By Rick VanSickle and Peter Rod
It’s not only the 25th anniversary for the Grapes for Humanity charity wine auction, but also the 5th year that Ontario winemakers have stepped up to the plate for this worthy cause.
Also in this Ontario Wine Report: Our picks from the Niagara wines being released at LCBO Vintages stores Saturday, including wines from Bachelder, Southbrook, Leaning Post, Featherstone and Henry of Pelham.
“The Cuvee from the Heart collaborative wine series showcases Canadian winemakers at their best — all working together to handcraft small lots of exceptional wines sold exclusively at the GFH wine auctions for the betterment of humanity,” says Steven Campbell, a director for Grapes for Humanity. He said this No. 5 Cuvée from the Heart vintage features multiple lots of wines “generously” donated by Canadian winemakers including Thomas Bachelder, above with Steven Campbell), Charles Baker and Kelley Mason, along with firsts from Prince Edward County (Pinot and Chardonnay), a Syrah, a Cabernet Franc from Niagara College students, and the collaborative’s first sparkling wine from Brock students.
The auction offers 60 mixed cases of one bottle each of the Cuvee from the Heart’s 12 unique wines, a dream case for Ontario wine lovers, and six cases of each individual wine sold as single lots. “The winemakers have expressed their excitement to collaboratively create these truly unique cuvées that represent their dedication to excellence, craft and community – recognizing that the auction’s cause to support climate action is critically important,” says Campbell. “These wines will no doubt be the most sought-after wines in our auction and Grapes for Humanity takes great pride in showcasing Ontario wines in this auction.”
We have previews below of all the cuvées from the Heart wines and our thoughts on what’s in the bottle after tasting the 12 wines.
The auction preview is here and bidding begins on April 12 and ends on April 22 (Earth Day). The auction is held in partnership with Waddington’s Auctioneers and a new collaboration with the Fine Wine Reserve. The primary beneficiaries of the auction will be Tree Canada and The Nature Conservancy of Canada.
In addition to the Canadian wines and spectacular back vintage international wines, the auction will also have “honorary” lots, celebrity wine dinners and one-of-kind “dream” lots.
Three Canadian legends no longer with us are honoured with special lots. The first is Rush band member Neal Peart. A guitar (photo above) signed by all three members of Rush, the only guitar in existence with all three band members’ autographs, will be auctioned off. To honour Tragically Hip band member Gord Downey, a bottle of Hip wine signed by all Rush band members will be up for bids. To honour legendary winemaker Paul Pender, 60 magnums of Tawse Sparkling 2016 Cuvee Paul Pender, made by Pender, will go to the highest bidders.
The funds raised from the auction will not only help plant trees with Tree Canada and conserve land with the Nature Conservancy, but there are also lots designated to specifically assist global green wine organizations such as Tasting Climate Change and the Porto Protocol.
There are also dream-lot vacation packages to visit Torres, Catena and Taylors, and over 400 wines rated 90-plus points.
Because it’s a charity wine auction, Waddington’s has waived its buyer’s premium and there is no HST on charity auctions, meaning a savings of more than 35% over traditional auctions.
Here’s the detailed information, including short reviews from Wines in Niagara.
The Ontario dozen wines up for bids
From the Heart — an ode to the environment: Twelve wines, one bottle of each: PEC Chardonnay (Trail Estate Winery, The Grange of Prince Edward County, Stanners Vineyard), Cabernet Sauvignon (Stratus Vineyards, Southbrook Vineyards), Chardonnay (Cloudsley Cellars, Leaning Post, Thomas Bachelder), Gamay (Malivoire Wine Company, Divergence Wines, Liebling Wines), Pinot Noir (Thomas Bachelder and Domaine Le Clos Jordan, Mason Vineyard), Red Blend (Lailey Winery, Domaine Queylus, Tawse Winery), Riesling (Thirty Bench Wine Makers, Cave Spring Cellars, Charles Baker Wines), PEC Pinot Noir (Rosehall Run Vineyards, Huff Estates Winery, Closson Chase Vineyards), Cabernet Franc (Inniskillin Wines, Two Sisters Winery, Vineland Estate Winery), Syrah (Creekside Wine, Black Bank Hill, Fielding Estate Winery), Cabernet Franc (Niagara College), and a Field Blend, Sparkling wine (Marynissen Estate in Partnership with Brock University Students).
