Newsletter #241 - Ontario Older Wines Report

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OntarioWineReview Newsletter 241 October 2014

• WineReview: Ontario Older Wines Report
  

• Grape Guy’s Picks of the Bunch: New and Noteworthy Wines
  

• Bi-Weekly OWR Updates:  Wine Videos, Blog Additions and more

• Wine Event Spotlight:  See What's Going on in Wine Country

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WineReview:  Ontario Older Wines Report

Almost since the very beginning of OntarioWineReview (now MichaelPinkusWineReview) I have been interested in the evolution of the species:  wine … in fact, one of the reasons I started my wine-writing career in the first place was based on a number of older vintages I had tried over the holidays one year.  Those older bottles and my love of Ontario wine got me to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys) to write about wine.  Sure I review current vintages, but my favourite wines to write about are those on the two (now amalgamated into one) blogs I maintain on the subject of older wines (Taste it Again / Lost & Found) – both are pretty self-explanatory in their title.  I am proud to say I was the first writer to consistently look at older wines, especially from a consumer point of view.  

Those of us who age our wines are truly in the minority (about 5% of the wine buying public); but also are the most in need of knowledge (or at least first-hand accounts) of how our stored wines are doing.  Too early and we’ve wasted a bottle, maybe our last – too late and we’ve wasted a bottle, hopefully our last; and nothing makes the wine collector more sad than watching a bottle go down the drain due to un-drinkability.  Over the years I feel I have been providing a service to all Ontario wine fans and collectors – and maybe a little something for the curious and skeptical amongst us as well.

Does Ontario wine age?  The answer to the question I have been writing about for these many years is a most definite and resounding yes … but like anywhere else in the world not all wines age, you have to pick and choose your aging battles. I think that by now I have amassed enough data to give you a good rule of thumb to follow for a number of Ontario’s older vintages.

When it comes to wine buying and ageing there’s always a bit of that caveat emptor factor, no matter how much you read or taste something can always go wrong.  The best stored bottle can still be corked and there are always faults that can find their way to a bottle that seemed perfect at the original time of the tasting:  re-fermenting immediately comes to mind (of which I have seen my fair share).

I have opened older bottles that were corked while sitting with the winemaker (surprisingly, they are usually more disappointed and appalled than you are).  I have opened bottles that no one had any faith in that turned out to be exceptional, and bottles that should have been exceptional that would make a straight glass of a vinegar-based salad dressing taste good.  

What I offer you below may not apply to all bottles, but it’s my best guestimate, analysis and fair-comment about Ontario’s older vintages, based on my extensive experience with older wines from this province.

2001 … Alas, ladybug (like corkiness) does not get better with age and no matter how you slice it or try to make light of it (“goes well with peanut butter sandwiches”), when opening a bottle of 2001 be weary as the chances of ladybug sneaking in has grown more with time.  I’m not saying to write these wines off, but I would not have high hopes for any bottles I opened from this vintage … thankfully, this is the only widespread occurrence of this problem that Ontario experienced, and it brought about the era of “the shaking table”.

2002 … A great year, and I am still opening bottles from this vintage to accolades and praise – both from myself and those I open them with.  I’m not sure how much longer these wines will continue to impress, so I’d prepare to open them sooner rather than later.  Some are still at their peak, while others are cresting the slippery side of the down-slope, but know that the odds of you having a good bottle are definitely in your favour.  So go ahead and pop that cork with confidence, you might find yourself being pleasantly surprised by a 12-year-old bottle of Ontario wine.

2003 … I’ll admit to not having too many from this vintage in my cellar, I remember it to be quite a wet and “challenging vintage” (as the say in winemaker speak), and it definitely was not a good one by red wine standards … but still, Ontario winemakers had to make something (besides just Rosé) … and while the early ripening reds can still be okay the late ripeners are weedy and hard to get through.  If there are some 2003’s in you cellar open with a certain amount of caution and trepidation.

2004 – 2005 … Two very different vintages, but ones that alas have to be put together because of one sad fact.  Starting with vintage descriptions:  one was “normal” in nature for the province (2004) and the other exceeded expectations (2005).  The 2005 wines should have been brilliant and given us wines to rival those of 2002 for age-ability and elegance.  Alas, Ontario’s 2004-2005 vintage suffered from the plague of plastic.  Many wineries turned their eye to synthetic closures, which neither seal or age well and this ruined what potentially could have been some great wines.  Open with caution – once you see what’s under that capsule should tell the tale:  2004 are drink now and 2005 can last a little longer – but if you see plastic … I feel for you as I have been there myself too many times.

2006 … Here’s a vintage that suffered the same fate 2011 did (and will) – it was a Rodney Dangerfield vintage: it deserves more respect than what it receives.  Caught between the two hot vintages of 2005 and 2007, 2006 was not given its due.  But the good news is, that now, with 8 years under its belt, you can find some really elegant wines up and down the line – from Pinots to Cabs and Syrahs.  Don’t discount the 2006 wines in your cellar, though now is the time to drink them.

