fruits and a clean mineral finish.
Morandin Wines Cabernet Sauvignon
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $39 |
| QPR SCORE: 88 |
Morandin really wanted to add a cabernet to its lineup. Sadly, cabernet doesn’t grow well in the cooler County region, so they acquire the fruit for this from the Mason Vineyard, located within Niagara’s Twenty Mile Bench appellation. After a two week ferment, the wine was aged in barrel for 18 months. About 13 percent of gamay was added to the final blend, which helps to make the wine more approachable in its youth, moderating the tannins. The addition of gamay also helps with its inviting aromas of violets and blueberry fruit. It’s an easy-drinking, consumer friendly wine, with plenty of cherry and red fruit flavours over a medium body. Some might view this as perhaps a bit too diluted for a cabernet sauvignon, but I can understand the need to make this available immediately, as opposed to a year or two from now. It’s definitely priced to sell. Just 1,000 bottles were made, so it’s a wine that’ll go fast.
REDTAIL VINEYARDS
Redtail Vineyards is a small winery off the beaten path in the small town area known as Consecon, Ontario. The vineyard sits on heavy clay soils and mainly focuses on chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot gris produced in an old world style with a focus on terroir and purity of fruit. Small batches of low intervention, vineyard expressive wines are the result of winemaker Lee Baker’s efforts. By the time I had made my arrangements to visit Redtail, they were all sold out of their County made and estate vineyard bottlings for the year. Too bad. What they had me taste instead were a chardonnay and pinot noir made using Niagara sourced fruit and a “secret pinot noir” also made from Niagara fruit. Despite my intention to want to focus more on County-grown wines, I did decide to include these wines in my report.
Redtail Chardonnay
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $24 |
| QPR SCORE: 90 |
Made with fruit sourced from Niagara’s Twenty Mile Bench sub appellation (exact vineyard was not disclosed), this is a nicely made chardonnay that epitomizes the low intervention style of the winery. This first underwent spontaneous fermentation in barrel, then natural malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged for 12 months in 500L French oak, 25 percent new. There’s a honey-lemon nose to this, with further notes of bread, almond and flint smoke. The palate is quite round, elegant and mirrors much of the aromatics with added flavours of candied apple and brown sugar. The finish is intense and long. Well-made. A QPR diamond in the rough.
Redtail Pinot Noir
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $24 |
| QPR SCORE: 91 |
This pinot nicely bookends the chardonnay in that it too is made from Niagara Twenty Mile Bench fruit. The majority of this wine underwent spontaneous fermentation and was aged for 14 months in a mixture of 25 percent new and 75 percent neutral French oak barrels. There’s lovely notes of cinnamon and nutmeg on the nose and mid-palate that complement flavours of cherry, black berry, rooibos tea and some earth. There’s good minerality on the finish too. Despite the price tag possibly indicating it as such (yes, you’re seeing that price correctly), this is no drag of a pinot. It’s got some real depth to it and can cellar for two or three years and still further develop. Another dream find for any QPR hunter.
Redtail “Secret” Pinot Noir
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: TBD |
| QPR SCORE: 92-93 |
The story behind the wine is that the fruit comes from a sought after pinot noir vineyard in Niagara’s St. David’s Bench (I can wager a good guess as to exactly where, but I won’t on the record). The winery was lucky enough to get access to a very small allotment of the 2019 vintage fruit unexpectedly and decided to keep the identity of the vineyard site a secret. The wine will be released at some point over the winter under the name “Secret Pinot Noir”. There’s not even a price tag assigned to it yet, and so I’ve slightly ranged my score for it. The free run juice from this wine was fermented in new oak with the rest left to ferment on skins. The wine was blended post-ferment and aged in one third new and two thirds neutral French oak barrels. It underwent spontaneous primary and malolactic fermentation, was bottled unfined, unfiltered, and unsettled. The colour is a brilliant and vibrant ruby red that’s just slightly cloudy, but all part of the plan. For a natural wine, this is actually quite soft and round with no sharp flavours at all and boasts lovely aromas and flavours of raspberry and cherry. Now this is a low intervention style that I can really get behind. A fascinating wine that will no doubt sell quickly once it becomes available.
ROSEHALL RUN
Founded in 2001 by grape grower and winemaker Dan Sullivan, Rosehall Run has been at the forefront of Prince Edward County winemaking. Dan is critically acclaimed for his consistent, elegant, approachable pinot noirs, chardonnays and sparkling wines as well as his innovations with unique varietals. Rosehall has 25 acres of vines planted, none of which are hybrid varietals. It’s an approach I respect in County wineries that do this. It’s an all or nothing mentality that pays off well for Rosehall Run. I sat with both Dan and his son Dylan for my tasting. I’m quite assured in my feeling that this winery is among just a few top tier producers operating out of the County right now.
