TasteCamp Day 3: Niagara, U.S.A. Population Potential

If you're a Canadian and ever wondered what it might have been like to visit Ontario wine country in the early days I'd suggest taking a trip across the boarder to visit the Niagara, New York wine route. Sharing the ancient glacial-shaped soils of Niagara, Ontario and its climate this is essentially one continuous region. But even if you've only ever done a day-trip to Niagara, Ontario's wine region it doesn't take long to realise things across the border are remarkably different. From talking to some of the winemakers, winery owners and wine workers at Tastecamp it comes down to this—Niagara, New York is at a much earlier stage in its development.

For all the issues Niagara, Ontario wineries face like laws limiting how and where they can sell or high taxes and costs making it virtually impossible to sell a quality wine under $12 a bottle there are many advantages to growing grapes in Ontario. Many of those advantages are hard-fought ones that Niagara, Ontario wineries have earned over the past three decades. The real key to it all is without a doubt VQA. Reading Linda Bramble's book you get the impression that wineries were both scared and motivated to improve quality as the talk of free trade via NAFTA and unfettered access for California and other foreign wine superpowers became a real possibility. Quality producers knew great wine could be made in Ontario but they also knew that the industry as whole needed time to establish itself as a quality producer and explore where its particular strengths might lie. One of the ways this was done was fighting for government incentive programs to pull out old labruscas and then hybrids for quality vinifera grapes which take at least three years before they begin to produce commercially. This never happened on the American side so the cost of a pull-out is entirely on the individual. Naturally there are still prime sites full of lubruscas there to this day. For these growers more money can be made growing these hardy prolific native grapes best suited for juices, jellies and eating than growing vinifera best suited wine. So without incentives or a unified body showing an alternative unless an individual has a passion for quality wine and money to burn there's not much of a reason for change. There are certainly a few passionate individuals leading the way but it will take some time, effort, money and likely a little heartbreak before things develop to the same level as Ontario.

From TasteCamp

On such winery was Arrowhead Springs Growing vinifera on a modified Scott Henry trellis system, using rye and clover cover crops and fertilising with local horse manure as needed Duncan and Robin Ross have a focus on growing the best grapes they can. They also aren't afraid to experiment. They've barrel fermented some reds in local oak from from Key Stone Cooperage for instance. That's not a common practice given the difficulty of removing skins before barrel aging. After all barrels are meant to keep all but a bit of air out, let alone people, or else the wine inside would oxidise and ruin very quickly. One of Duncan Ross' favourite grapes to work with is Cabernet Franc for its hardiness against winter cold and disease pressure as well as its good yield. His 2008 was full of toasty oak-spice flavours as well as raspberry and some smoky tobacco notes.

Another memorable winery stop was Freedom Run. If you haven't heard of the Lockport winery you probably will soon because a recent purchase of 45 additional acres of pinot noir means the winery has five and half times the production than when it began. The fact that it is all pinot noir is also exceptional given that the persnickety grape is thin-skinned, prone to disease pressure and can turn on you if you so much as look at it funny. The sheer number is also significant considering that the terroir and pinot and chardonnay obsessed Le Clos Jordanne, co-owned by industry giants Constellation and Boisset, has 121 acres split between chardonnay and pinot noir. Six different 2010 pinot noir barrel samples were poured and all had an amazingly deep purple-ruby colour and a distinct bretty note that should be instantly recognisable to those who've have a Flemish sour ale. My favourite was probably the mixed vineyard blend which harmonized the characteristics of the single vineyard wines. It was full of black plum, raspberry and black cherry with medium plus acidity and a strong finish of bretty sour ale. Like a few wineries in Niagara, Ontario, most notably Foreign Affair the winery is also experimenting using the appassimento process of drying grapes to highlight and concentrate flavours.

From TasteCamp

One winery to look out for is Leonard Oakes. The Medina, NY winery is one of the furthest east in the region and they are growing a mix of hardier hybrids and vinifera trying to figure what works best in the their corner of it. The winery's winemaker Jonathan Oakes graduated from the viticulture program at Niagara College and trained under Brian Schmidt at Vineland. That experience shows in this reserve riesling. With flavours and aromas of juicy lime, smoky gun flint and crushed rock it's a classic cool climate riesling from Niagara. It's also perfectly balanced down the middle when it comes to sweetness, mouthfeel and acidity letting the flavours shine through. It would be really interesting to see what he could do with some Weis 21B clone riesling which he'd love to plant if he could get his hands on some vines. His vidal icewine shows his Canadian training as well. It's classic Niagara with the sweet flavours of honeyed apricots, peach and pineapple flavours and aromas. What's makes it exceptional is it possesses the balancing acidity which can often be lacking in vidal icewine.

