This is a completely different kind of Chardonnay … this is Flat Rock’s reserve Chardonnay made from their best grapes grown in a section of the vineyard that also houses a rusty old shed – hence the name. The playful back label explains the origin of the name and the grapes. Flat Rock is one of Niagara’s newest wineries and their focus is on Rieslings, Chardonnays, and Pinot Noirs … as their portfolio shows. Their 5-level gravity flow facility is truly unique. 100% of their wines are under screw cap making them the first winery in Canada to commit their entire product line to the screw top closure (including icewine). But let’s get back to this wine. There are plenty of smells in the glass, including hazelnut, asparagus, vanilla, some lemon and lime and a hint of something sweet … strawberry? Could it be? The taste also shows a lot of character. This wine lacks the overly butteryness and fruitiness we’ve come to expect from most Chardonnays these days, and reaches for something more, and achieves it admirably. Some herbaceous notes along with vanilla and some almond appear on the finish, you could almost mistake this for a Sauvignon Blanc. Speaking of finish, the wine starts out sweet in the mouth but ends with a tart and medium-short finish. This wine stood up well to an old cheddar, which helped smooth out the tart tang on the finish – a great food wine, but it also drank very well on it’s own, and there is plenty of room for ageing this beauty. We look forward to more great wines from Flat Rock.