12 bottles, per lot estimate: $400 to $600
Cuvée From the Heart — Vintage No. 5: This year, 12 Ontario winemaking teams from Ontario have created 12 inspiring, unique wines in 12-case lots. Award-winning, and up-and-coming winemakers, generously donated their finest juice to produce shining examples of Ontario’s best varietals and classic blends.
I tasted half these wines and provide notes below. I also enlisted help from Peter Rod, program co-ordinator and professor, beverage programs at Niagara College, for the other six reviews. Our notes are included below. Please note that we tasted these wines that were, for the post part, recently bottled. We suggest that you resisting drinking these wines until they have had a bit of bottle aging. All but one of the wines is VQA and that single wine, made entirely from top quality 100% Ontario grapes, was not VQA’d only due to timing.
Field Blend Sparkling — a sparkling collaboration you won’t want to miss: An exciting collaboration of CCOVI past and present. Brock University graduates Marc Pistor and Mitchell McCurdy teamed up with a group of current CCOVI applied grape and wine science students to bring this unique sparkling wine to life. Field Blend is crafted from a unique combination of Viognier, Gruner Veltliner, Auxerrois, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Meunier, Savagnin, and Pinot Blanc, all sourced from Wiens Family Farms in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Hand-harvested and fermented in two separate lots, the grapes were aged on lees before being blended with precision. The result? A sparkling wine bursting with crisp green apple, zesty citrus, and playful candied tartness, all balanced by a dry, mineral finish and refreshing acidity.
Our notes (from Rick VanSickle): An interesting blend for a sparkling wine, to say the least! It shows a soft bubble in the glass and brims with fresh cut citrus, apples, apricots, garden herbs and saline. The bubbles are more vigorous on the palate and reveals fresh-cut citrus, a touch of reduction, green apples and a lively, lifted finish. A fun wine.
12 bottles per lot, estimate $400 to $600
Riesling — one of Ontario’s most cherished and expressive varieties: A true collaboration of leaders in Riesling have come together for this worthwhile cause to deliver a wine that is refined and elegant. Gabriel Demarco of Cave Spring Vineyard, Charles Baker of Charles Baker Wines and Emma Garner of Thirty Bench Winemakers have joined forces to create an expressive interpretation of the 2024 vintage. Bursting with lime, mineral and floral aromatics, this wine is balanced and has an electric acidity that just won’t quit. It is a truly beautiful wine that can be enjoyed now or cellared for 5-10 years.
Our notes (from Rick VanSickle): A great opportunity to purchase a wine crafted by three of Ontario’s top Riesling winemakers. It has an enticing nose of lime, peach, stony/saline notes and ginger. There’s a touch of honey sweetness, but nicely balanced by the racy acidity. This is one to age for at least a year to get all those moving parts into harmony. Extended cellaring (even a bottle or two) is recommended.
12 bottles per lot, estimate $400 to $600
Cabernet Franc — One of Ontario’s singularly greatest red varieties in Ontario: This wine was crafted from Canada’s only commercial teaching winery at Niagara College. The grapes were grown in a teaching vineyard, where students work alongside professors, and industry professionals, to learn everything from grape to bottle. From pruning to picking, fermentation management and bottling, this wine is a testament to the rising quality of Ontario wine and winemakers.
Our notes (from Rick VanSickle): A really nice job here from the team at Niagara College. It has a gorgeous nose of brambly red berries, savoury/earthy notes, anise, eucalyptus, bay leaf, nettles and spice. It’s juicy and ripe with notes of black cherries, raspberries, polished tannins, earthy notes and a long, finessed finish that will benefit with 5+ years in the cellar.