From TasteCamp

One of the curious things common throughout the Niagara, New York reds was deep colour almost always at the medium plus level of intensity even in thinner skin varieties known to be fairly light in colour like pinot noir. In some cases producers are using enzymes like Color pro to aid in the extraction. The reason is that local market prefers its wine deeply coloured. What's a bit odd with this is that on the whole the body of the wines was lighter than the colour would lead you to believe—almost always a medium minus intensity even in cabernets, malbecs and syrahs. It was an interesting dichotomy that I would be be interested to see again if it changes in a few years as the vines get a bit more age. The other thing to keep an eye out for in Niagara, New York is the creation of a body made of industry producers to promote and push the industry forward. Both the VQA and Wine Council of Ontario have been instrumental in creating the framework for quality standards as well as tireless promoters to both the public and government. There's talk of trying to set something up like the VQA with formal but voluntary quality-focused rules providing a base standard which will ideally push things forward on the American side. If the same holds as it did in Ontario the sooner this happens the better. So with land being very cheap, the industry in its early years and a climate shared with Niagara, Ontario its American counterpart is a region to keep a close eye on over the next decade. I know I'll be making my next visit sooner rather than later.

From TasteCamp

NZ isn't all SB: Thoughts from Toronto's 2011 New Zealand Fair

Over the past four decades New Zealand has quickly built a reputation as a premium wine region capable of producing consistently great wines that stand-up amongst the world's best. They've largely done so on the back of a fresh, distinctively grassy and tropical style of Sauvignon Blanc. It makes plenty of sense. The country has the potential to grow the grape well year-after-year, the style is distinct and much more highly aromatic than the known benchmark of Sancerre from the Loire Valley, it doesn't require long aging time at the winery or in the cellar to be its best and the country focused its export efforts on the key taste-making market of the U.K. to build a premium reputation. But that's not a complete strategy. New Zealand is a country with grape growing regions that span over 1600 km through latitudes from 34˚ to 47˚. Simply put that means not every region is suited not does it want to focus on Sauvignon Blanc. Plus as a relatively young wine producing nation without the benefit of a long and storied reputation it helps to have a bit of diversity should a key variety fall out of favour with your market. The question is aside from Sauvignon Blanc what should New Zealand's variety or varieties be? A red would probably be nice to cater to those that for whatever reason don't drink whites.

In the Southern most region Central Otago with its hotter dryer continental climate and higher elevation vineyards the focus has been on Pinot Noir. Burgundy's favourite grape is a bit of a prodigy. Temperamental to grow and vinify you never really know if it will delivery on all its promise and brilliance. When it does winemakers and wine geeks rejoice at its complexity and the elusive balance it has between power and finesse that very few wines manage to achieve. But when it doesn't it's a bust that scorns like no other. Although I didn't get the chance to taste from all of the producers at Toronto's 2011 New Zealand Wine Fair the I found that Pinot Noir from Central Otago had a common flavour profile that leaned towards ripe concentrated berry and black fruit with surprisingly heavier weight, tannins and less acidity than you come to expect from Pinot Noir. Although delicious on their own I'm not sure this bigger style works as well with some lighter dishes that Pinot pairs well with like salmon, squab, rabbit and roast chicken. If you're a lover of cooler climate Pinot Noir with its sour cherry, rose petals, minerality, high acidity, earthy funk and the versatility that it brings to food pairing then Central Otago Pinot is almost unrecognisable. But that makes sense with hot dry summers, mica and schist soils and a need for irrigation on the steeply sloped vineyards it has much less in common with Pinot's classic cool climate home in Burgundy than you might have assumed. One of the surprise Pinots was the 2009 Konrad Pinot Noir, from the cooler Marlborough region. A medium ruby colour this wine was full of fragrant red cherry, red berry and floral notes. On the palate there was strawberries, red cherries and a bit spice from the 10 months spent in Burgundian made oak barrels. The Tannins were silky and medium minus level and it had medium mouthfeel and medium acidity.

