2002: An Ontario Wine Retrospective

Before 2010 usurped 2007 as Ontario's best vintage ever* there was 2005, 1998 and 2002. When 1998's hot and dry grape growing season arrived the VQA act was still a year away, Brock's Cool Climate Oenology Viticulture Institute was still a couple years away from producing its first graduates and the growth spurred from Inniskillin receiving the first new license since prohibition had only begun to reach critical mass. In other words even a lot of the pioneers were still getting a handle on exactly what their sites could produce. By the time the similar growing season of 2005 rolled in the wineries had that much more experience. But that was tempered by a severe winter which caused an extremely low crop (enough to temporarily change Cellared in Canada rules to allow 99% foreign grape content). So that really leaves 2002 as one of the first hot and dry growing seasons where education, experience and industry growth had reached a point where there was a wide range of good quality wines from Bordeaux varieties produced. Thanks to Twitter a group of industry professionals and wine enthusiast came together to taste just how that vintage is developing as we began closing in on its tin anniversary.

The genesis of the tasting was a critical assessment of the 2002 Legends Reserve Cabernet Merlot which was surprisingly released in Vintages late this summer. It's not often you see an aged VQA wine released in Vintages. As is the nature with Twitter a dialogue quickly started with many parties chiming in and within minutes plans had been laid to have a tasting of 2002 Ontario Cabernet Merlot blends. In keeping with the communal spirit of Twitter people contributed bottles from their private cellars or from winery libraries and we all met-up at Canoe on a Saturday afternoon.

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The restaurant's sommelier Will Predhomme kept things objective by arranging things so it was blind for tasters which included wine writers, enthusiasts, winemakers and industry professionals. After the dizzying experience of tasting 35 wines in two hours I was struck that there seemed to be more differences amongst the wines than similarities. The range of flavours that were produced from Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot really speaks not only to the versatility of Bordeaux blends but it also to impact winemakers can have on how a wine develops after a little time in the cellar.

After the wines were revealed and the group had some time to discuss their tasting notes the general consensus was that some wines were probably past their prime. Some were showing quite nicely and are likely in the sweet spot showing their fresher flavours well right now. Still others could probably benefit from further aging. So what does that mean? Just like any vintage in order to make exceptional wine you need to start with the best fruit. But after that it really is left in the winemaker's hands to draw on experience and knowledge to do the little things he/she thinks are needed to make the best wine reflective of the vintage.

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So it was certainly interesting to hear Craig McDonald formerly winemaker at Creekside and now of Hillebrand give his assessment of the wines. For McDonald the tasting added further evidence to his belief that 2002 was a solid vintage with some wines that have peaked and are in their decline, some that are drinking well right now and could go further and some where it could go either way. In his experience the danger of a hot vintage is there is a temptation to press a little harder in order to extract more flavour and juice. In other words trying to get as much as you can of a good thing. There's a fine line between maximising flavour and extraction and going a bit too far into over-extraction at the expense of balance and structure. One of the things that caught the transplanted Australian by surprise is how hot and quick a fermentation can develop here in hotter vintages. He prefers to work in smaller batches which can make it easier to monitor the fermentation temperature so it doesn't get out of control. It also allows him to more easily assess the extraction.

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One thing that was surprising to learn was some of the bottles poured were the only examples remaining outside of those that may be aging in private cellars. That's something that I hope changes. Given that it takes at least three years to get a grape crop from fallow land and about a year and a half of aging before a big red is ready I understand why you would want to sell all of the production. Especially considering we haven't even factored in the cost of building the actual winery. The problem with selling everything is that there's nothing to revisit. If you want to gauge how the vines are maturing, if you want to evaluate what a certain vineyard practice or techniques brought to the wines, if you want to assess just how certain wines developed in similar vintage conditions a fairly well stocked library is essential. Plus it doesn't hurt to be able to draw from a well stocked library to give wine club members and regular customers a chance to restock on a favourite wine or to purchase something special.

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Here are tasting notes from some of my favourites:

My favourite wine of the evening was lucky number thriteen the Southbrook 2002 Poetica Cabernet Merlot Still a vibriant ruby with a little aging showing at the edges the nose is full of violets, raspberry and cassis. It fills the mouth with juicy dark blackberries, raspberries and cassis. There's some added complexity with well integrated barrel spice and even a touch of barnyard perhaps from Brettanomyces. With nicely softened tannins and strong food friendly acidity it's a wine that is drinking beautifully right now. And I bet it would do so for some time.

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Lailey's 2002 Cabernet Merlot wasn't as fruit forwards as some of the other wines. Blackberry and raspberry flavours were present but not in the forefront. Instead there were interesting nuances of smoke, earthiness and minerality which complimented some herbal flavours that I tasted in the wine. This is definately one of the wines that I wish I had previous notes for to see how it may have developed over time.

