Winecurrent visited a number of premium Niagara wineries, tasting through barrel samples, '07 whites and '06 reds in bottle. Be on the cutting edge with winery profiles and timely reviews in this third installment.
Coyote's Run Estate Winery
A winery of stark contrasts, it's impressive how consistent their wines are—full of flavour, well balanced, often complex and elegant, offering exceptional value. The winery's named for the wild coyotes that run a trail across the vineyard, the winery now has oenophiles running for their wines.Owner Jeff Aubry is a former military person with no winery experience or previous wine education—except what he gained from a glass or three. Hell-bent on a career change, he opened Coyote's Run in 2004. Winemaker David Sheppard's quarter century career path, on the other hand, has always wound through the vines. Joining a small winery in Germany in 1980, he returned home for a two-decade stint at Inniskillin with his mentor, Karl Kaiser, before joining Coyote's Run.
Two distinct soil types in their vineyard reflect contrast. There's a line dividing the vineyard with one side common black clay and the other a somewhat uncommon red. The soils produce different-styled wines, regardless of the grape variety, with those in the red clay producing wine with more floral and fruity characteristics and those in the black clay producing wine that's more rich and earthy. 'Red Paw' and 'Black Paw' on the label distinguish from which soil type the grapes were sourced.
Niagara Peninsula is a cool-climate wine region, but the micro-climate at Coyote's Run is quite warm, it may be the warmest in the region—the high-temperature band that engulfs this Four Mile Creek winery is 2 to 3 degrees warmer than most with harvest often completed two to three weeks before others. This partially accounts for their wines being so full of ripe fruit flavours.
Coyote's Run Cabernet 2007
VQA Niagara Peninsula $16.70 (26757)
This 50/50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc delivers a complex and juicy mouthful of sweet dark fruit with black currant and spicy black Damson plum that's underpinned by ripe, supple tannin. The enticing aromas include toasty notes, tobacco and cherry. It's medium bodied, generously textured and finishes the way it begins—complex and well balanced with flavours and aromas of rich dark spicy fruit with subtle hints of oak—both American and French were used. This offers a world of value with the price-quality balance tipped well in your favour. (VH)
Coyote's Run 'Red Paw' Pinot Gris 2007
VQA Four Mile Creek $18.20
This offers a fuller body, creamier texture and more complexity than most wine made from this grape; it's more Alsace than Niagara. It showcases the terroir and the wine maker, it's simply outstanding. Aromas of spring blossoms and tree fruit segue a tropical fruit salad bowl of flavours with honeyed melon, ripe pineapple and mango predominant. There's also an element of citrus and spice on the deftly balanced and refreshing finish. This is a natural to be served with Alsace onion tart. For daily delivery to home or office order direct from Coyote's Run. (VH)
Coyote's Run 'Red Paw' Syrah 2006
VQA Four Mile Creek $24.20
This is gorgeous. It offers up an aromatic nose of mixed spice, floral notes and dark berry fruit. The fruit-forward flavours burst on the palate with sweet and juicy Bing cherry, mulberry and a delicious stream of moderating tang. It's full bodied, nicely textured and extremely well balanced—even the alcohol level has been held in check at 12.5%, providing a pleasurable experience, glass after glass. It finishes lengthy and pairs well with osso bucco. For daily delivery to home or office order direct from Coyote's Run. (VH)
Konzelmann Estate Winery
Owner and winemaker Herbert Konzelmann marks his 50th this year—not a birthday, but fifty years in the wine business. He began with the family winery in Stuttgart, Germany, in 1958, immigrating to Canada in 1984, soon purchasing almost one hundred acres of land and planting them to vineyards. He recognized the value of Lake Ontario's moderating effect on agriculture—cooling in summer and warming in winter—it's not by chance these vineyards nestle up to the shore of the lake, taking advantage of this micro-climate. Herbert also introduced upright vine positioning to the area allowing more sunlight on the fruit thereby enhancing the ripening process, often a challenge in this cool-climate region.Showing no signs of slowing down, Herbert was named 'Winemaker of the Year' in 1996 at the Air Ontario Competition. Konzelmann produces over 30 different VQA wines and a total of 40 000 cases per annum. The winery has undergone a dramatic and stunning renovation, sporting a new boutique and tasting bar, conference and function rooms, and a breath-taking view of the surrounding area from their dazzling observation look-out from high over the winery. They also organize a number of winery tours and experiences. Not surprisingly, given the German wine background, they've been recognized often, nationally and internationally, winning many prestigious awards for their ice wines. Their philosophy is to produce "low yield, high quality premium wines", and they do. They could've easily added, 'great-value'. Order the following wines for daily home or office delivery direct from Konzelmann.