There was also a push to exhibit Syrah as the next big thing. Producers poured plenty of young, deeply concentrated and brambly Syrah that was tight with high tannins. The best had meaty and gamey notes which added an extra dimension on top of the fruit. Without much experience tasting older examples it's hard to know whether those tannins will dissipate and integrate nicely over time. My favourite was the Elephant Hill from the Hawke's Bay region. The wine was full of black cherry, raspberry and the characteristic pepper kick you get in a cooler climate Syrah. Tannins and body were nicely balanced at medium level and the acidity was at the medium plus level which should make it a nice compliment to a richer meal like a juicy steak.

But my favourite wine was neither from the newer stars Pinot Noir and Syrah nor from the country's flagship grape Sauvignon Blanc. It was a Chardonnay from Staete Landt. The vineyards are on a former apple and cherry orchard in one of the oldest grape growing areas of Marlborough. The Chardonnay comes from two clones planted in clay over stoney soils —it was a former river bed. The 2009 vintage is a rich Chardonnay that was barrel-fermented in new French oak. The nose and palate are reminiscent of ripe peach, golden apples with a nutty spiciness. The most intrigue aspect is the savoury peach-pit kernel note that emerges towards the finish. Even with the rich full flavour and medium plus mouthfeel the Chardonnay retained great minerality and medium acidity which balances. I was also lucky enough to taste the 2004 vintage at the Lifford Grand Tasting and it was aging beautifully, gaining complexity with toasted hazelnuts and tertiary honey notes.

What did i come away with? There's more to New Zealand than Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. It's a really diverse wine producer with dramatically different climates that are capable of producing a range of wine styles even growing the same grape. I'm not convinced there should be a focus on particular grapes quite yet. Yes, the push for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was critical to developing the country's reputation aboard. But there's plenty of regions outside Marlborough that are just as capable of producing great wine. Over time I can see a focus emerging in each of the regions from Northland to Central Otago. But in the mean time I'm happy to taste the results as growers, wineries and consumers all figure out what each area believes it does best.

Tawse Comes of Age

As Paul Pender is talking to a group of bloggers amongst the vines about the difference he's seen in Tawse's recent move toward organic and biodynamic practices you get the feeling that the near decade old winery is coming into its own under his stewardship

For Pender it really is all about what happens out in the vineyards. The few times I've spoken to him he's always been in a flannel shirt, jeans and boots amongst the vines where he passionately and eloquently explains that what is happening in the vineyard determines the quality in the bottle. Today he starts off with a quick five minute crash course in biodynamics (see my Spotlight article for more detail on the subject) for the group, which includes some unfamiliar with the concept. He touches on all the key points: the preparations, Steiner's philosophy, the integrated self-sustaining farm and all without glossing over the more controversial cosmic aspects. The key step to unlocking terroir (see this post for a more in depth look at the subject) for Pender is the soil. “You're not getting a sense of terrior when the soil is dead”, he says. Since coming aboard in 2004 Pender has worked to convert the exisitng vines over to biodynmaic farming methods. I say methods becuase having only received organic certification this year it will be another year until the wines can be biodynamically certified.

From Tawse camp

The biodynamic concept of having an integrated self-sustaining farm is something that appeals to Pender and it is something that Tawse has really begun to embrace. This year Pender has started using a horse in place of a tractor. The decrease in production (seven compared to nine acres a day) is more than a fair trade-off for less compaction of the top soil, he says. The vineyard's sheep are just tall enough to eat the leaves keeping the vine's fruiting zone exposed to the sun for ripening and good air flow. Plus they provide manure for the vineyard as they do at Southbrook. The chickens fertilise and provide pest management as they roam amongst the vines. They also provide a bonus of free-run of eggs which are sold at the winery. The small Shetland sheep go to slaughter in the fall and generally end-up on a plate at a local restaurant. But given the cost to raise them nether is a money maker for the winery. It's more about keeping with the biodynamic spirit of creating a self-sustaining integrated farm.

From Tawse camp

Although not a required biodynamic practice clover is planted as a cover crop between the rows a—common practice in almost all of Ontario's vineyards. Cover crops are known to provide numerous benefits. Reduced soil erosion, stability for people and/or tractors between the rows (especially in wetter conditions), weed suppression, a habitat for beneficial insects, a home to discourage harmful bugs from the moving on to the vines, organic material, nitrogen and lastly soil structure improvement via drainage. But maintaining cover crops costs money and they can compete with vines for resources as well as attract pests. In Tawse's case the sheep are a solution to these issues happily keeping the cover crop and pests in check as they greedily clear whole blocks in a matter of hours.