Rosehall Run Ceremony Blanc de Blanc
| VINTAGE: N/V |
| PRICE: $36 |
| QPR SCORE: 90 |
Everyone seems to be making sparkling these days. It keeps wineries competitive within a growing market. But not everyone makes sparkling well. The traditional method Ceremony from Rosehall Run is definitely made well. From entirely estate-grown chardonnay, this cuvée is assembled from three vintages (2011, ’13 and ’14). It hits the palate sharply with crisp, clean acids and lingers with its persistent mousse. There’s some toasty almond undertones and a minerally infused freshness on the finish.
Rosehall Run Rosé of Pinot Noir
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $25 |
| QPR SCORE: 90 |
This is Rosehall Run’s first rosé made entirely from estate grown pinot noir, carefully selected from single vineyard parcels. It presents a beautiful pale salmon colour, and that beauty is matched in both its aromas and flavours of red berry fruit, dry cherry and savoury herbs, all wonderfully complemented with a refreshing and balanced dose of crisp, lively acids.
Rosehall Run JCR Chardonnay
| VINTAGE: 2017 |
| PRICE: $36 |
| QPR SCORE: 93 |
I was given the opportunity to taste this side-by-side with the 2018 vintage. There’s no doubt that the 2017 is leaner, fresher, saltier and identifies more with the characteristic mineral acidity that’s unique to County wines. Winemaker and co-owner Dan Sullivan suggested to me that “the 2017 chardonnay was our most successful wine of the vintage.” I won’t argue with that statement. It’s a beautiful wine and should cellar nicely for the next three to five years.
Rosehall Run JCR Chardonnay
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $36 |
| QPR SCORE: 92 |
Slated for release this November, the 2018 vintage of the JCR chardonnay is the 15th edition of its kind. In case you’re wondering what JCR stands for, it’s the monogram of winery co-founder John Campbell Reston who, while not active every day in the winery, has perhaps more than anyone understood the transcendent nature of what can be achieved at the estate level. This wine shimmers in the glass and leads with ripened orchard and melon fruit that carries over into a mid-palate that comes off clean and minerally fresh. The finish is slightly salty. In isolation, the differences in the ’17 and ’18 could be hard to identify, however, when tasting side-by-side, the ’17 wins by a nose.
Rosehall Run JCR Pinot Noir
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $42 |
| QPR SCORE: 94 |
It’s easy to see why this pinot was selected as Ontario’s red wine of the year at this year’s Ontario Wine Awards. It’s an excellent wine and it sells for a very attractive price as a bonus. Entirely grown and selected from the estate’s north block vineyard (planted in 2001 and 2002), this is a deeply expressive pinot that’s managed the warmer 2018 vintage beautifully. There’s excellent structure here, with rich red fruits, dominated by cherry flavours that overlay an earthy, mineral finish. There’s a nice gentle grip to it that I like as well. Watch it develop further complexities over the coming five to seven years. I wouldn’t expect such an inviting price point to last too much longer.
Rosehall Run Pet Nat
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $32 |
| QPR SCORE: 90 |
If you’ve not ever tried a pet nat (short for the French term Pétillant Naturel), this would be a fine start. In fact, this is Rosehall Run’s first foray into this space, which seems to be catching on as more wineries are experimenting with this quirky wine as each year passes. This particular pet nat is sourced from experimental plantings that are part of the oldest vines at the estate farm dating back to 2001. Over the years, Dan Sullivan has made varietal wines under the radar in very small quantities to test the potential for growing various varieties. This block has 130 vines each of sauvignon blanc and gewürztraminer – the oldest producing in the County – along with pinot gris, gamay and riesling. They used this fruit plus a select lot of their clone 459 pinot noir, muscat and tempranillo (yes, you read that right) to craft this unique blend. So many grapes thrown into the mix (almost mad scientist in a way) and yet this works brilliantly. A dollop of sparkling chardonnay must was added to tweak the sugar and up the bubble potential. It’s fruity, slightly funky, refreshing and effervescent, almost akin to a type of soda pop that you’d crave on a warm summer’s day. Interesting.
Rosehall Run Pixie Petite
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $3.95 for a 355mL RTD can |
| QPR SCORE: 91 |
I don’t know what everyone thinks of Ready to Drink wines in cans, but what I do know is that this particular category is gaining more popularity and market share in the industry. Introducing Pixie Petite, an RTD wine spritzer made from the winery’s already popular pink bubbly, Pixie (vidal and pinot noir blend). Remaining authentic and faithful to the Pixie brand, this canned bevy is super convenient and is bursting with serious flavour. I got peach and strawberry notes that sit light and dry on the palate. It’s low in alcohol and refreshing for any occasion. Impressive!
