By Rick VanSickle
We walked into the unknown at the new Two Sisters Vineyards winery unannounced on a chilly Niagara day in December 2014.
Also in this Niagara Wine Report: It’s lost a bit of its appeal over the years, but at least two local wineries are embracing the Beaujolais Nouveau celebration, plus another stellar lineup of Niagara wines coming to Vintages Nov. 30, including Hidden Bench, Domaine Le Clos Jordanne, Westcott Vineyards, Peninsula Ridge, Tragically Hip, Marynissen, Cloudsley and Malivoire.
Our roving gang of tasters, including Toronto food writer Suresh Doss, wine writer extraordinaire Michael Di Caro and future lawyer Robyn Thiessen, the daughter of a Vineland grape grower (all above), took an impromptu detour a few weeks after the winery opened to see how the wines were shaping up.
We had no expectations because there was little buzz about this curious winery, an architectural dream built on John Street, close to the Niagara River in Niagara-on-the-Lake in the high-rent district of Niagara’s wine country.
We were immediately struck by this magnificent structure that housed one of Niagara’s largest tasting rooms, a gorgeous barrel room and the Kitchen 76 restaurant. There was limited production at the site while the 60 hectares of vineyards, all planted to Bordeaux varietals at time, were not quite mature enough to produce quality wine.
As we settled in at the wine tasting bar, fresh-faced winemaker Adam Pearce, a Niagara College graduate and most recently the winemaker at B.C.’s Pentage Winery, dropped by to lead us through the current releases. This was our first encounter with Pearce and the Two Sisters wines, and as history shows, it was the first of many tastings at Two Sisters, at least for me, with many more to come.
Zoom ahead almost a decade later, Two Sisters is anything but an unknown. It has proven to be one of Niagara’s most celebrated wineries, making wines, now from its own vineyards (which now includes Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc), that are clearly among the best in the region, with the awards and accolades to back that up. In the early days, Two Sisters relied on purchased fruit for its modest collection of wines; well-made, yes, but now that the vineyard is in full production, we are witnessing the full potential of the portfolio from top to bottom.
The Marotta family, including proprietors and sisters Angela Marotta and Melissa Marotta-Paolicelli (above), along with, staff, friends and guests celebrated their success with a swanky 10-year anniversary gala this past weekend at the estate. The event featured a six-course dining experience created by Kitchen 76 Chef Lanny MacLeod paired with wines from the past decade chosen by head winemaker Adam Pearce and estate sommelier Dieter Unruh.
The evening began with a wine reception featuring hors d’oeuvres, live music, and the opportunity to mingle and connect with fellow guests. Dinner followed and featured some of the most cherished and popular dishes from the past 10 years. Each course was perfectly paired with hand-selected wines ranging from library wines from the 2013 vintage to future and current vintages.
“This is a celebration for all of us,” said Angela Marotta, extending praise to staff and key managers at Two Sisters, some of whom have been working there since Day One.
Winemaker Pearce, who, along with Unruh, discussed each wine paired with the cuisine, said it’s been “quite a journey, the last 10 years. We knew we wanted to build a winery that pushed the boundaries. We’re still young in Niagara but we’re making world class wines.”
The six-course meal began with a classic take on insalata with crispy prosciutto, Parmigiano Reggiano tuille, lemon ceci purée and red wine anchovy vinaigrette paired with the Two Sisters Blanc de Franc 2018. The traditionally made 100% Cabernet Franc is “wildly popular for us,” said Pearce. It showed brioche/autolytic notes, toasted apple, poached pear, red currants, and lemon curd with a finessed finish, which complemented the purée and dressing nicely.
One of the more intriguing pairings of the night was the pesce dish, pan seared Fogo Island cod with parsley emulsion and fennel salad. It was brilliantly paired with the estate’s 2017 Sauvignon Blanc that was textured and played off the tender flakes of cod perfectly.
Other notable dishes included the pappardelle Coniglio with braised rabbit ragu paired with the Two Sisters barrel fermented Chardonnay 2018, fagioli Tuscani with pork belly, Tuscan white beans, pancetta and wilted Swiss chard paired with 2019 Riesling, and braciole, rolled flank steak, roasted breadcrumbs, tomato passata, polenta and rapini served with these three stunning wines.