From Tawse camp

Pender believes that with its thick tap root oil seed radish (another cover crop sometimes used) can cause soil compaction. He prefers clover because in his experience the finer root system leads to better drainage. With a heavier clay soil at the home Cherry Avenue property good drainage through the top layers is key. A heavy compacted clay can have a tendency to allow water to sit near the surface and drain slowly—a problem you want to absolutely avoid if possible. Overall Pender has noticed that since implementing the biodynamic practices the health and caliber of the estate fruit has maintained top quality even in challenging vintages.

From Tawse camp

Another strategy being employed at Tawse in the pursuit of better grapes is the use of tighter spacing on the Burgundian model.
The theory is that with the vines tightly planted the root systems dig deep and fiercely compete for nutrients leading to less fruit per vine but higher yields overall per acre/hectare. Furthermore with more canopy and fewer bunches to ripen you should end-up with high-quality, small and intensely flavoured grapes that express a sense of place. Although it sounds good in theory tight planting is not a light undertaking. With the extra roots in close proximity good soil structure is essential for them to remain healthy. The tight spacing also means that good canopy management like shoot positioning and leaf stripping is essential not only for ripening but also to help with disease pressure. The Cherry Avenue vineyard seems to have good air flow which helps keep things dry and thus far it means there's not been a need for wind machines (to reduce frost risk) according to Pender. Some of the vines on Cherry Avenue are quite old for Niagara (Robyn's Block of 29-year-old Chardonnay and Carly's block of 34-year-old Riesling) so ripping out before the vines have reached the end of their life-span just to try tight planting would be a shame. Nobody is planning to rip vines out prematurely but if the trails work well and older blocks need replacing you would have to believe tighter spacing would be seriously considered. Tawse's tight planting trails use five foot row spacing (most Niagara planting is eight-nine foot between rows which fits the locally available tractors) but this requires all hand labour until a special tractor from Burgundy arrives next year.

From Tawse camp

For Pender Niagara has reached a maturing point where the winemaking technique and knowledge is very solid, so gains to be made there aren't dramatic. With Brock's Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute approaching its 15th year and Niagara College Teaching Winery closing in on a decade of operation there is certainly a lot more people educated in winemaking and viticulture than there was in Niagara just a short decades ago. Thus it's only logical that the focus be on the vines. “The biggest advances will come from the vineyard. We need to pay attention to what the vineyards are telling us. If we don't pay attention to that we won't get anywhere,” Pender say.

From Tawse camp

Part of that focus is growing fewer varieties. Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc are what should be grown in Niagara according to Pender. Gamay could also work but the lower price point works against it in the business sense. Trying to grow everything and being everything to everyone doesn't work in the cool climate of Niagara according to Pender. He cites Oregon as a great example of a region that despite some recent troubles has been able to position itself as a premium region by focusing on one grape: Pinot Noir. In a bit of an ironic twist Pender has inherited a couple of mixed vineyards as Tawse begins to expand. The Hillside vineyard purchase from Lakeview Cellars last year has 23-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines as well as 13-year-old Pinot Gris and 11-year-old Syrah. The Thomas & Vaughn vineyard purchased late last year has the same three varieties as well as Merlot. Talking to Pender you get the feeling he's a bit conflicted growing varieties that he feels aren't suited to the climate year-in-and-out—he mentioned in passing that 2010 might but be the one year in a decade that Syrah fully ripens. At the same time ripping out 23-year-old vines when a life expectancy of 30 years is considered very good is something that pains every winemaker especially in a good vintage. It seems that right now the plan is to carefully monitor the vines. If there's damage and/or the fruit isn't up to quality the inevitable replanting will come sooner rather than later.

