By Rick VanSickle
Ontario winemakers keep raising the bar higher and higher when it comes to sparkling wines.
Note, also in this report: Our picks from the Niagara sparkling wines being released at Vintages on Dec. 14.
Our Most Thrilling Ontario Sparkling Wine list for 2024 is testament to the diversity and quality of the bubbles being crafted in both Niagara and Prince Edward County. We picked our top 13 bubbles for this list on scores ranging from 92 to 96 points and prices between $40 and $160. Eleven of the top sparkling wines are from Niagara with the other two from The County.
Our top wine is from a new winery that is 100% devoted to making only sparkling wine from its vineyard and estate on the St. David’s Bench. York Vineyards is Marty and Rachael Werner’s dream project nurtured in the heart of Niagara and brought to life on their historic estate and vineyards. With a commitment to excellence and a dedication to quality, York crafts sparkling wines that honour their heritage and have proven quickly with their debut vintage released only recently that they have set the bar high for others to follow.
Werner (above with Rachael) is no stranger to winemaking or the wine scene in Niagara, with several projects on the go, including MW Cellars, League of Farmers and Northern Wine Merchants (and more!), but his York Vineyards project was started over a decade ago, and it took the longest to bring to market.
Before the wines were even released to consumers, two of the bubbles from York emerged as the top scoring wines from 131 sparkling wines tasted blind by a three-person panel from the UK-based Decanter magazine across the Americas.
“These wines show the potential of this region,” said Decanter in naming the top three wines, which included one other sparkling wine from Niagara, the Ravine Vineyard Vintage 2011. “York Vineyards is currently the only estate in Ontario known to be focussed entirely on traditional method sparkling wine; barrel fermentation/maturation and extended lees aging here have resulted is some excellent wines.”
Wines in Niagara was the first to review the York Vineyards portfolio earlier this year with Marty and Rachael Werner and consultant Peter Gamble at the couple’s gorgeous estate and vineyards. The wines have since gone on to critical acclaim from various wine publications.
The top bottling from York, the blanc de blancs, is our top sparkling wine of the year, but rest assured, the other 12 wines would also work perfectly fine on your holiday table this Christmas and New Year’s.
Note: Our Most Thrilling Red and White Niagara Wines of 2024 list comes out, as usual, on Boxing Day, Dec. 26. It’s our most popular post of the year and you don’t want to miss it.
Here’s our list, with reviews and original scores in order of points given.
York Vineyards Blanc de Blancs ($160, 96 points) — This 100% Chardonnay is from the first grapes picked for the York project. It spent 24 months in French oak and 102 months on its lees with zero dosage (less than 2 g/l of RS). This is a stunning wine, a tour de force for an extended lees aged sparkling that offers pure elegance and poise on the nose from the gentle bead in the glass to the toasted almond notes, quince, bergamot, lemon meringue, white flowers, flint and opulent brioche and biscuity accents. It turns more autolytic and textured on the palate, with deeper, layered, creamy notes of generous apple, pear and sharp citrus before showing flint, brioche and toasted nutty notes on a luxurious finish that is super long and vibrant. A stunning sparkling wine that will make even the most ardent fan of fine Champagne a believer in what can be done in Niagara. Yes, a big investment, but one worthy of your attention.
Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Carte Blanche Estate Blanc de Blancs 2017 ($50, 95+ points) — The 2017 vintage of the Carte Blanche is easily among the best sparkling wines made in Ontario that I have tasted. It’s made from 100% estate grown Chardonnay from the Short Hills Bench with 20% of the fruit barrel fermented. Secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle (traditionally made) and is followed by a further 54 months of aging on the lees. Such an intriguing nose of lemon tart, brioche/autolytic notes, apple/quince fruit, poached pear, pie crust and showing a light golden colour in the glass. It’s pure hedonistic pleasure on the palate with a soft(ish) but elegant bead, ripe stone fruits, baked bread/biscuit notes, lemon, fresh saline/flinty minerality, and mouth-watering acidity keeping it clean and fresh through a lifted finish. Such depth and verve. Wow, just beautiful!
Creekside The Trad Reserve 2019 ($45, 93 points) — This traditionally made bubbly is a 50-50 blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Queenston Road Vineyard that spent 46 months in bottle on its lees before being disgorged. Such a beguiling nose of toasty brioche, lemon biscuit, fresh apple, salinity, pear and a vigorous bubble in the glass. Those elegant, persistent bubbles continue on the palate and bolster the fresh orchard fruits, Meyer lemon, baked bread, toasted almonds and rousing finesse on the finish. Would love to age this for a couple of years to see how it develops.
Charles Baker Cuveé de Boulanger 2021 ($45, 93 points) — This 100% Riesling, sourced from the Picone Vineyard, is a méthode traditionnelle made sparkling wine that spends a year on its lees. This is brand owner Charles Baker having a bit of fun, not only with the name Boulanger (baker) but also with the wine, a sparkling version of his top Riesling cuveé from his favourite vineyard. It has a lifted, floral nose of fresh peaches, bright apple, lemon and lime zest, subtle creamy/leesy/toasty notes, and a persistent bead in the glass. It’s creamy but maintains its brightness with a vigorous bead, touches of orchard and citrus fruits and a clean, energetic, fresh finish. This is an ode to joy and a fun expression of one winemaker’s singular love for Riesling.