12 bottles per lot, estimate $400 to $600
Cabernet Franc — Niagara’s best big red: Nicholas Gizuk, Inniskillin Niagara Estate winemaker, has a clear-cut passion for the Cabernet Franc grape and its capabilities to continue to be a staple red for all Niagara producers. In collaboration with Brian Schmidt, winemaker at Vineland Estates and Adam Pearce, winemaker at Two Sisters Vineyards who joined forces to make this 100% Cabernet Franc from established producers with age worthy vines. This trio of winemakers all bring a similar passion for terroir, viticultural practices, clonal selection and how each play a role in harnessing the fruit. This wine is wonderfully complex aromatics of ripe plum, cassis, raspberries and a bit of clove to round it off. The smooth midpalate is accented by a touch of spice and smoke and very well textured and firm tannins on the finish.
Our notes (from Peter Rod): Wow, brooding nose of dark currant, cherry liqueur, English rose, dried kalamata, and rosemary. Some new leather and savoury porcini broth. Power comes through on the palate too with youthful fine tannins, good fruit concentration, and crunchy black pepper in the finish. Drinking beautifully now but the heft and structure for several years of bottle age.
12 bottles per lot, estimate $400 to $600
Gamay is Raising Expectations: Shiraz Mottiar, who built Malivoire’s Gamay reputation with the most in-depth Gamay portfolio in the country, handpicked the next generation of great Gamay producers in Niagara to collaborate on this wine. Elisa Mazzi, winemaker at Malivoire Wine Company, joins Jeff Moote of Divergence Wines and Jessica Solanki of Liebling Wines, whose family also grows the Huebel Estate Gamay at the Creek Road Vineyard, from which this wine is sourced. Each brings their distinct knowledge and intuition to the table, harnessing the essence of the site into a harmonious wine that transcends individual prowess.
Our notes (from Rick VanSickle): This is serious Gamay and will improve with time in the cellar. It shows a melange of red fruits, plums, earthy/savoury notes and a touch of spice. It’s smooth on the palate with showy red berries, anise and a lifted, long finish. Really lovely wine for fans of cru Gamay.
12 bottles per lot, estimate $400 to $600
Syrah — try something rare: The very first Syrah From the Heart micro lot was created by a dream team of winemakers who are in love with the grape. Syrah is relatively rare in Ontario, but from the right vineyard and in the right hands it can make gorgeous, elegant, concentrated wine. Rob Power from Creekside, Richie Roberts from Fielding, and Jonathan McLean from Black Bank Hill have all won awards for their Syrahs. This From the Heart 2023 blend of their efforts is even greater than the sum of its parts: a harmonious, age worthy expression of the variety in Niagara. Drinking at its best 2027-2035.
Our notes (from Peter Rod): Classic varietal notes of violet, peony, blackberry, black cherry, licorice, and mulling spice. Even a hint of umami-rich marmite whose contribution will grow in time. Velvety tannins, fleshy and full, with black pepper and oaky clove and cedar notes. Beautifully crafted wine celebrating origin and varietal. Lay this one down for a few years and it will get even more voluptuous and expressive.
12 bottles per lot, estimate $400 to $600
Red Blend — three female winemakers creating their own path: In Support of Tree Canada and The Nature Conservancy of Canada this Cabernet Merlot blend was crafted by Kelly Mason of Domaine Queylus, Jessica Otting of Tawse Winery and Rebecca Ruggeri of Lailey Winery with collaboration from Ann Sperling. A barrel lot was carefully selected by each winemaker and blended to create a smooth harmonious wine that showcases the distinct terroir of Niagara.
Our notes (from Peter Rod): Very expressive varietal nose. Floral and fruit dominate with raspberry jam, red cherry, elderflower, and candied violet. Cab Franc contributes roasted sweet bell pepper and ash notes with delicate dried tarragon and truffle. Mouth filling but succulent and cleansing. Lovely pepper spice with silky fine fruit tannins. Warm and savoury herbs and fruit peel linger. Superb food wine.