From Tawse camp

What will be intriguing to watch is what these additional vineyards mean for Tawse. After starting as a small producer focusing on premium-priced Burgundian-styled Chardonnay Tawse began to branch out a bit with the Echos line primarily focused on giving the restaurant market something at a lower price point. Echos became a restaurant only line with Sketches of Niagara, which is bottled at the Hillside vineyard, being the retail/consumer version of it. After acquiring the Lakeview and Thomas and Vaughn properties plus the Quarry Road and Tintern Road vineyards Tawse's combined the potential is for about 115 acres of grapes. That production has it moving away from small producer status towards at least a large mid-sized producer. What remains to be seen is where that new grape production will go. If the fruit proves distinctive enough small batch single vineyard bottlings are a possibility. But there is a high likelihood that much of the fruit will, at least initially, end-up in the Sketches of Niagara line unless it shows the distinction to warrant a single vineyard bottling like Quarry Road began to a few years ago in 2006. Even if it does show distinction it may continue to see part of production declassified like Quarry Road because it could be too much volume for a single vineyard bottling.

From Tawse camp

The Quarry Road vineyard is just starting to move towards full production. Located on a former Quarry site owner Moray Tawse bought it simply because he thought it would be a good investment says Pender. And Tawse would know a good real estate investment being responsible for mortgage investments at First National Financial. Being on the northern edge of the Niagara's grape growing region in the Vinemount Ridge the grapes can struggle a bit ripen in tough years, but the old adage is that the extra work pays off in the bottle. What Quarry Road gives up in some heat ripening to the Twenty Mile Bench site on Cherry Avenue, it possesses in other characteristics. It has an ideal slope, good drainage and a consistent breeze that really helps keep the vines dry in a wet season. The retired Quarry site sits on lighter soil that's rich in limestone compared to the heavier clay with moderate limestone of the home Cherry Avenue vineyard. At first Pender wasn't really convinced of the site's potential to produce quality fruit to the level of the Cherry Avenue vineyard but he says the organic and biodynamic methods have started to make a difference.

From Tawse camp

Pender brought up the topic of clones in terroir after giving an overview of Tawse's six-level gravity-fed facility on Cherry Avenue. Harvest starts at the top of the winery where the standard premium practices of hand-sorting and destemming are done before fermentation. In some cases the wine moves into large oak fermentors before eventually moving down to the barrel cellar in the case of Chardonnays and red wines. He poured Riesling samples straight from the tank. One was from the widely established premium Weis 21B clone and the other from a less common Alsatian clone: 49. Pender has used clone 49 in the Quarry Road plantings as he prefers the flavours it achieves. Finished wines from clone 49 are more complete and complex, he says. But interestingly he has no desire to start bottling by separate clone. To him getting caught-up and focusing too much different clonal selections does a bit of a disservice to the wine. An example he cited was famed Burgundian producer Domaine de la Romanée-Conti where the highly mutative Pinot Noir grape has developed 50-60 different clones in a single vineyard. Pender's point is that when the wines of that producer are spoken of what the individual clone is bringing to that bottle is not brought-up. Rather the focus is on the impact of the terroir that the particular vineyard brings to that bottle. But as Pender says “there's not just one way to do terroir.”

From Tawse camp

To illustrate the concept of terroir Pender lead the group through a bit of a blind tasting exercise. In Burgundian fashion we started with Pinot Noir. Both samples were 2009s. One from the Cherry Avenue vineyard and the other from Quarry Road. We were asked to guess which one was from what vineyard. We did the same with Chardonnay and finally we did it with the finished 2008 versions of Robyn's Block Chardonnay from the Cherry Avenue vineyard and the 2008 Quarry Road bottling. The differences were very apparent on my palate, especially the unfinished wines. The finished wines were a little more difficult to tell (both Chardonnays are vinified identically according to Pender). As Pender had said earlier the wines from the Cherry Avenue vineyard tend to be more masculine with the heavy clay soil over moderate limestone imparting richer complex flavors. Quarry Road on the other hand with its lighter soil rich in limestone tends to be tight and focused with strong minerality. With that in mind I was able to correctly identify the samples. The answer to the second part of the challenge which one we preferred put me in the Cherry Avenue camp. Its Pinot Noir had earthy elements that added an extra layer of complexity to the Quarry Road's fragrant cherries and minerals. With its citrus, pineapple and vanilla notes as well as a rounder-softer mouth feel, the Robyn's Block was victorious on my palate to the linear focus of the more austere minerality and razor sharp acidity of Quarry Road. Although a bit away form the terroir focus of the day an equally interesting exercise might have been to taste through a vertical of Robyn's Block. I'm confident that the variation of Niagara's different vintages would be apparent in the glass. But also the development of the vines and the different stylistic approaches of the various winemakers from the initial winemaker Deborah Paskus to Paul Pender would certainly be at least as drastic as the difference in terroir.