2007 … In my humble opinion this is the vintage that Ontario learned how to, and how not to make wine in the modern global warming era; it marked a real turning point.  2007 was a hot vintage – a very hot vintage – one in which everyone, including yours truly, had high hopes for long living, multi-decade aging wines.  But over the years and over many tastings of wines from this vintage, I have learned that Ontario winemakers’ relied too heavily on oak in these wines, and forgot about fruit character.  Now, when you open a 2007 you are just as likely to be drinking a glass if liquid-wood as you are of tasting fruit or any other tertiary characteristics.  This is not across-the-board, winemakers who came to us from hot climates, served in hot climates, or had plenty of Ontario-experience seemed to have fared better, as they knew how best to handle the impressive heat-soaked fruit that came from their stressed vineyards, but others just took the opportunity to use the “spaghetti sauce method” of winemaking:  put wine in new wood and let simmer, with the philosophy of “the wines can take it”, and take it they did.  In poker terms it’s called:  All In … in wine terms – as in poker – it can be disastrous.  So bottom line on 2007 is to keep your hopes low when opening a bottle; better to be pleasantly surprised that bitterly disappointed (and bitter is a good word to use especially with all that wood).  This is one vintage where knowing the winemaker’s past may help in your wine’s future.

Believe it or not all other vintages I consider too young to tell, but I’m sure I’ll have more to say in the coming years.  

Keep your eyes open for more wines coming to the Taste it Again/Lost & Found section of the site, and if you have questions about bottles in your cellar feel free to drop me a note; or better yet, try them yourself, and let me know your thoughts on how it has aged.

Grape Guy’s Picks of the Bunch:  New and Noteworthy Wines

Coyote’s Run 2013 Pinot Gris, Black Paw Vineyard - $15.95 (W)
www. coyotesrunwinery.com
Shut the front door, finally, a Coyote’s Run Pinot Gris I can crow about – sure they make decent one’s every year and every year I look at owner Jeff Aubry and say, “yeah, so what, it’s Pinot Gris.”  But this Black Paw offering has a little more than the basics:  a lovely apple core followed by mineral and citrus pith … it’s Pinot Gris that shows character beyond just some fruit.  Call me arrogant, but I could swear this Gris was made just to show me up, or at the very least prove, that there is more to Pinot Gris than meets the eye (err, umm, palate).  Only 100 cases were made, a far cry from the 300 or so made for the Red Paw version.  Price: $15.95 – Rating: ****

Foreign Affair 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon - $34.95 (W)
www. foreignaffairwinery.com
There’s something special about this wine: could it be the hand harvesting and hand sorting of the grapes … the 18-20 months in French and American oak … the 27.5% appassimento grapes herein?  It’s not just one thing that makes this wine, it’s the way all three have come together.  Nose is deep and rich with cocoa, mocha, chocolate, blackberry, cassis, black cherry, vanilla and cinnamon.  And with aromas like that there’s no way the palate can live up to it, right?  That’s what makes this so special, it does.  Coffee, big black fruit, rich tannins, black raspberry, blackberry, spiced plum, smoky, oaky, toasty – rich, round, ripe and full.  A wine this ballsy and food ready is one to be excited about; especially when the linger goes on forever.  And all this is done with a barely perceptible 14.7% alcohol.  Impressive.  Price: $34.95 – Rating: **** ½+

Hinterland 2011 Rosé Sparkling - $37.95 (W)
www.hinterlandwine.com
As a fan of the Hinterland Rosé Sparkling since its inception, I find myself to be fairly critical of it … I want it to live up to that first year and the promise it made to me:  we make quality uncompromising Rosé.  This 2011 version does just that:  hints of red berries on the nose with a seemingly lighter colour than usual.  Palate is bready and biscuit, but also has hints of lemon and lemon pith that end up on the finish to balance out the wine and cleanse the palate; plus it all ends with a lingering cherry-strawberry-citrus mix … beauty.  We bought 2, how many will you get?  Price: $37.95 – Rating: ****+

Malivoire 2011 Merlot, Stouck Vineyard - $34.95 (W)
www.malivoire.com
For a quality Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Gamay producer Malivoire has been quietly expanding their offereings … now here we have a straight up Merlot and it too deserves to have the Malivoire name because of its quality.  Blueberry and blackberry on the nose which follows onto the palate while adding cassis and spiced raspberry … it’d a fruity number with just enough angles for balance.  Price: $34.95 – Rating: ****+

Pondview 2012 Meritage, Bella Terra - Unfiltered - $39.95 (W)
www.pondviewwinery.com
A blend of 31% Merlot, 44% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc made in the unfiltered method … meaning this’ll throw sediment as it gets older and it should, by all rights, get older gracefully.  Currently we’re looking at chocolate, mocha, black cherry, raspberry, vanilla, and cinnamon along with a smoky character that has a hint of floral on the mid-palate and some bright cherry as well … it all intermingles quite well on both the nose and palate.  Price: $39.95 – Rating: ****+