My other two favourite Cabernet Merlot blends came from wineries on the bench. The 2002 Vineland Cabernet Merlot Reserve had primarily aromas and flavours of cocoa, raspberries and a touch of vanilla barrel spice. There was also great complexity with addtional flavours of liquorice blackberries and cola. The tannins were well integrated with acid at a medium plus.

In a word the 2002 Cave Spring Reserve Cabernet Merlot was layered. It had a little dark chocloate, blackberry, raspberries, butterscotch barrel spice, herbs and even some barnyard flavours (maybe some Brettanomyces was a play here too). If there was a shortcoming it was on the finish which was a little shorter than expected a medium length. But don't get me wrong I'd certainly pay handsomely for a bottle.

The tasting wasn't purely Cabernet Merlot blends. There was a 2002 Nigara Syrah and Pinot Noir thrown in to keep us honest (both of which I was thankfully able to identify). The was also a Bordeaux example from St. Émillion—its always nice to have an old world benchmark for comparison. The were also numerous single varietal Cabernets and Merlots in the tasting. Of the single varieties two of my favourites were Cabernet Francs with the remaining being a Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Caberent Saugnion in question was the 2002 Rief First Growth which was dark chocolate personified. Joining the dark chocolate were aromas of tobbaco and earth with juicy blackberries on the palate. There was a little bit of a reprieve on the mid palate before the chocolate returned on the finish. The first of the Cabernet Francs, the 2002 Pillitteri Family Reserve, tasted very youthful. A bright ruby with juicy blackberry and cassis it had a lingering fruit finish with strong acid and tannin. It appears there is still some of this award winning wine made by Sue-Ann Staff available in in magnums. My favourite single varietal was the Thirty Bench Benchmark Cabernet Franc, made by one of the founders Yorgos Papageorgiou who handled much of the winemaking of the reserve reds in the winery's early days. This Cabernet Franc had a nose of fresh raspberries and blackberries. There was also intriguing minty, menthol and plum components. A slight chocolate note joins these flavours on the long finish. Still a little tight I would love to have a couple of these in my cellar to see how they might develop over the next few years.

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The two wines I contributed a 2002 Marynissen Caberent Merlot and the 2002 Kacaba Proprietor's Reserve Meritage were a bit of a contrast. Unfortunately the bottle from Marynissen had a bit of a stewed fruit quality which may have meant that this particular bottle likely wasn't at its best—possibly as a result of storage. But underneath there was still a dusty tannic structure that made me want to revisit it. I've been told by staff that this very wine should see a re-release from the library soon. Given that the late John Marynissen planted Canada's first Cabernet Sauvignon vines in 1978 and the 2007 Cabernet Merlot was chosen as the house red for the Ontario Legislative Assembly last year I'm really curious to revisit a winery cellared 2002 bottle.


Kacaba has built its reputation on making small batch full-bodied wines especially big reds. The Proprietor's Reserve Mertiage is no exception. Made from 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and a quarter Cabernet Franc and Merlot harvested between mid-October and November it spent a full five years aging in new French oak before its release. Yes, five years of barrel aging! This wine is full of ripe cocoa dusted blackberries, raspberries and cassis that last long into the finish. Underneath the big fruit was some butterscotch perhaps owing to the extended barrel aging. The tannins were still strong as was the acid. What it lacked in finesse it did make up for in ripe juicy fruits. For those that like a big fruit forward style it would certainly be something to inquire about at the winery (some bottles were still available late last year). But the limitrf production and extended barrel aging do come with the steep price of $120 a bottle.

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If there was one thing I took way from the tasting it was that I would certainly like to buy even more Niagara Cabernets, Merlots and their blends from 2007 and I've got a lot in the cellar. Tasting how these 2002 wines are drinking I plan to open them up gradually and taste how they develop over the next decade. As good as they are in their youth I'm confident that the best of them will be even better in a few years. The other great insight I took away from the tasting was that I was able to taste the proof of some sage advice. If you want to lay down a wine in a cellar your patience will be rewarded especially if you can find a winery and winemaker who has a style that's in sync with your palate. Even in the best vintages its sometimes the little things that can make the difference between a good wine and a great wine. If you're lucky the proof comes in the taste as the primary flavours develop into tertiary flavours and the tannins being to diminish and integrate into that mature bottle of red wine you've hidden in your cellar.

You can read what other at the tasting said via Tweets under the #Ontario02 tag here.

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*Please note that calling any particular vintage good, better, best, (insert you favourite superlative here) in Ontario is at best a gross oversimplification and at worst dangerously misleading. There's probably no other wine region in the world that grows such a wide variety of grapes and has a harvest period so long that it can often be measured in months rather than days or weeks. In other words a hotter and drier vintage that favours late ripening big bold Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon makes for a challenging growing season for the earlier ripening varieties like Riesling which thrives in cooler conditions. For those that like to know the minutia of a growing season it does make distilling an assessment down to a sentence a little more challenging for Ontario. But it's a good excuse to make frequent visits for research purposes (a.k.a. tastings).

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.