From Tawse camp

From Tawse camp

Given the theme of the day it was a curious decision for owner Moray Tawse the pour some 2005 99/1 to go with the five course lunch from The Only On King. Made from 99 percent Pinot Noir imported from nine barrels of Morey St Denis 1er Cru Burgundy and one percent Tawse Pinot Noir, the wine was protest to the 2005 rule exception when non-VQA wines were only required to have one percent Ontario grapes. The exceptionally cold winter left many vines dead or damaged from severe winter temperatures and so there was a significantly reduced crop from the vines that survived. The rule exemption was created to encourage the Ontario crop to end-up in VQA wines, but Tawse a long time critic of the blending of foreign juice and Ontario wine would have preferred the industry just made wine that year from what mother nature had given them. Tawse pulled out the Pinot Noir for lunch because he had recently tried some from the cellar and felt it was drinking very nicely. Full of rose petals, tar and earth I concur with the assessment. It was also pointed out to me by one of the other bloggers that although there is nothing wrong with selling only to the local market and tasting from it, if you don't export or taste against the rest of the world you'll never be talked about amongst the world's best. So it was certainly a treat to be able to taste a world benchmark in a 1er Cru Burgundy nearly back-to-back with some fine examples of Niagara Pinot Noir.

From Tawse camp

From Tawse camp

On the verge of the trip Tawse won Canadian Winery of the Year at the Canadian Wine Awards In the ten year history of the awards that honour has always gone to a B.C. winery making this win particularly special for Tawse. The Vineland winery also took White Wine of the Year for the 2008 Robyn's Block, which in another first, received the highest score ever at the awards for a table wine. Although Tawse and Robyn's Block have received recognition in the past it would seem that at least in the case of the Canadian Wine Awards the conversion to the biodynamic methods that Pender spoke about has made the difference in the judge's glasses as well. As Pender says “Terroir is a great concept. But until you can taste it's not really real.”

From Tawse camp

Mid-Atlantic Wines: Thoughts on the 2008 Le Clos
Line-up

Hearing and seeing the interest from the crowd throughout the kick-off party for the 2008 Le Clos Jordanne line-up, it's hard to believe that winery almost never released a bottle. The winery's launch in the fall of 2006 came a few months before Constellation Brands had ended its half-year long hostile take overbid with a successful purchase of Vincor. You see Constellation Brands is more famous for being in the business of buying wineries than building them. On the other hand Vincor which more or less began in the pioneering days of the Canadian wine industry with the Niagara Falls Wine Company (later T.G. Bright & Co) was built through the consolation of some the biggest, most successful and innovative wineries in Canada. Quite a contrast. But luckily for everyone the ambitious Le Clos Jordanne project was given a chance. It certainly helped that the initial critical praise resonated with consumers who overnight practically snatched-up the entire inaugural vintage when it was released through the LCBO's Vintages.

From Le Clos

At the time that the Le Clos Jordanne project began in 1999 many Ontario grape growers and wineries that are now known for a focus on quality Pinot Noir like Flat Rock, Malivoire and Norman Hardie had started to join early pioneers like Château de Charms, Inniskillin and Five Rows Craft Wine of Lowrey Vineyards in the exploration of producing great wine from this grape. The joint venture between Canada's largest wine company Vincor and the largest Burgundian producer Boisset came with deep pockets and technical as well as practical knowledge. Cuttings were selected from Burgundy and planted on premium land purchased on the Jordan Bench. The grapes were grown organically with tight spacing like in Burgundy with an eye on creating competition amongst the vines so fewer bunches could coax that much more character from the site. The now common premium practices of: shoot positioning, leaf removal, careful hand-harvesting and sorting were used before the grapes were allowed to ferment on their natural yeast and age in premium French oak barrels. All of the above were all proven and long established in Europe with many Ontario wineries now using all or at least some of these techniques. But Le Clos Jordanne was really the first to bring them all together and apply them with the focus of producing the best possible Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In a fitting mirror to the Franco-Canadian partnership of the venture the vines were initially under the watchful eye of Montreal-born Burgundy-trained Pascal Marchand. The winemaking duties were then passed on to Montreal born, Burgundy-trained Thomas Bachelder who has been face of Le Clos Jordanne through its rise to prominence, including many of its recent accolades. Most notably the 2005 Claystone Terrace Chardonnay winning the Judgement of Montreal and Bachelder taking Winemaker of the Year honours at the 2009 Ontario Wine Awardsfor his work at the winery. But starting with the 2010 vintage the winemaking duties have been entrusted to Sébastien Jacquey. The Burgundian has “a degree in terroir—I can't believe that exists,” according Vincor's National Hospitality Director Del Rollo. After his schooling he got experience at key cool climate French regions like the Loire valley, Bordeaux and Burgundy before spending the last three years learning the intricacies of the Le Clos Jordanne's vineyards as Bachelder's assistant. Although Bachelder will be staying on as a consultant he's very confident that the wines will be in good hands under Jacquey. “It's not a force fit. He's Burgundian born with the Burgundian thought,” Bachelder said addressing the topic of his successor. You got the feeling the transition was complete when Jacquey was given the task of speaking about the wines and the conditions in the 2008 vintage.

