By Rick VanSickle
Riverview Cellars Winery is one of the lucky few in the region to enjoy a captive audience of tourists cruising up and down the Niagara Parkway in search of vinous treats.
They come by car, by bike, by bus and even by foot from the picturesque tourist hot spot of Niagara-on-the-Lake in a steady flow that never ends season to season. To keep them happy and engaged you must appeal to the full spectrum of tastes in beverages.
In that, Riverview offers a full and eclectic roster of treats to enjoy from the popular Fontana series of Dolce, Rosé and Vidal, to the White Water Seltzer Collection, to the Astra charmat sparkling wines, to skin fermented white wines, to the Angelina’s Reserve wines, the ultra-premium Salvatore’s Reserve tier, and, of course, a well-rounded collection of icewines. There really is something for everyone.
Riverview may not have as grandiose a façade as some of its neighbours, but it is run by a hardworking and enthusiastic family who all chip in to make the winery a success through all the roadblocks put in front of them, and all wineries, over the decades — and that includes changing tastes and attitudes in wine.
Sam and Lina Pillitteri purchased the farmland and historic storefront in 1975 and grew fruit for many years before Sam’s brother, Gary, called to say he was starting up a winery, Pillitteri Estates on Niagara Stone Road, and needed more grapes to fuel the growing wine program. Slowly, what was once a thriving fruit farm, was being transformed into vineyards. By 1998, six acres of grapes had been planted with room to plant even more vinifera grapes.
With their son Michael showing an interest in wine, the Pillitteris decided in 2000 to make their own wines from the estate’s newly planted vines. The production today is about 4,000 to 5,000 cases of wine annually spread over about 15 different wines. This family operation depends on, and gets, a steady flow of repeat customers who have come to appreciate the wines crafted at the winery.
While Michael Pillitteri runs the day-to-day operation at the winery as the general manager, the winemaking is left to Nicholas Salvatore, who took the helm about a year ago. He provides a diverse portfolio of wines with the best being the aromatic white wines, especially a deep portfolio of Rieslings, red blended and Bordeaux variety wines and some of the best red icewines this reviewer has ever tasted. And don’t sleep on the Riesling and Gewurztraminer icewines.
Vineyards wouldn’t be much without the land, and as many winemakers can tell you, the land wouldn’t be much without water. Riverview grows grapes adjacent to the Niagara River on a premium parcel of land consisting of 25 acres planted East-West in a narrow strip from the Niagara Parkway to Concession 1.
Though subtle, the topsoil variations impart unique thumbprints on the grapes. The soil closest to the Niagara River is a pliable, silty loam. Further west the soil becomes a denser, clay loam. That density increases in small patches of tougher clay before closing out the vineyard with fertile sandy loam. Typically, tougher soil helps to control vine vigour, especially in wet years.
The farm was first planted in 1910 as a fruit farm and market. In fact, the back portion of the farm once maintained a railway-station and fruit-canning factory. When Sam and Lina Pillitteri bought the farm, they maintained the storefront as Riverview Booth.
The history of fruit farming would serve the vineyard-to-be quite well as it became Riverview Farms in the 1980s. The first vinifera to break ground was Gewurztraminer in 1992, with additional plantings of Vidal Blanc in 1993 and Cabernet Sauvignon in 1998.
Currently, approximately 23 acres of the property are under vine in 18 demarcated blocks at an average density of 900 vines/acre. The focus is on French and German cool-climate white varietals, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewurztraminer. The vineyard is also outfitted with the primary Bordeaux varietals Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Missing, and being considered, are the Burgundy grapes of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Gamay.
A while ago, I posted about two Riverview wines from days gone by — the almost mythical Buona Notte Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine 2007 (above) and the 2011 Salvatore’s Reserve Malbec (more on that one in the reviews below). Both were flashbacks to the headier days of Twitter when a group of us would travel from winery to winery usually announced to see what was new and deserved our attention.