Rosewood Estates 2012 Lock, Stock & Barrel – $34.00 (W)
www.rosewoodwine.com
More than two smoking barrels goes into this red, a pure Bordeaux-blend with Merlot (32%) leading the charge followed by Cabernet Franc (25%), Cabernet Sauvignon (23%), Petit Verdot (11%) and Malbec (9%).  If you were lucky enough to try the ’11 version of this wine you really aren’t at all prepared for the richness and bombast of the ’12.  All these grapes are co-fermented in 35% new oak.  This is what Rosewood coined as an “experimentation wine” and it really worked.  Nose is smoky with tobacco, white pepper and cassis; palate is loaded with dark fruit along with smoky vanilla, tobacco, black raspberry and a nice helping of acidity to keep everything in balance.  So far the best of the Lock, Stock & Barrel, let’s hope this trend continues.  Price: $34.00 – Rating: ****+

Availability legend:  W (Winery) – L (LCBO/Vintages) –  OL (On-Line).

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Bi-Weekly OWR Updates: Wine Videos, Blog Additions and more

The Weekly Wine Videos
Just as the name suggest … every week I'll introduce you to another fabulous Ontario wine that you've just gotta try – Check out the YouTube Channel Now

Regular Weekly Videos

Video #104 – Peller Estates 2012 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Video #105 – Mike Weir 2012 Limited Edition Barrel Fermented Chardonnay

A Look at My Personal Pinot Affair:  Pinot Noir Week (October 13-17) ...
Day 1 - Closson Chase 2011 KJ Watson Vineyard
Day 2 - Coyote's Run 2012 Red & Black Paw Vineyard
Day 3 - Domaine Queylus 2011 Reserve du Domaine
Day 4 - Leaning Post 2010 Pinot Noir
Day 5 - Norman Hardie 2011 Pinot Noir, Niagara Unfiltered
And subscribe to the Michael Pinkus YouTube Channel to catch all the videos.

Subscribe to the Michael Pinkus YouTube to catch all the videos

NEW – Quench By Tidings … #Wine Wednesday (see them all here)
Australia: Road to Recovery
Earlier and Earlier
Sauvignon Blanc with a Chilean Spin

On the Road with the Grape Guy (blog)
(Trips, tours and tastings – join me as I review the highs, and sometimes, the lows)
Stratus Wines: A Toast to Free Assemblage
Cono Sur Dinner, Tasting and New Wine Launch

NEW - Taste it Again / Lost & Found (blog):  the two blogs have merged
(Find out what happened to some favourites and to those that never were tasted) 
Taste it Again / Lost & Found:  Harbour Estates and Colio
Taste it Again: Hillebrand 2005 Trius Cabernet Franc

NEW NAME - Uncorked Tonight (blog)
When it’s not an Ontario wine, here’s what I’m pulling out of the cellar
New Posts Added

Vintages Release (blog)
October 25, 2014 - Vintages Report available
November 8, 2014 - coming soon

Wine Event Spotlight: See What's Going on in Wine Country

Wrapped Up in the Valley showcases VQA wines paired with gourmet appetizers at 24 of the Twenty Valley’s wineries.  Passport holders choose from one of three weekends in November 1 & 2, 7 & 8 or 14 & 15 and can explore the Valley between 11am and 5pm. As an added bonus, assemble your own Wrapped Up Cookbook by collecting the wine and food pairing on recipe cards at each stop along the way.  A single weekend passport is $40.00 per person (+ HST) and may be purchased online at www.twentyvalley.ca or by phone at 905-562-3636 and at select participating wineries.

Taste the Season is Niagara-on-the-Lake’s must-do event in November! Celebrate the season's bounty with locally inspired VQA wine and food pairings at each winery member every weekend in November.  Pairing information and ticket purchasing can be found right here: wineriesofniagaraonthelake.com/taste-the-season

The Slow and Sinful Gala, a Celebration of Prince Edward County Bubbly, is on the calendar and will be held November 29, 2014 … Highline Hall in Wellington, Prince Edward County; doors open at 7 pm.  The evening will feature sinfully delicious offerings, both savoury and sweet from some of the best chefs working in the County today.  Tickets are $75 per person.  An early bird draw will be awarded at the Gala, only those purchasing before November 6 will be eligible.  Tickets can be purchased online at www.slowfoodthecounty.ca

OntarioWineReview’s bi-weekly newsletter is devoted to the love, enjoyment and promotion of the wines of Ontario and the wineries that make them.

What can the Grape Guy do for you … Michael Pinkus (Grape Guy) provides a variety of wine related services that you might be interested in taking advantage of:  he gives lectures, leads seminars, conducts tastings, sets up tours; consults, selects and judges.  He also gives interviews, broadcasts, podcasts and writes.  Contact the Grape Guy if you require any of these services or have any questions.

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