Closson Chase ‘The Brock’ Chardonnay 2010
VQA Niagara River $23.95 13.5% alcohol
Vigneron/winemaker extraordinaire, Deborah Paskus, cast her magic over this. Toasty oak and apple pie spice on the nose, this drenches the palate with luscious waves of nutmeg, ginger and succulent white peach garnished with tropical fruit and fennel. It’s mid-full weight and fully textured with good complexity. The lip-smacking aftertaste lingers, balanced, fruit-laden and full of charm—will improve in bottle over the next three or four years. Order by the case for delivery to home, office or licensee from Closson Chase. (Vic Harradine)


Closson Chase ‘Closson Chase Vineyard’ Pinot Noir 2010
VQA Prince Edward County $39.95 12.5% alcohol
A scant 1.12 tonnes/acre, organically farmed, hand harvested, native-yeast fermented and meticulous fruit handling coalesce into a pale-red, silky-smooth, light-on-its-feet gem. There are herbal and spiced beetroot aromas on the nose with an elegant wash of tang-infused red berry fruit, roasted herbs and juicy cherry bathing the palate. It’s focused and persistent on the finish with good balance, wisps of oak, minerality and sense of purpose. Order by the case for delivery to home, office or licensee from Closson Chase. (Vic Harradine)

Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery - After cutting her teeth as assistant winemaker then taking over the winemaking reins at Pillitteri Estates Winery for a decade, Sue-Ann Staff made a brief appearance with Twenty Bees before settling into her own digs on the family farm as well as handling the winemaking for John Howard’s Megalomaniac brand. She’s won numerous national and international medals, trophies and accolades—Winemaker of the Year 2002, short-listed twice for ‘Top Women in Wine’—and she’s certainly not finished.

Sue-Ann’s roots go deep; her family’s owned the present farm for two centuries, growing grapes for over one hundred years. And, it’s still a family affair with mom, dad, brother and sister-in-law all involved. It straddles two VQA sub-appellations with clay topsoil and limestone base—Twenty Mile Bench (in the Niagara Escarpment region) and Vinemount Ridge. This anomaly forces the Niagara Peninsula designation on the label, even though all the wines reviewed are ‘estate’ grown. Wines have been submitted to the LCBO and one can’t imagine it’ll be long before they’re all available in stores.

The four wines reviewed below were tasted with Sue-Ann and will be shipped to office, home or licensee from the winery; simply click here.


Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery ‘Grace’s’ Dry Riesling 2011
VQA Niagara Peninsula $18.95 11.1% alcohol
Lemon-lime and slate/mineral aromas set up a clean, crisp and complex wash of ripe key lime and grapefruit that’s balanced nicely with nuances of pit fruit framed by steely minerality. It’s medium weight with a round, silky mouth feel. Flavours broaden out on the back of the palate and mouth-watering aftertaste adding delicious notes of white nectarine. Pour with pan-seared tilapia or scallops. (Vic Harradine)


Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery ‘Loved by Lou’ Riesling 2011
VQA Niagara Peninsula $16.95 11.1% alcohol
This off-dry, crowd-pleaser has an aromatic outburst of alluring aromas with tropical fruit, floral and peel marmalade among them. There’s a mélange of flavours with lemon chiffon pie and crisp, green apple mingling with ripe melon and pit fruit. It finishes in a blaze, mouth-watering, balanced and fruit-filled—ripe sweet orchard fruit mingling with clean, tangy citrus and minerality. What’s not to like? (Vic Harradine)


Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery ‘Robert’s Block’ Riesling 2011
VQA Niagara Peninsula $26.00 11.0% alcohol
Honeyed pit fruit, slate and minerality dominate the aromas. A palate-bathing river of juicy, tangy flavour—lime, Meyer lemon, orange zest—is wreathed by mineral tones and white peach persisting through the lengthy, slightly off-dry, mouth-watering aftertaste. It’s mid weight with good mouth feel and a boatload of charm. Pour with seafood paella or lemon sole. (Vic Harradine)


Sue-Ann Staff Estate Winery Vidal 2011
VQA Ontario $14.00 12.5% alcohol
This is slightly off-dry and entirely on target, dishing up delightful mouthfuls of pure sipping pleasure. Aromas of pit fruit and citrus mingle with floral notes on the nose while the palate’s treated to a persistent, generously textured wash of tangy grapefruit and spiced, baked apple flavours. It’s mid weight with a lengthy, mouth-watering, off-dry finish of racy citrus and succulent white peach. A gorgeous aperitif and it pours well with spicy Asian cuisine. (Vic Harradine)