Two Sisters Stone Eagle Estate Reserve 2013 — The Stone Eagle series from Two Sisters is the top tier at the estate, and by this time next year, the wines will have their very own winery and restaurant on Niagara Stone Road. The design for the winery is spectacular and promises a first-class wine and food experience for discerning consumers. This nicely mature Merlot dominant blend spends up to four years in French and American oak (15% of which is new oak). The nose shows penetrating aromas of super-charged black currants, anise, raspberry/cherry, earth, dark chocolate and an elegant range of spices and roasted vanilla bean. It’s beautiful on the palate with rich and detailed red berries, bramble, currants and plums that are layered and perfectly ripe across a smooth and textured frame that combines gorgeous spice notes and finesses on a long, long finish. It’s holding up beautifully and no need to drink up any time soon.
Two Sisters Cabernet Franc 2014 — The 2014 vintage suffered severe winterkill, which resulted in a short crop across the region and province for many varietals. At Two Sisters, for the Cabernet Franc, that resulted in a tiny one tonne per acre of fruit. The fruit was whole berry fermented and transferred straight to 100% French oak barrels, 15% new, and left to age for 32 months. This is quite the achievement for a 2014 Cabernet Franc. The nose shows lovely black cherries, raspberries, wild herbs, cassis and seamless spice notes. The fruit turns darker on the palate with earth, spice, licorice and dark chocolate all delivered on a smooth finish with a perky lift from the natural acidity of the vintage. And still showing finesse and youthful exuberance 10 years later.
Two Sisters Eleventh Post Special Selection 2019 ($120 per bottle, to get on the wait list go here — With the Stone Eagle wines moving over to the new winery next year, the winemaking team was tasked with creating a new flagship wine for guests to purchase at the home winery. This was revealed at the anniversary bash, paired with the flank steak. The winery calls the blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc a “culmination of dedication, precision, and a passion for excellence in every bottle. With this inaugural vintage, we’ve crafted something extraordinary, a true reflection of the vineyard’s character and our winemaking team’s craftsmanship.” The wine spent two years in barrel and underwent an exhausting barrel selection by the team, which was looking for “a rare and remarkable quality that stood out even among our top-performing lots. We wanted to highlight the best of the best from our site, regardless of variety.”
A handful of French barrels were chosen, only those that “achieved a stunning balance, displaying rich aromas, layered flavours, and a long, velvety finish.” Guests were left to savour the new Two Sister’s flagship wine while waiting for the final course, a dessert with a selection of house-made beignets paired with the 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine.
From there, it was on to the dance floor and reflections of a night well spent in Niagara.
Cheers to local Gamay Nouveau wines!
A celebration that dates to the 1800s begins every year at 12:01 a.m. on the third Thursday of November. It was started by grape growers in Beaujolais who came together to celebrate the end of the harvest by raising a glass of the first wines made that year. This tradition is part of France’s vin de primeur, or “early wines” custom, where wines from the current harvest are released in the same year. In this way, Beaujolais style wines the freshest red win that you can try.
The tradition was enjoyed around the world for decades before interest started waning at the turn of the millennium. At its peak in 2010, 35 million bottles of the wine were dumped into the market. Some 7.5 million bottles were sold in French supermarkets and 15.5 million were exported mainly to Japan, Germany, Canada, and the United States.
The LCBO made the annual ritual a huge deal in Ontario, releasing the wines on the third Thursday in November and selling out quickly. That is, until Nov. 17, 2022, when it all came to a surprising end in both Ontario and Quebec. An LCBO spokesperson told Wines in Niagara that “due to a poor harvest and increased supply chain costs, Beaujolais Nouveau is unavailable at the LCBO this year.” It did not return in 2023 and there are no plans for any Beaujolais Nouveau at LCBO stores today. A spokesperson said: “The Beaujolais Nouveau release will not be returning in 2024.”
In Niagara, there has been a smattering of local Gamay Nouveau wines released over the years. Chateau des Charmes has always been on board for this celebration and is “bringing back a beloved French tradition — the release of freshly harvested, freshly crafted Gamay Noir,” said winemaker Amelie Boury. “This vibrant, full-flavoured wine captures the essence of the season, offering you the perfect taste of tradition and craftsmanship in every glass. Our team worked very hard to make it happen this year.”