Konzelmann 'Winemaker's Collection' Reserve Pinot Grigio 2007
VQA Niagara Peninsula $15.00 (605360)
Alluring aromas of peach, floral notes and mineral nuances roll off the glass of this zesty gem. It's medium bodied and delivers a steady stream of lemon-lime zest along with ripe and luscious flavours of peach, pear and apple. This is deftly balanced, nicely textured and delivers a dry, clean and refreshing finish. Pair this with lightly pan-seared, sushi-grade tuna alongside a quinoa salad. (VH)
Konzelmann 'Winemaker's Collection' Sauvignon Blanc 2007
VQA Niagara Peninsula $17.00
Passion fruit and ripe tropical fruit—pineapple and honey dew melon—abound on the nose and palate of this medium-bodied and generously textured beauty. There's also moderating and refreshing white grapefruit flavour with hints of fennel—particularly on the racy and lip-smacking finish. This has great balance and reflects the warm '07 vintage, but still keeping its nervy acidity. The price-quality ratio is skewed well in your favour. (VH)
Konzelmann 'Select Late Harvest' Riesling X Traminer 2004
VQA Niagara Peninsula $30.00 375 mL
This is not a blend of two grapes, but the name of a single vitis vinifera varietal—who knew? This is a gorgeous wine—crisp, clean and refreshing and that's surprising as the sugar level approaches that of ice wine. There are delightful flavours of ripe lemon and sweet pineapple on the palate while a lingering finish introduces perfect balance with a generous hit of heady citrus tang. Medium bodied, nicely textured and mouth-watering delicious; it's beautiful sipped on its own, or as dessert, and matches well with simple fruit flans. (VH)
Stratus Vineyards
The mantra at Strata is focus—on the environment, on innovative winemaking processes and on ultra-premium VQA wines. They were the first building in Canada and the world's first winery to earn LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Canada certification. Included in their environmentally conscious decisions were geo thermal energy to heat and cool the building and to aid in winemaking processes, herbicide-free vineyards, the use of recycled building materials, and composting all plant material waste.With innovation as their touchstone, winemaking processes are operational by use of gravity, rather than the traditional use of pumps. Employing two elevators, wine is lifted in barrel and pressure vessels to the mezzanine level to be gravity fed for assemblage (blending) and bottling. Bordeaux consultant Jean-René Matignon of Château Pichon-Baron commented, "... double sorting has had greater impact on the quality of wines of Bordeaux than any other factor in the past decade." Stratus utilizes this specially designed table to hand sort both bunches and individual berries, virtually eliminating MOG (material other than grapes) that can contribute undesirable flavours—think ladybug.
The above factors plus low yielding vineyards (approximately 2 tonnes per acre), a meticulous soil and vine matching regimen, oak ageing in French barriques that are kept in ideal conditions (14 °C and 80% humidity) and the blending of grapes (their signature Stratus Red and Stratus White are blends) have coalesced in producing ultra-premium VQA wines. Order the following wines by the case for daily home or office delivery via Stratus.