Divergence Hughes Vineyard Rosé Brut 2021 ($40, 93 points) — This single vineyard 100% Pinot Noir Rosé, sourced from the Hughes Vineyard in the Lincoln Lakeshore sub-appellation, is made both with and without skin contact to extract colour and strike balance of flavour and texture. It’s aged for two years in bottle and was disgorged in March with just 1 g/L dosage (so essentially, “extra brut”) using barrel aged reserve wine from the same harvest. It shows an inviting salmon colour in the glass with a vigorous bead and lovely strawberries, wild raspberries, cherries, cranberries, and lime zest. It’s wonderfully dry and vibrant with a firm, persistent bubble as it takes on a more earthy tone on the palate adding complexity to the pure red berries, subtle note of anise, toasty almonds, and mouth-watering acidity, giving this delicious sparkler lift and finesses through the finish.
Hidden Bench Blanc de Blanc 2016 ($52, 93 points) — This zero dosage, 100% Chardonnay-based traditionally made sparkling wine is sourced from the estate’s Locust Lane Vineyard. It’s barrel fermented and aged for seven months and spent 54 months on its lees before disgorging in January of 2022. It shows a slightly mature golden colour in the glass and has a nose of toasty/brioche, ripe pear, lemon chiffon, yellow apple and stony/saline mineral notes. It has a rich and creamy texture on the palate with flint, baked bread, purity of pear/apple/quince, lemon, toasty notes, a persistent bubble and length through a lifted, finessed finish. Elegant, exciting, well-aged bubbles here that would be fun to cellar a year or two for further development.
Last House Blanc de Noir Bonheur Traditional Method 2020 ($48, 93 points) — I first tasted this Pinot Noir-based, traditionally-made sparkling wine last fall at the Last House estate in Prince Edward County while sitting on the front porch of Andre Gagné and Deb Mathews’ home overlooking the vineyard. It was the first disgorging, unlabelled and awaiting VQA approval at the time. When first tasted, it spent 28 months on its lees, but this iteration now has 48 months of lees aging as Gagné hand disgorges 24 bottles at time by himself as needed. The fruit was sourced from estate grapes planted in 2018, so third leaf Pinot Noir that was whole cluster pressed. It was wild fermented in stainless steel. There is zero dosage added and it’s bottled unfiltered and unfined. It shows a deepening golden colour in the glass with a much more flinty/bready/brioche nose before the ripe pear, green apple, lemon curd, salinity, white flowers, and savoury notes kick in. The bead is gentle and persistent in the glass. It’s about pure elegance and pinpoint minerality on the palate with savoury stone fruits, biscuit and brioche, flint, bright and zesty citrus all leading to beautiful freshness, an elegant flair to the bubbles and a lingering, lifted finish. It’s pure joy in the glass with robust bubbles tickling the senses. The fetching label is from a painting by artist Stewart Jones that hangs in the family’s home and brings a sense of happiness, as the name of this wine — Bonheur — joyfully suggests.
Leaning Post Traditional Method Blanc de Blanc 2019 ($55, 93 points) — The Hemeris Vineyard on the Beamsville Bench, which is a favourite farm of co-owner and winemaker Ilya Senchuk’s, is a gem owned by the Kouvassilopoulos family. The over 40-year-old Chardonnay vines are the base for this traditionally made sparkling wine that spends six months in oaks barrels, with 42 months on the less, and a 6 g/l dosage. It shows a lovely golden colour in the glass with a lively bubbly. It starts with autolytic/biscuit notes on the nose followed by lemon curd, golden apple, pear, white flowers and brioche. The bead on the palate is vigorous with a rich, creamy, saline entry and just a hint of flint. It’s fresh and finessed with lemon tart, stone fruits, nutty accents, toasty brioche and mouth-watering acidity on the lifted, fresh finish.
Rosehall Run Blanc de Blancs Ceremony 2019 ($39, 93 points) — This traditional method Chardonnay was previously released as a non-vintage sparkling wine. It is one of the most popular releases at the winery. Its name, Ceremony, is a nod to the band New Order (winery owner and winemaker Dan Sullivan loves his music and often leans on favourite bands or lyrics when naming his wines). The fruit is 100% from the estate in Hillier (Prince Edward County) and begins with a mighty and persistent centre bead in the glass that amplifies on the palate. I was hypnotized by that tiny stream of energy, even two days after it was opened. It has a toasty/biscuity nose with fresh pear, a floral nose, saline minerality, lemon zest and apple. It has a creamy texture on the palate but is fresh and lifted with tangy Meyer lemon, green apple, pear, those crazy persistent bubbles, more subtle brioche and beautifully lifted and finessed on the finish.