12 bottles per lot, estimate $400 to $600
Cabernet Sauvignon — from two Leed certified sustainable advocates: Two of Niagara’s top estate wineries that are known for producing high quality, ageable red wines collaborated to create this Cabernet Sauvignon blend for Grapes for Humanity. Casey Hogan from Southbrook vineyards (known for its biodynamic and organic initiatives) and Dean Stoyka from Stratus Vineyards (known for the art of assemblage, gentle wine handling and experimentation) paired up to create a wine that shows how good Cabernet Sauvignon can taste from Niagara. Each of these vineyards from Niagara-on-the-Lake brings its own unique character to the finished blend which shows fresh fruit and savoury characters from a late ripening vintage with a strong structural core that will reward patience with time in the cellar.
Our notes (from Peter Rod): Youthful inky purple. Nose is shy at first suggesting this wine needs time. Prune, black olive, dark chocolate, black cherry, espresso bean, and warm cigar ash. Fuller bodied with nice chewy tannins with the ever-present Niagara acid which keeps the wine fine and fresh and ensures a long life. Flavours of chocolate bark, clove, and Italian plum spread feathered with herbs carry into a lengthy finish. Certainly merits cellar time to bring out more aromas and silky texture that will soon emerge.
12 bottles per lot, estimate $400 to $600
Prince Edward County Chardonnay — mineral driven complexity: Lead winemaker Mackenzie Brisbois, Trail Estate Winery, Jonas Newman, The Grange of Prince Edward and Colin Stanners, Stanners Vineyard, selected Chardonnay, the flagship grape of PEC. Carefully selecting from their barrel programs, they crafted a Chardonnay showcasing the pure minerality that the limestone soils offer.
Our notes (from Peter Rod): Lovely fresh nose of cantaloupe, apricot, and beeswax with discreet mint leaf and shortbread biscuit. Generous, luscious mix of sweet ripe stone fruits and custard with a backbone of juicy acidity and wet stone that lingers through a marvelous tangy finish. Very satisfying fruit-forward style with immediate appeal and cool climate delicacy.
12 bottles per lot, estimate $400 to $600
Chardonnay — the most widely produced variety in Ontario: Matt Smith of Cloudsley Cellars, Thomas Bachelder of Bachelder Niagara and Ilya Senchuk of Leaning Post Wines, have come together to craft a Chardonnay from four of Niagara’s best vineyards. This special wine was crafted with grapes from the Foxcroft, Mio, Cuesta and Senchuk vineyards and is a great example of what makes the Niagara Peninsula a world class location for producing Chardonnay. All three winemakers were excited to come together to create this elegant, expressive wine in support of these two great causes. A lucky few will get a chance to enjoy this tremendous, one-off collaboration of three of the top Chardonnay winemakers in Canada.
Our notes (from Rick VanSickle): Another superstar team of Chardonnay winemakers here and it shows. The nose reveals bright bergamot, saline minerality, fresh apples, baked pear and lemon tart. It has a creamy texture on the palate, stone fruits, subtle flinty notes and mouth-watering acidity driving the tingly finesse on the finish.
12 bottles per lot, estimate $400 to $600
Prince Edward County Pinot Noir — founding wineries share a vision: The 2023 Pinot Noir cuvée was sourced from three of the founding wineries in PEC. Dan Sullivan at Rosehall Run called on friends Closson Chase and Huff Estates to tap from their barrels for this wine. Frederic Picard has overseen every vintage in Huff cellar since its inception in 2001 and Keith Tyers has been the steady hand leading production at Closson Chase for over a decade. All three are practitioners and devotees to their terroir. The diverse locations of the vineyards provide a one-of-a-kind exploration into the overall expression of our most important red grape.
Our notes (from Rick VanSickle): Turning to another superstar winemaking team, this time from Prince Edward County, we have a mineral-laden expression of Pinot Noir with a nose of crushed violets, brambly red berries, woodsy perfume and integrated, elegant oak spice notes. It’s silky smooth on the palate with notes of black cherries, wild raspberries, savoury notes, subtle spice and a long, elevated finish.