The Buona Notte Cab Sauv Icewine from the warm 2007 vintage was the first and only wine I had ever given a perfect score to — five stars (or 100 points), for this unicorn treasure that sold way back then for $100 for a 375 mL bottle. It was magical, with gorgeous waves of exotic spices on the nose followed by cherry-kirsch, thick strawberry jam, roasted hazelnuts and creme Brulé. It was a perfect marriage of highly extracted red fruits, exotic spice and roasted nut flavours. It combined power and grace with impeccable balance and just the right amount of acidity to take the edge off the super-sweet fruits. A harmonious, monumental wine for a special occasion. I subsequently tasted it a couple of years later and it reaffirmed the only perfect score I have ever given a wine.
I reconnected with Riverview recently and we agreed on a reunion visit that was long overdue. Angela Kasimos was the winemaker for the Buona Notte but has since moved on to Small Talk winery and now Hernder Estate Winery. Nicholas Salvatore, who has been with Riverview in various positions for nine years, is now the head winemaker.
Salvatore told Wines in Niagara that the Buona Notte icewine is not made any more at Riverview. “We don’t currently (make it) but I wouldn’t rule it out in the future,” he said. “I think the last vintage for that one was 2012, which was before my time at Riverview. So, I’m not too sure why it stopped.”
Salvatore arranged for a thorough catchup on some very cool wines he’s making at the family estate, including some delectable icewines, followed by a charcuterie and cheese board (above). As we sat alone on the back porch of the tasting/retail room, my first time back since 2013, we went through a big chunk of the current premium wines available at Riverview. Here’s what I liked:
The sparkling wines
Riverview Astra Sparkling Riesling 2022 ($25, 88 points) — This 100% estate sourced Riesling is made in the charmat style and is aged in stainless steel on the lees for 12 months. “It’s a more serious charmat,” says Salvatore. You pick up the toasty/leesy notes right away on the nose, with sharp citrus, lime, green apple and pear notes. There’s a healthy bubble in the glass with an array of vibrant cut citrus notes, lightly toasted bread, subtle sweetness, fresh apples and a bright finish.
Riverview Astra Sparkling Rosé 2022 ($20, 88 points) — The rosé, a charmat style sparkle, is primarily Vidal with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon for colour. There’s a persistent bead and a light pink colour in the glass with apples, peaches and subtle citrus on the nose. The bubbles pop on the palate with flavours of fresh picked orchard fruits on a vibrant finish. Fun sparkling wine at an attractive price.
The white wines
Riverview Gewurztraminer Angelina’s Reserve 2021 ($25, 91 points) — The reserve Gewürztraminer is from the estate’s 20-year-old planting. There was a bit of skin contact to allow for more texture in the wine. This has an attractive nose of grapefruit, ginger, ripe pear, saline minerality, and lychee. It’s bone dry on the palate with succulent apricot, Asian pear, grapefruit and spices with a lovely texture and a long, luxurious finish.
Riverview Angelina’s Reserve East Block Riesling 2023 ($30, 92 points) — The Angelina’s Reserve duo of wines compares vineyard terroir from west to east. The East Block Riesling was planted in 1999 on silty loam soil and was finished at under 10 g/L of RS and 12% abv. The nose is quite floral with peach, apple, lime and ginger notes. It has wonderful mouthfeel on the palate with a flinty mineral edge to go with lime, grapefruit, orchard fruits, subtle sweetness and a vibrant, zesty finish.
Riverview Angelina’s Reserve West Block Riesling 2023 ($30, 91 points) — The West Block Riesling was planted in 2006 on fine, sandy loam soil. It’s finished with slightly higher 10.5 g/L of RS and similar 12% abv. This Riesling has a more tropical nose with added peaches, ripe apples and citrus accents. The palate shows ripe orchard fruits, nectarines, peach pie, a touch of reduction and sweetness with a lifted, bright finish.
Riverview Angelina’s Reserve Barrel Aged Riesling 2022 ($30, 89 points) — Salvatore calls this “my Riesling for Chardonnay drinkers.” The grapes are from the estate and the wine was aged in neutral oak barrels for 10 months and finished bone dry at 2 g/L. It shows a light golden colour in the glass and has a nose of concentrated lime/grapefruit, yellow apple, pear and subtle spices. It has a lovely, rounded texture on the palate with notes of lemon tart, ripe pear, apple and spice with a bright, zesty finish.