At best the 2008 vintage has been spoken of with trepidation or qualified optimism and at worst it's been maligned after following 2007–the dry and hot previously declared the 'vintage of the decade'. So it was interesting to hear Jacquey's thoughts. Overall his philosophy is to “identify the vintage and show that character in the wines.” He pointed out that Pinot Noir doesn't like to be overripe. So 2008 in Niagara was arguably a year that was more suited to the variety than 2007 which was so dry and hot that it caused vines in vineyards throughout Niagara to shut down and stop the ripening process at the peak of summer —they like many of us just couldn't take the heat. He also added that the grapes in 2008 had enough acidity to allow the wines to “hold and reveal fruit”.

From Le Clos

But that didn't mean 2008 was easy. In fact it was far from it. With the rain and colder than usual temperatures 2008 was probably the winery's most challenging vintage just behind 2006. Regardless of site specifics or growing methods all Ontario growers/winemakers who were in the vineyards daily as harvest approached and were on top of critical quality practices like leaf stripping, shoot positioning and cluster thinning are seeing the dividends in the bottle right now. Given its thin-skinned and tight disease prone clusters it seems counterintuitive that growing Pinot Noir organically (Le Clos Jordanne was certified in time for the 2005 vintage) could be an asset in a wet year like 2008. But not having the option to spray with a synthetic herbicide, fungicide and insecticide that targets a problem forces you to be vigilant about the leaf stripping, shoot positioning and cluster thinning if you want to keep the largest amount of fruit as ripe and healthy as possible. Of course having the resources of two large wine companies certainly helps make that labour intensive task easier over Le Clos Jordanne's 138 acres. But even with all those quality focused vineayrd practices when it came time to harvest there was sorting and resorting of the the fruit to eek out the best quality results in a tough vintage. Hand harvesting, hand sorting, hand-labour and organic farming practices are certainly not the only way to achieve quality grapes but Boisset and Vincor believe these practices are key to producing the best quality grapes that express the terroir of Le Clos Jordanne's vineyards.

For those who have never tasted a wine from Le Clos Jordanne Bachelder sums up its wines as "mid-atlantic". By that he means they are an amalgam possessing some new world flavours but also the old-world style of terroir derived flavours that got Boisset so excited about growing on the Niagara Peninsula.

Overall I found the entire 2008 line-up of both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir tight with the wines drinking well right now but many certainly not reaching the maturity needed to begin to show everything they have to offer. When you're looking to taste the impact and subtitles that the different vineyards bring it is much easier when wines are clearly showing their true character. When asked staff acknowledge that the wines are tight and that begs the question why not wait a little longer before releasing the wines? As Rollo explains Le Clos Jordanne likes to release the wines in late fall as it gives their customers a regularly timed event to try the wines in their youth. Many, who were taking notes while tasting, could compare to previous vintages when they first tasted them and compare the single vineyard ones with more mature vintages to get an idea of how they might develop. Production isn't as scare as it was when the project started but it also allows long time customer to purchase what they would like before widespread sale begins.

The 2008 tasting was organised with each of the bottlings given their own separate tables (manned by Le Clos Jordanne staff who were happy to answer questions) throughout the room the room guests were free to sample and mingle at their leisure amongst themselves or Bachelder and Jacquey who welcomed questions. Mini bites like steak tartare, canopies, were offered by staff which circulated throughout Panorama.