Stratus Red 2005
VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $44.00 (66072)
This is delicious and very approachable; it sports a plush texture, well-integrated oak and ripe supple tannin. Earthy, spicy and expressive on the nose, it provides a luscious wave of fruit on the mid palate—black currant, spicy black plum and ripe Bing cherry—and welcomed moderating tang and zest on the well-balanced and lingering finish. It's medium bodied, well structured and with enough oomph to provide enjoyable drinking now to 2014. Pair this with a dry-rubbed rack of lamb, grilled medium rare. (VH)
Stratus Riesling 2007
VQA Niagara Peninsula $35.00
There's a roomful of tantalizing aromas with floral notes, ripe citrus and steely mineral nuances up front. This is medium bodied and delivers a focused stream of crisp, refreshing zest and tang flavours—lemon-lime, pineapple and Granny Smith apple—that are delivered on a surprisingly generous texture. The racy laser-like mouth-watering finish portends a magical pairing with calamari under a drizzle of fresh lemon. (VH)
Stratus White 2005
VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake $44.00 (660704)
A cornucopia of aromas—spice box and herbal notes, citrus and tree fruit—segue intense flavours of ripe yellow peach, tropical fruit and citrus that arrive in wave after delicious wave in this proprietary blend white. It's full of flavour, nicely textured and provides a well-balanced, crisp, refreshing and lingering finish. Gorgeous when sipped on its own, it's also a natural pairing with mussels or pan-seared white fish under a drizzle of freshly squeezed lemon. (VH)
Strewn
Come in, get a glass and pull up a chair—the atmosphere at Strewn is relaxed and friendly with enough going on to stay awhile. There's a tasting bar, weekend cooking school classes and five-day culinary vacations, the Provençal-inspired restaurant, Terroir La Cachette, and myriad group tours and tastings to keep you occupied. Winemaker, Joe Will, and cooking school proprietor and former food editor, Jane Langdon, are the husband and wife team that make all this possible—they co-own the winery with their business associate, Newman Smith.Strewn's raison d'être is to provide value-priced wines expressing terroir and varietal characteristics. Joe Will's vineyard management practices in the winery-owned 26 or so acres include green harvest (dropping fruit on the ground to concentrate the flavours in the remaining grapes) and harvesting as late as possible to ensure sugar and physiological ripeness in the fruit. Joe began as a successful amateur wine maker then went to Australia, graduating from Roseworthy College and staying for a vintage in South Australia. Although he loves to work with crisp and refreshing white varieties, it should come as no surprise that after his Aussie experience, Strewn is best known for their reds—especially the 'Strewn Three', made from Bordeaux varieties and only when ideal vintage conditions prevail. The following wines are available only at the winery.
Strewn 'Terroir' Cabernet Franc 2006
VQA Niagara Lakeshore $29.00
This is one delicious red with its chockfull of flavour attack on the palate—chocolate-covered dark sweet black cherries and spiced ripe black Damson plum that is all nicely balanced with a bracing stream of delightful tang. There's perceptible tannin adding structure and ageing potential. It's medium in weight, nicely textured and finishes lengthy and lip-smacking good. Drink now, after a three-hour aeration / decant, or cellar, 2010 to 2015. (VH)
Strewn 'Terroir' French Oak Chardonnay 2007
VQA Niagara Lakeshore $24.95
From fully ripened fruit harvested in the Strewn Vineyard, this was aged in French 'Alliers' oak barrels. Aromas of toast and vanilla open this nicely textured medium-to-full bodied offering. This is followed by expressive and elegant layers of ripe, sweet, tree fruit flavours—ripe yellow peach, succulent pear and apple. There's a delightful edge on the lengthy finish as it cleans up nicely with a glorious gusher of spice-infused citrus flavours. It pairs well with roast chicken accompanied by root vegetables. (VH)
Strewn Sauvignon Blanc 2007
VQA Niagara Lakeshore $19.95
This is a gorgeous ripe wine on the palate; it reflects the very good '07 vintage, along with typical herbaceous and grassy aromas on the nose. The ripe fruit flavours include nectarine and yellow plum juxtaposed with crisp and clean moderating green apple and citrus zest, leaving the palate cleansed and refreshed. There's a splinter of oak and good viscosity leading to a generous texture and good weight; the balanced finish lingers. (VH)