Cuvee 2007 Top Picks & Winners
The Cuvee Awards - the "Oscars" of Ontario winemaking - was held on Friday, February 29th, and the winners of the different categories (Best Red, Best White, etc.) were announced.
I had a chance to preview the shortlist near the very top of the First Canadian Place in mid-February. Here are tasting notes on the wines I scored above 87 (most of them, as a matter of fact), starting from the highest scores down, in alphabetical order by winery. I have noted which of my picks won awards. According to Liz Palmieri of the Niagara Community Foundation, which runs the awards, "We asked the judges to indicate whether they thought the winning wines in each category would qualify for a gold medal at an international competition." There were no runners-up in the categories: it was winner-take-all.
Oddly enough, the value pricing is concentrated at the top end - almost shockingly low prices for my three top picks. Alas the judges didn't share my enthusiasm for the three wines I chose as best... For more info visit the Cuvee website.
90+ Points
Southbrook Vineyards Triomphe Syrah 2006. $24.95
Triumph indeed! Ann Sperling has done an amazing job with a grape that rarely performs well in Niagara. Barrel aged in French and American oak for a year, this syrah offers a fresh nose with lots of red fruit and spicy and herbal notes, as well as some pepper. Very pale ruby colour. Lovely and smooth on the palate, which has great red fruit including strawberries, cherries and cranberry. Good finish… great job! 91 points.
Coyote’s Run Estate Winery Bob Izumi White 2006. $16.00
This 100 percent riesling is a terrific effort from one of Niagara’s most exciting smaller producers. Very bold and aromatic nose with floral notes and lemon drops. Initial impression on the palate is lighter bodied, but it soon becomes fuller than expected. Nicely complex with white fruit, honey and lime cordial. Nice lingering finish. A very good riesling. 90 points.
Inniskillin Wines Montague Vineyard Chardonnay 2006. $18.30
Beautifully oaked nose on this barrel fermented/barrel aged chard from one of Inniskillin’s best vineyards. Butterscotch and a hint of smoke and followed by the medium to full bodied palate, where the oak delivers more toast, butter and smoke. The nice bit of lemon fruit completes the picture of a quality chardonnay. 90 points.
89 Points
Chateau des Charmes Equuleus 2005. $40.00
One of the flagships of the charming castle, this Bordeaux blend delivers a rich fruity nose of dark red fruit that follows through on the palate. Acidity and tannin levels are both elevated and there’s a good amount of fruit: this one will age well. Good finish. 89 points.
Creekside Estate Winery Reserve Meritage 2004. $34.00 ** GOLD MEDAL WINNER**
Rich and slightly extracted nose of jammy red fruit. The fresh acidity lightens things up on the palate and the red fruit tone is definitely lighter. Tannins and acids are both high, and there’s enough fruit that this can age more. Pleasant lingering finish. 89 points.
Hillebrand Estates Winery Truis White 2006. $18.95 ** GOLD MEDAL WINNER**
This blend mixes Alsace and Burgundy to good effect: Guwurztraminer, riesling, pinot gris and chardonnay in fairly equal measure. The nose is mysterious, though aromatic thanks to the German varietals and it’s very smooth and elegant on the palate. Acidity is crisp and there’s nice lemon fruit and some lemon rind too. Good finish. 89 points.
Huff Estates Winery Lighthall Chardonnay 2006. $29.95
Rich yellow-gold colour on this lovely chardonnay from Burgundy-trained Frederic Picard. Beautiful rich nose of butterscotch and apple. Acidity is high and there are some smoky oaky notes. A bit thin in the middle, but some nice lemon notes and a very good lingering finish. 89 points
Maleta Estate Winery Meritage 2005. $29.95
Extracted nose of rich red fruit with a little bell pepper note. Good red fruit on the palate and great secondary notes of cigar box. Smooth and nicely done, with a nice finish too. 89 points.
Niagara College Teaching Winery Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2006. $19.15 ** GOLD MEDAL WINNER**
One of the region’s most reliable performers, NCTW has won top honours in the past for this chardonnay. Winemaker Terence van Rooyen is now at the helm and he and his team deliver a nice lightly oaked nose with some lemon notes followed by a smooth palate of light butterscotch over apple and lemon. Medium to lighter bodied. Nice lingering finish of lemon peel. 89 points.
Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery Fume Blanc 2006. $26.95
Here’s a nice treatment of sauvignon blanc from one of Niagara’s more accomplished winemakers. Very pleasant nose of butterscotch and lemon. No grassy notes – perhaps the oak cancels them out. On the palate the acid is very crisp and there’s some lemon fruit. It’s fresh and light and, true to its name, has appealing smoky notes. A very interesting take on the grape. 89 points.
Thirteenth Street Wine Funk Blanc de Noir 2000. $40.00
Great label and a terrific bubbly here: bold nose of ripe apple fruit with a hint of bread, a slight note of cardboard and, oddly, some anise. Acidity is very crisp and there’s nice red-tinted fruit and a bit of honey. The mousse is delicate and there’s a nice finish that lingers. A very fine effort indeed. 89 points.
88 Points
Alvento Winery Elige 2005. $29.80
This cab sauv/cab franc blend has lots of dark red fruit on the nose - a little over-extracted and then surprisingly thin on the palate. However the flavours are good and there are some nice smoky notes and some tobacco. There’s also a nice finish of red fruit and a hint of iodine. 88 points.
Colio Estate Wines Sauvignon Blanc 2006. $15.95
A relatively rare varietal in Ontario, this sauvignon blanc from Lake Erie North Shore offers a fresh and characteristic sauv blanc nose with herbaceous and grassy notes. Fairly full on the palate, with lemon and grass flavours – and not surprising given our cool climate, there’s no tropical fruit at all. Acidity is very high and there’s a decent finish. 88 points.
Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery Reserve Riesling 2006. $14.95
Rich nose, but darker than you’d expect for a riesling. Things then turn fresh and light on the palate, but it gets richer towards the end. Lots of lemon fruit and a nice lingering finish. 88 points.
Jackson Triggs Niagara Estate Winery Proprietors’ Grand Reserve White Meritage 2006. $24.55
We don’t often see the white Bordeaux blend here, but JT has done a good job with it. Considering it’s 87% sauvignon blanc, it’s not surprising that that’s the dominant impression on the nose: lots of grassy and herbaceous notes and some white fruit. Smooth and pleasant on the palate, it’s a bit light in the middle, but there’s a nice delicate grassy note running through. It’s a nice finish, but also light – the Semillon isn’t contributing much to this one, but that’s ok. 88 points.
Kacaba Vineyards Syrah Reserve 2004. $55.95
If you can get past the serious sticker shock when you reach for a bottle at the winery shop, this is a reasonable rendition of a difficult grape for Ontario. Very extracted dark red fruit – it’s actually a bit stewed on the nose. On the palate though, it’s smooth and elegant, with more red fruit and some tobacco. Acidity is fairly elevated. Nice finish. 88 points.
Lailey Vineyard Old Vine Chardonnay Niagara River 2006. $29.95
Muted nose on this one, and there’s a bit of lemon and smoke on the palate. Fairly light bodied and it’s a bit sharp, but the oak treatment is very effective. 88 points.
Legends Estates Winery Grey Ghost White 2006. $17.95
Lively, fresh, fruity nose with some sweet lemon. Very fruity on the palate – I wondered if there might be some gerwurztraminer in the blend. Fairly full bodied on the palate. This is nice quality and not a typical chard – in fact it’s verging on off-dry. 88 points.
Rosewood Estates Winery Riesling 2006. $18.00
Fresh, lightly aromatic nose with just a hint of lemon fruit. Bold surprise on the palate though – this is a real mouth-filler. Some lemon rind flavours and a nice acid lift on the end. Nice finish. 88 points.
87 Points
Angels Gate Winery Single Vineyard Riesling. $22.00
Winemaker Philip Dowell delivers a nice riesling here: moderately aromatic nose with a lemon notes and a bit of petrol. Light and fresh on the palate. Acid is high and there’s a decent amount of flavour on the palate. Sharp finish, but this smoothes out as it progresses. 87 points.
Cave Spring Cellars Gewurztraminer 2006. $19.95
The mildly aromatic nose was a bit worry as gewurztraminer is normally a powerhouse on the aroma front. However things pick up on the palate, which has good acidity, is reasonably full bodied and plenty fruity, with mandarin orange and lemon rind notes. Nice finish. 87 points.
Fielding Estate Winery Meritage Reserve 2005. $35.00
Rich nose of red fruit with some secondary notes. Very smooth on the palate even though both tannins and acids are elevated. There is a slight sour note in the middle, but there’s a nice lingering finish. 87 points.
Flat Rock Cellars Nadja’s Vineyard Riesling 2006. $19.95
Bold nose of rich white fruit and lemon on this one. Fairly light on the palate. Acidity is crisp, verging on sharp (welcome to Ontario!) and there’s mainly lemon fruit on the palate. Simple and straightforward with an OK finish. 87 points.
Mountain Road Wine Company Unoaked Chardonnay 2005. $14.95
Fruity, but there’s a hint of cardboard on the nose. Fresh and sharp on the palate, but there’s a decent amount of apple/pear fruit. There’s even some butter – unexpected in an unoaked, but it could be the malolactic fermentation. 87 points.
Pelee Island Winery Cabernet Sauvignon 2005. $26.15 ** GOLD MEDAL WINNER**
Pleasant nose of dark red fruit and some earthy secondary notes. Nice and smooth on the palate even though both tannins and acids are high. Decent fruit running through it, though there is a slight sour note. Nice finish. 87 points.
Ridgepoint Wines Riesling 2006. $16.00
Very aromatic nose, more floral than fruity. Pleasantly fruity on the palate, but the alcohol level, at 13%, is a bit high for a riesling and it shows. OK finish though. 87 points.
Stonechurch Vineyards Riesling Dry 2006. $12.95
Very lightly aromatic. Acidity is quite high (but pleasant) and there’s lemon on the palate, but it’s very light. OK finish with some lemon peel. 87 points.
Stoney Ridge Estate Winery Winemaker’s Reserve Cabernet Franc 2004. $49.95
Faint-making price, but great cabernet franc nose with lots of dark red fruit and some bell pepper. Maybe a little over-extracted. Pale ruby colour. The palate is somewhat lighter than expected and acids and tannins are high. This one’s good, but should maybe age a little more. 87 points
Thirty Bench Wine Makers Benchmark Red 2005. $60.00 ** GOLD MEDAL WINNER**
Shocking price – possibly Niagara’s highest for a non icewine? – but this Bordeaux blend, while all right, is definitely overpriced. Bold and fairly extracted nose of dark red fruit. Less complexity than I would have expected from the interesting nose and not all that much fruit on the palate. OK finish though. 87 points.
Vineland Estates Winery Elevation Cabernet-Merlot 2005. $25.00
Pleasant smooth nose of dark red fruit. Blackberries. Initial pleasant fruitiness followed by a slight sourness, but this resolves nicely by the finish. Good but needs food. 87 points.
Pleasant smooth nose of dark red fruit. Blackberries. Initial pleasant fruitiness followed by a slight sourness, but this resolves nicely by the finish. Good but needs food. 87 points.
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