TRAIL ESTATE WINERY
This boutique winery produces uncompromising terroir-driven wines made from both County and Niagara fruit. Winemaker Mackenzie Brisbois utilizes native yeasts (wild ferments) and minimalist techniques to craft Pét Nat sparklings, chardonnays, skin-fermented whites (orange wines) and cabernet francs with depth and character. Each wine tells the story of its site and vintage.
Trail Estate ‘Light Fluffy Coulds’ Pet Nat
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $33 |
| QPR SCORE: 90 |
This refreshingly light and balanced pet nat is made up of 90 percent muscatt ottonel and 10 percent riesling. It was fermented dry with a little pre-ferment juice added at bottling. Zero sulphites. What we get is a lemon-orange, almost soda-esque ‘Limoncello’ flavoured wine that’s balanced without any sharp acids. Just 9.5% alc/Vol and 3g/L residual sugar. Based on this visit to the County, I can see why pet nat wines are all the rage right now with consumers. Only 160 cases produced.
Trail Estate ‘ORNG’ Orange Wine
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $55 |
| QPR SCORE: 86 |
The winery is really betting on the success and current popularity of skin contact wines (or orange wines) and their price point reflects their bold and daring stance. It’s a position that mirrors the wine itself. ORNG is 65 percent riesling and 35 percent gewürztraminer. The skins were left in contact with the wine for eight months — 243 days to be exact. It underwent a wild ferment with light punch downs during fermentation for gentle extraction from the skins. It was pressed and moved into older oak for three months, racked once thereafter and bottled with fine lees; unfixed/unfiltered. Right now, the nose is a bit musty, presenting a fermented fruit smell that combines with mushroom and earth. If you can get past that rather unappealing and extreme funkiness, the palate presents intense flavours of orange peel and lemon zest. It’s an expression that leaves me unconvinced that skin contact wines are worth paying such a premium price for.
Trail Estate Riesling (Barrel Ferment)
| VINTAGE: 2017 |
| PRICE: $35 |
| QPR SCORE: 86 |
The fruit for this riesling was sourced from Niagara’s Foxcroft Vineyard (Twenty Mile Bench sub appellation) and was pressed and cold settled without the use of any enzymes. The 2016 riesling was pulled from barrel and the 2017 was put in the same barrel to keep the same yeast and malolactic culture alive. Fermentation did not reach dryness until the summer of 2018. Malolactic completed soon after before an aging period in oak for 10 months. The experimental method in making this wine can be respected, but unfortunately I can’t give this wine high praise for its resulting tasting experience. The nose stings of petrol and citronella candle and the palate is a medley of acetone fruit, almost unsettling so. It’s a wine that’s perhaps too intense for its own good right now. Another radically made riesling from this tasting trip that teeters on my threshold for bearable acceptance. Perhaps a future opportunity of drinking this in isolation could have a different effect on me, but it really could go one way or the other – in either continuing to merely feel tolerant of the style, or pushing it down into the un-recommended abyss.
Trail Estate Chardonnay
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $40 |
| QPR SCORE: 87 |
From estate-grown fruit comes a wild fermented chardonnay that continues along the path of Trail Estate’s experimental style and method. On the whole, this works reasonably well with its creamy lemon and caramel nose that sets this wine up for characteristic tastes of fresh citrus and a refreshing mineral mouthfeel. It’s soft and has moments of subtle intensity courtesy of its extended lees contact. At this price point, I expected more depth and complexity considering its wine making attributes. A bit restrained, but enjoyable to say the least.
Trail Estate ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $60 |
| QPR SCORE: 87 |
Made with estate-grown fruit, this pinot has a nose of red cherry and tastes clean and fresh with its mineral notes, bright acidity and cran-cherry red fruit flavours. There’s a lasting impression all the way through to the finish but I wanted much more from this. It begs for more depth, more concentration. But perhaps the lighter expression is what they’re really going for here with these varietals (see notes on the chardonnay). Either way, I wish it had a bit more structure to it as it’s a bit light on its feet – especially for the price that’s being asked of it.
Trail Estate Baco Noir
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $30 |
| QPR SCORE: 89 |
This beautifully tasting and balanced baco was aged in 15 percent new Canadian oak, 30 percent 3rd fill American oak and 55 percent neutral barrels for 10 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulphur. It’s a winning formula with alluring aromas of candied cherry, red licorice and cinnamon. The colour is deep purple but the flavours are of bright red fruits – strawberry and cherry. It’s also plummy and freshly complex on the mouthfeel with a medium body and a slight tannic tug. Definitely a wine that can age a few more years if you’ll allow it to.