From Le Clos

The more resilient Chardonnay grape is a little easier to work with than Pinot Noir. Acid is the key to good Chardonnay says Jacquey. He describes the 2008 Chardonnays as elegant with the wines achieving good acid levels and balance—something that was challenging for many a year earlier when sugar levels quickly soared with the heat at the expense of acid.

The Village Reserve Chardonnay was the wine drinking best that night. Made from the wine that didn't quite make the cut for the single vineyard bottlings this blend of vineyards has flavours and aromas of yellow apple, a little peach and butterscotch and vanilla notes from the barrel. The finish lingers with strong acidity and a nice warming sensation. By contrast the 2008 Talon Ridge was a little tighter with the barrel notes primarily showing through citrus and green fruit aromas and falvours. Where wine distinguished itself was in its fuller mouthfeel. It was the high-lauded Claystone Terrace where things really started to get interesting. Despite being just east of the Le Clos Jordanne vineyard the site is on a darker heavier soil and is known to produce more masculine wines. Overall well integrated with a good bit of golden apple and melon there was also some intriguing minerality and complexity with the slightest spice and sweat notes. Still tight it exhibited nice strong mouth-watering acid and a superbly rich mouth-filling texture without feeling overly heavy. It's amazing to think that the flagship Le Clos Jordanne vineyard used to be a hay and corn field. But that's the beauty of Niagara there's still plenty of prime parcels of land just waiting to be discovered by someone with a sharp eye. Leading first with a mineral zing, apples and slight bit of licorice follow with some warm barrel notes revealing themselves next. Although the finish isn't quite as long and pronounced as the Claystone Terrace it shows a restrained elegance. Finally the Le Grand Clos. Made only from the best sections of the Le Clos Jordanne vineyard this is a wine that has bit of poker face wanting to give away as little as possible on the nose right now. Very tightly wound I could only get the the merest hints of barrel, apple and peach aromas. But in the mouth these layers of beautiful crisp apple, juicy peach, and barrel spice all fill the palate. The mouthfeel is full and elegantly balanced by the mouth-watering acidity. The finish just lasts teasing you as you contemplate another sip. If there's a single way to sum the wine it is how well each element is seamlessly integrated at this point. I can only imagine how it will develop over time.

From Le Clos

Showing well at this stage despite being a little tight with tannins—the line-up of 2008 Pinot Noir from Le Clos Jordanne was just as the grape should be light in colour but deep in flavours and aromas. The Village Reserve Pinot Noir had a nose rich with the Niagara Pinot hallmark of cherries as well as a little rose and a bit of tar. The relatively small seven and half acres of the La Petite Vineyard with a sandy loam soil is without a Chardonnay counterpart. This singe vineyard Pinot Noir was fragrant with cranberries and cherries. More tannic than the Village it had a good length on the finish and strong acidity. Talon Ridge is the youngest vineyard with this being only the second vintage released. The largest vineyard in terms of acreage it provides the majority of the fruit that goes into the Village Reserve. Compared to the La Petite the depth and concentration of cherry flavours and aromas was fuller and it had a stronger sense of minerality. Hints of vanilla and cranberries also showed through. The Claystone Terrace sitting on heavier soil has even more depth. Flavours of cherries and the minerality show well but what stands at this point is the the satisfying rich mouthfeel. My favorite Pinot Noir of the night came from the Le Clos Jordanne vineyard. The layers of aromas and flavours start with cranberry and black cherries then it builds with hints of vanilla, minerality, tar and the slightest meaty animal note. With the strongest tannins and acidity of the 2008 line-up this wine should be one to lay down and revisit in a couple of years. Lastly Le Grand Clos which in word is all about balance. Although not showing as well as the Le Clos Jordanne vineyard at this point, it has an intriguing minerality with funk and tar notes beginning to peak through. Just like the Chardonnay you get the feeling that its holding back right now. Its best asset is its silky feel on the palate.

From Le Clos

Bachelder describes the vintage overall as similar to 2006 but stronger. With an extra two years for the vines to mature and a better overall growing season he believes the wines are showing even better than the 2006 vintage did at the same point in their lives. In three-five years the wines should be even better. Ideally for him you would test this recommendation by brining a bottle with you to share with friends, family or business associates abroad—especially if you're visiting Europe. Awards and the critical recognition is wonderful but nothing quite turns heads and makes new fans like a person sharing his/her favourite wine and surprising skeptical company. "You're our ambassadors" he said.