From Nov. 22 to Dec. 13, you can attend an exclusive Gamay Nouveau pairing, “where each bite and sip will take you on a journey through this year’s harvest.” The wine will be paired with cheese, charcuterie and chocolate. Reservations are advised but not necessary to attend a tasting.
The Chateau des Charmes Gamay is made in the traditional Beaujolais method, using carbonic maceration, and whole berry anaerobic fermentation. “This technique enhances fruit flavors without extracting bitter tannins from the grape skins,” said Boury.
Here’s the review from Wines in Niagara:
Chateau des Charmes Gamay Nouveau 2024 ($20, winery only, beginning Nov. 22, 89 points) — Said winemaker Boury on how you can make a wine when the grapes were only picked a month ago: “Harvest the grapes, put it in tank and voila! See you when finished fermenting; don’t touch it, be patient … no secret there!” If all Beaujolais Nouveau wines tasted as good as this, maybe people wouldn’t have lost interest in the ritual. It has a fruity nose with ripe plums, dark cherries, raspberries and a touch of earth. It’s perfectly smooth on the palate and loaded with ripe red berries, plums, savoury notes, and mushrooms with a rounded finish. Pleasant everyday Gamay for near-term drinking.
The only other Ontario winery that Wines in Niagara is aware of that made a nouveau style wine this year is King and Victoria’s Gamay Nouveau 2024. The Vineland winery is inviting wine lovers to visit the winery on Saturday or Sunday (no need for a reservation) from 1 to 5 p.m. to taste and buy the wine.
Christmas continues at Vintages
stores for Ontario VQA wine
It’s the second VQA-stacked release of Niagara wines in a row on Nov. 30 at LCBO Vintages stores.
It’s a release that features a crazy number of 2020 wines, Ontario’s finest vintage ever, from A-list producers. If you are looking to stock up with the best this Christmas, get yourself to a Vintages store this Saturday (or earlier as most stores put the wines out as soon as today before the official release.
On another note, I wish that Ontario Craft Wineries, the association that represents most of the 100% Ontario craft wineries in this province, would amplify these Ontario craft wines that come out every other week. If they want to see the dismal market share for local wines at the LCBO move in a positive direction these releases need all the help they can get. They are up against smart, wealthy international marketing boards pouring a lot of money into marketing their wines for every release and flooding consumers’ inboxes with alerts on what’s coming, yet I have seen no marketing from industry associations in Ontario. A roundup of what’s coming up, reviews of said wines and where to find them would go a long way to helping local wineries. You are free to share my twice monthly reviews posted here.
Here are our picks of the Niagara wines from the release:
Westcott Estate Pinot Noir 2020 ($32, 92 points) — The fruit is 30% whole cluster fermented with 100% wild malolactic fermentation. It’s aged in 100% French oak, all used barrels, for 22 months. There is a lovely, perfumed note on the nose with Bing cherries, black raspberries, cassis, forest floor, subtle savouriness and spice. It’s silky smooth on the palate and loaded with red berries, a touch of aniseed and red currants with earthy notes, spice, and a lifted, finessed finish. Can age for a bit to soften the acidity on the finish.
Cloudsley Twenty Mile Bench Pinot Noir 2020 ($37 92 points) — Proprietor Adam Lowy says that his 2020 Burgundian variety wines are “stylistically in line with what we do” despite the warmer vintage of previous harvests. His Twenty Mile Bench Pinot Noir is a blend of Glen Elgin, Parke, Hanck and Homestead vineyards aged in 20% new oak. I must admit right here and now that I am impressed with the 2020 vintage despite the heat that’s not always kind to Burgundian grapes, and it shows right here in this multi-vineyard Pinot Noir. This is nicely perfumed with brambly raspberries, red cherries and red currants that is fruity without being too earthy with just a pinch of spice. The melange of red fruits is integrated on the palate with ever-so-subtle savoury/earthy notes adding complexity, a touch of anise, smooth tannins, and a finessed finish. You can age this 5+ years.