Two Sisters Blanc de Franc 2020 ($64, 93 points) — This first disgorgement begins a new iteration of the Blanc de Franc. It’s made with 24 months of lees aging and is a touch subtle and elegant on the nose with a vigorous bubble in the glass, fresh berries, red currants, subtle herbs, lemon/citrus, and brioche accents. It’s fresh on the palate with lively bubbles and more open knit notes of apple, red currants, subtle creamy/brioche notes, lemon oil, raspberries, lovely texture and finessed through the bright finish. Can cellar to 2030.
2027 Cellars Brut Rosé 2020 ($45, 93 points) — Winemaker/brand owner Kevin Panagapka sources the 100% Pinot Noir grapes from the Victoria Avenue Vineyard on the Twenty Mile Bench. No oak is used in this traditionally made sparkling wine that spends 48 months on the lees with zero dosage, so, bone dry. The nose opens with fresh red berries, saline minerality, lemon curd, biscuit, white flowers and apple skin and an energetic bubble that follows to the palate. Such lovely freshness and elegance on the palate with creamy/brioche notes to go with raspberries, currants, red apples and lemon peel with a touch of flint on a lifted, vibrant finish. Can cellar until 2030 for further development.
Westcott Brilliant Blanc de Noirs NV ($48, 94 points) — The sparkling program at Westcott draws on the experience of the grower movement in France where both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes are picked with higher maturity to enhance phenolic development and resultant taste. Westcott uses only natural yeasts in both the primary and secondary fermentation, neutral oak aging and little to no dosage to showcase natural fruit aromas and taste. All bottles are hand riddled and disgorged in small lots. The double wild fermentation for the Blanc de Noirs is conducted in French oak barrels and the wine is riddled with five years on lees and zero dosage. It’s a fascinating wine with a pretty light gold colour in the glass and a nose of flinty/brioche, toasted vanilla, yellow apple, lemon cream, and pear skin with a fine bead in the glass. On the palate, those flinty/mineral notes lend complexity and intrigue to this unique sparkler. Such wonderful texture and verve on the palate with ripe stone fruits, zesty citrus, baked bread, elegant bubbles, and mouth-watering acidity that provide lift and finesse on the finish.
Domaine Le Clos Jordanne Crémant de Jordanne 2020 ($55, 92 points) — Over 75% of the production at the Le Clos properties is Pinot Noir, so “we had to make a Blanc de Noirs,” said winemaker Thomas Bachelder, for its first sparkling wine. It spent 12 months on its less and opens on the nose with fresh raspberries, lemon, salinity, and chalky/stony notes in a fresh style with a lively bubble in the glass. The fresh red berries shine on the palate with zesty citrus, mineral persistence, some creamy notes, robust bubble and a vibrant fresh finish.
Niagara Sparkling wines hitting
Vintages shelves Dec. 14
The Dec. 14 release at Vintages stores features quite a few bubbles to pick from. Here’s are our picks from the Niagara sparkling wines being released:
Hidden Bench Natur Zéro Dosage Sparkling 2017 ($47, 93 points) — This “zero dosage” (no sugar added) traditional method sparkling wine spent five years on its lees before being disgorged in January of this year. It’s a blend of 57% Pinot Noir and 43% Chardonnay from estate vineyards and spends seven months in 100% French oak, all neutral barriques. I tasted this from an unlabelled bottle. It pours an elegant, persistent mousse and has a complex nose of toasty/brioche, fresh lemon, grapefruit, pear, white flowers, a touch of flint and toasted almonds with subtle autolytic notes. It has energetic bubbles and verve on the palate with zesty citrus, green apple, lemon curd and pear in a rich and elegant style that combines length and mouthwatering acidity through a lifted finish. A fabulous sparkling wine.
The Tragically Hip Fireworks Sparkling 2023 ($27, 91 points) — The blend for this charmat style sparkling wine is 82% Chardonnay from Lincoln Lakeshore and 18% Riesling from Four Mile Creek. The wine spent six months on its lees. The nose starts with a toasty/brioche note followed by bright apple, pear and citrus with a gentle bead in the glass. The bubble is more robust on the palate followed by apple, quince and bergamot with subtle stony minerality and baked bread that all leads to a bright, clean finish with a just a touch of sweetness.
Flat Rock Twisted Sparkling 2023 ($20, 89 points) — This is a charmat style bubbly consisting of 86% Riesling, 13% Chardonnay and a splash of Gewurztraminer. It shows a lively, persistent bead in the glass with a nose of Asian pear, lemon zest, apples, nectarine and saline freshness. The bubbles are amplified on the palate with a melange of citrus, pear, yellow apples and a touch of honey sweetness on a bright, lifted finish. Delightful bubbles at an enticing price.
Also released, but not reviewed by Wines in Niagara:
• Peller Estates Signature Series Classic Ice Cuvée Sparkling ($37)
• Peller Estates Signature Series Ice Cuvée Rosé Sparkling ($37)
• 13th Street Premier Cuvée Sparkling 2018 ($40)
The post Our lucky 13 Most Thrilling Ontario Sparkling Wines of 2024 appeared first on Wines In Niagara.