12 bottles per lot, estimate $400 to $600
Pinot Noir — winemakers Thomas Bachelder and Kelly Mason give their take on a very special Pinot Noir: The wine is a unique, pure Bench blend that spans the breadth of the Twenty-Mile Bench appellation. From Domaine Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard on the east, or Jordan side of the Twenty-Mile Creek, through Spencer-Morgan Vineyard and Mason Vineyard from the western, Vineland side of the appellation, this is a dream collaboration from three of the Niagara Escarpment’s most renowned Pinot Noir terroirs.
Our notes (from Peter Rod): Beguiling nose that leads with ripe red pomegranate, raspberry compote, geranium, and dried fig but follows with vanilla bean, sweet spice, and baked pie crust. Quite silky overall with medium body and lovely, sweet and sour red fruits. Stony acid cut refreshes the palate marvelously. Elegant and beautifully balanced with its best years ahead.
12 bottles per lot, estimate $500 to $800
Five Niagara wines we can suggest
from the Vintages release Saturday
There’s a fairly robust offering of Niagara wines are being released Saturday at Vintages stores throughout the province. We have two new wines we can recommend and three previously reviewed wines for your consideration.
Here’s what we liked:
Bachelder L’Ardoise Niagara Chardonnay 2023 ($26, new review, 91 points) — Thomas Bachelder excels at every level with the grapes he chooses to champion in Niagara. Known for his skill in identifying key terroirs throughout the Niagara Peninsula, the L’Ardoise is a blend of favourite sites that are rich in Niagara’s ancient limestone. It’s aged in mostly neutral French oak barrels for 16 months. It has a pronounced nose of stone fruits, lemon tart, saline minerality, white flowers and subtle vanilla toast and spice. It has a creamy texture with pear/apple fruits, lemon zest, a touch of flint and a bright, lifted finish. Good value Chardonnay.
Southbrook Triomphe White 2023 ($20, new review, 89 points) — The Triomphe White is a blend of mostly Vidal with a bit of Chardonnay and Riesling. It has an enticing nose of fresh peach, pear and citrus with added notes of honeysuckle and melon. It’s crisp and refreshing on the palate with a melange of orchard fruits, citrus zest, a touch of sweetness and a clean, vibrant finish. Quintessential summer wine.
Leaning Post Cuvée Winona 2020 ($29, 91 points) — This is a blend of 61% Merlot, and 39% Cabernet Franc all sourced from Niagara-on-the-Lake that spent 18 months in French oak (mostly used barrels). Interestingly, the Cab Franc portion was fermented in concrete with the rest fermented in stainless steel. It has a big, heady nose of dense black cherries, blackberries, black currants, rich barrel spice notes and subtle earthy/savoury accents. It’s bold and sassy on the palate with tannic grip and a firm structure with a range of dark berries, wild raspberries, licorice, eucalypt, fine oak spices, toasted vanilla bean, and a lifted, long finish. An impressive, bold red offering that can cellar 5+ years.
Featherstone Sauvignon Blanc 2024 ($18, 90 points) — 20% of the fruit was barrel fermented using neutral Canadian oak barrels. It has an enticing nose of grapefruit, peach, grassy/herbaceous notes, apple and just a hint of spice. There is lovely texture on the palate with rich and layered pear, peach, fresh apple, grapefruit, minty herbs, touch of spice and a vibrant finish.
Henry of Pelham The Dry River Riesling 2022 ($20), 91 points) — From fruit grown on the Short Hills Bench, this is a friendly Riesling with a bit more residual sugar than the top wine above. It bursts with grapefruit, lime, peaches and some tropical notes. There’s a bit of honey on the palate followed by ripe orchard fruits, zesty citrus and mouth-watering acidity on a vibrant finish.
Also released, but not reviewed by Wines in Niagara:
• Featherstone Phoenix Gewürztraminer 2024 ($19)
• The Hare Chardonnay 2020 ($30)
• Todah Riesling KP 2023
• Domaine Queylus Tradition Pinot Noir 2021 ($36)
• Stratus Gamay 2023
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