The red wines
Riverview Pinot Noir 2021 ($25, 90 points) — Riverview does not grow Pinot Noir on the farm, so they sourced this from the Wertsch Vineyard in the Four-Mile Creek sub-appellation. The wine was aged in a combination of French and American oak (14% new) for 15 months. The perfumed nose shows a basket of ripe red berries, red currants, a touch of cassis and fine oak spices. It’s mouth-filling on the palate with rich, ripe brambly raspberries and cherries, anise, polished tannins and long, lifted finish.
Riverview Salvatore’s Reserve Malbec 2021 ($35, 92 points) — Malbec is planted more often in Niagara than you think. A lot of it is blended into Bordeaux-style red wines, but a few, such as Lakeview, Niagara College, Peninsula Ridge, Legends, Big Head, Stratus, Inniskillin, Hidden Bench and others, make (or made) it into a single-variety wine with some success. I recently cracked open a Riverview Cellars Salvatore’s Reserve Malbec 2011 that had been populating my cellar for a while and was impressed with how it has matured so nicely.
It’s still a relatively rare varietal for Ontario, and Riverview sourced this Malbec from the Wiens Vineyard, just down the road in the Four-Mile Creek sub-appellation. It was aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels (38% new) for 15 months. It has a pretty nose of lifted red berries, blueberry pie, anise, mocha, a touch of cassis and elegant spice notes. It has fairly firm structure on the palate with ripe tannins and then rich red berries, wild blueberries, anise, savoury/earthy notes, lovely spices and a juicy, lifted finish. Judging by the 2011 tasted recently, you can cellar this until 2034 and even beyond. A lovely red.
Riverview Salvatore’s Reserve Merlot 2020 ($100, 94 points) — The top Merlot from Riverview was hand harvested from the stunning 2020 season that provided sunshine, heat and a long, dry, drama-free growing season. After a short fermentation and extended maceration on the crushed skins and seeds, the wine was gently pressed into four neutral French oak barrels and left to age for 24 months. It has an enticing nose of rich, mature black raspberries, cherry/kirsch, some floral notes, ripe plums and black currants with integrated fine oak spice. It’s a full-bodied red wine that’s dense and generous on the palate, showing the full spectrum of red berries, cassis, woodsy/spice notes, ripe tannins and a long, echoing, finessed finish. A beauty that will continue evolving for a decade or more.
Riverview Salvatore’s Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 ($100, 93 points) — The grapes for this unique week were crushed and destemmed into small fermentation vessels where they stayed for about four weeks. During this time, the pressed skins of the two reds above were added to the Cab Sauv to further increase tannin extract and texture, a process closing aligned to the Ripasso style. After four weeks, the wine was pressed into neutral French oak barrels where it was aged for 24 months. Another personable nose with ripe red berries, black currants, cassis, blueberries, licorice, subtle earthy/savoury notes and fine oak spices. It opens up further on the palate with a rich, dense melange of dark berries, anise and currants on highly structured frame, with ripe tannins, some cedar/tobacco accents and a long, echoing finish with juicy acidity. Built for long-term cellaring, say 2034 and beyond.
The icewines
Riverview Riesling Icewine 2019 ($70 for 375 mL, 95 points) – If you recall this vintage, some growers in Niagara-on-the-Lake were picking icewine grapes in November before the last of the Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested. The grapes for this icewine are from a combination of estate and local sourced fruit and is finished at 200 g/L of residual sugar and 10.5% abv. Such a beautiful icewine with an explosive nose of peach preserves, lanolin, beeswax, lemon tart, apricot jam, honey and marmalade. It comes at you in layer after layer on the palate with an enticing melange of sweet citrus marmalade, apricot tart, mango, peaches drizzled in wild honey, a touch of ginger, lime cordial and a luxurious finish with all that sweetness mitigated somewhat by the racy acidity. Super-charged icewine that will get even better in the cellar.
Riverview Gewürztraminer Icewine 2023 ($99 for 375 mL, 94 points) — This 100% estate Gewürztraminer Icewine still needs a bit of time to open up but swirl it and watch as the nose reveals exotic tropical fruits, dried apricots, mangos, marzipan, ginger and lemon tart. It has a silky, unctuous texture on the palate with layers of mango, apricots, honeycomb, peach preserves, candied lemon, ginger, lychee nut and such a silky, rounded, long and echoing finish that you won’t want it to end. It’s that good!
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