Trail Estate ‘Foxcroft’ Cabernet Franc
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $45 |
| QPR SCORE: 92 |
Sourced from Niagara’s Foxcroft Vineyard, this is an excellent and pure expression of both the vineyard and of the warmer 2018 vintage. The wine is dark and earthy with beautiful peppery notes of black licorice laced with thyme and blackberries on the nose. The palate is rich and generous, medium to full bodied, with firm tannins and medium acidity. Deep and delicious, this is a quality franc that continues to prove that Niagara knows best when it comes to growing and nurturing this particular varietal in Canada. Just 109 cases produced.
TRAYNOR FAMILY VINEYARD
This family owned boutique winery is situated on a very quaint five and a half acre vineyard property that owner Mike Traynor purchased in 2008. It was once a frozen cornfield, and he could see his vision from that very moment. Traynor produces a variety of wines of many styles, as well as acclaimed natural wines (including orange wines, and pet-nat), and even foraged vermouth, all contributing to create a unique tasting experience.
Traynor Pet Nat
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $40 |
| QPR SCORE: 89 |
Made of 80 percent chardonnay and 20 percent sauvignon blanc (both estate grown), the two varietals were co-fermented and cold stabilized before settling. A suss reserve of vidal juice was then added and the wine was immediately bottled afterwards. The result is a wine that gives off yeasty aromatics with hints of orange peel and lime zest. The mouthfeel is vibrant with an array of citrus fruits, tight bubbles and palate-cleansing freshness.
Traynor ‘Inclusion’ Orange
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $55 |
| QPR SCORE: 89 |
Low-intervention winemaking techniques are commonly used to make orange wine. Meaning, the wine is unfiltered, made with wild yeast and contains minimal additives or chemicals. You’re also getting a wine with unique and interesting flavours. And while orange wine is made from white grapes, it takes on more red wine characteristics – like fuller body, bolder flavour and presence of tannins. At the same time, it maintains the acidity of a white wine. Such is the case with the ‘Inclusion’, a wine that’s made of frontenac gris grapes and is bright orange in colour. Aromas of fresh tangerine and fuzzy peach are beautifully coaxed from the glass before experiencing intense flavours of orange rind, pear and peach that simply burst on the palate. I have to agree with the assistant winemaker’s description when he says that this is “Jolly Rancher on the nose with a Sour Patch Kids taste.” Couldn’t have described it any better myself. Interesting and memorable, but pricey.
Traynor Oaked Chardonnay
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $30 |
| QPR SCORE: 86 |
Made from estate-grown fruit, this Chablis-style chardonnay is barrel fermented and lightly oaked (six-seven total months). It’s light bodied and tropical, with bright acidity and hints of baking spice. Easy to drink, but there’s not enough pizazz in this offering to warrant a more enthusiastic recommendation.
Traynor Pinot Noir
| VINTAGE: 2019 |
| PRICE: $25 |
| QPR SCORE: 86 |
Made from fruit sourced from nearby County vineyards, this expression of pinot was whole cluster fermented and left on skins for 22 days before being pressed into tank to settle quickly. It was then aged in used barrels for eight months. It’s very light in body and very fruit forward – a bit worrisome that this could fall apart if not consumed immediately (but then again, maybe that’s the point here). Tart fruit flavours and a slight sour edge are not a favourite combination of mine. Pairing this with food would be the only way to go here.
Traynor Cabernet Franc
| VINTAGE: 2017 |
| PRICE: $35 |
| QPR SCORE: 87 |
Made from fruit sourced from a local grower, this County cab franc was fermented on the skins for 24 days and pressed into stainless steel vats and oak barrels where the wine stayed on its heavy lees for four months. Smoke and ashtray aromas on the nose give way to a juicy mouthfeel, with dark fruit and earthy flavours. The finish has subtle suggestions of tobacco. It’s medium to light and drinks soft. An interesting interpretation of the varietal, but it’s hard to get past some of the rather unpleasant aromas and dry flavours.
Traynor ‘Alta’ Red
| VINTAGE: 2018 |
| PRICE: $35 |
| QPR SCORE: 89 |
This is 100 percent marquette, and the warmer 2018 vintage contributes to its intense flavour and overall structure. Deeply rich in style, it’s the biggest and boldest red in the Traynor portfolio. It was aged in a combination of new and used French oak for 17 months which has helped to bring out its jammy, earthy flavour profile that finishes smoky.
I wish to express my sincere thanks to those producers and winemakers of Prince Edward County who welcomed me in and sat with me, or walked with me, sharing their story and explaining their wines. It was a tremendous learning experience that I won’t soon forget. Thank you. – CG
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