Hidden Bench Terroir Caché 2020 ($48, 93 points) — The Terroir Caché is made every vintage at Hidden Bench as a Bordeaux-varietal red blend that is the little sister wine for the top La Brunante made only in vintages the estate feels makes the cut … It’s a blend of all three vineyards — Rosomel, Locust Lane and Felseck Vineyards — consisting of mostly Merlot, with the rest split between Cabernet Franc and Malbec. It’s aged in 100% French oak (35% new) and the rest in older barrels for 20 months. Proprietor Harald Thiel said this wine is built to last “for the ages.” It has a big, juicy nose of myriad dark berries, compoted red berries, cassis, anise, saddle leather, plums, dried Cuban tobacco and toasted vanilla bean and spice. The pureed red berries come to front on the palate, with dark chocolate, plums, cassis, blueberry pie and anise following behind. The tannins are ripe and structured and the long, echoing finish is lifted by mouthwatering acidity. Do not touch this for five years unless you decant it first and you can cellar to 2039.
Malivoire Biscous Brut Sparkling ($35, 92 points) —Though it is not dated on the label, the fruit is from the estate’s Moira Vineyard, planted in 1996, from the 2018 vintage and is made in the traditional method from a blend of 63% Chardonnay and the rest Pinot Noir. It was oak fermented and spent 36 months on the lees. Quite expressive on the nose with baked brioche, poached pear, lemon biscuit, subtle toasty notes, warm apple pie and a persistent, elegant bead. It caresses the mouth with delicate effervescence and notes of citrus, pear, apple, a touch of flint and toasty brioche all leading to a bright, lively finish.
Le Clos Jordanne Le Grand Clos Chardonnay 2020 ($52, 93 points) — A bit of fruit from the Talon Ridge Vineyard is blended into the top Chardonnay from the “grand cru” Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard for this impressive wine. A dominant note of chalky minerality is the first impression, then notes of fresh pear and quince, Meyer lemon and elegant spice notes. It’s generous and rich on the palate with ripe pear, lemon oil, golden apple, chalky minerality and spice in a complex and layered style with an echoing and fresh finish. A special Chardonnay.
Marynissen Platinum Series Cabernet Franc 2020 ($45, 92 points) — The fruit for this Fedorkow Vineyard sourced Cab Franc was aged in used French and American oak for 14 months before being bottled. It has a savoury nose of ripe cherries, brambly raspberries, crunchy cranberries, forest berries, cigar leaf and oak spice notes. It’s a rich and full-bodied wine on the palate with tamed tannins, a mélange of red berries, some anise and cassis, earthy/savoury notes and loaded with oak spices. Can cellar 5+ years.
The Tragically Hip Fifty Mission Cab Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 ($40, 92 points) — This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon with a small amount of Merlot from two select vineyards in the Niagara Peninsula. Grapes were crushed and fermented in one tonne fermenter bins with daily manual punch-down of the caps. The wine was then racked into French oak barrels (30% new barrels, 40% 1 year old, 30 % seasoned) for 12 months prior to blending. Hip fans will be gobbling up these wines up quickly, but I hope they will take the time to enjoy the bottles rather than keep them as souvenirs. it really is a nice red wine to drink. It has a fairly robust nose of blackberries, dark cherries, dried tobacco, violets, plums and toasted oak spice notes. It’s rich and smooth on the palate with ripe dark berries, a touch of cherry compote, cassis, Cuban tobacco and earthy notes with lovely integrated spice notes and mouth-watering acidity driving the back end. A really fine Cabernet with classic Niagara elegance and enough stuffing to cellar 5+ years, though attractive right now.
Peninsula Ridge Beal Vineyard Reserve Chardonnay 2021 ($27), 90 points) — This Beamsville Bench estate Chardonnay was aged sur lies in select French and American oak barrels for 15 months. It has a rich and savoury nose that highlights creamy pear, yellow apple, quince, lemon curd, caramel and robust spice notes. It shows more concentration on the creamy palate with the full range of orchard fruits, lemon tart, toasty vanilla and lavish spice notes with a rounded, long finish. For lovers of full-bodied Chardonnays.
Other Niagara wines being released, but not reviewed by Wines in Niagara:
• Stratus Wildass Red 2019
• Marynissen Heritage Collection Cabernet/Syrah 2021 ($28)
• Henry of Pelham Vidal/Cabernet Icewine 2018 ($40 for 200 mL)
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