Tiara Dining Room

Saturday night, we had dinner at the Tiara Dining Room, inside Queen's Landing Hotel on Niagara-on-the-Lake. Havn't been back in many months, and I was really looking forward to it. Fine dining at its best.

We started off with 3 glasses of NV Champagne Louis de Sacy, Grand Cru. Lacking a bit of weight, but fresh and lively, smoky and perfect as an aperitif. We enjoyed it with a first course of tossed greens, and foie gras. The foie gras was a bit too tender, very rich. Reminds you why you can only have this dish once a year, because my cholesterol must have been through the roof after eating it.

For our mains, we drank 2002 Inniskillin Montague Estate Pinot Noir. As I've written about previously, I've drank and enjoyed the 2004. This is probably my only chance to taste previous vintages, so I'm willing to pay for it. It's dark, much darker than the already browning 2004. Rich nose of earth, bramble, that characteristic hot Niagara clay, and beautiful red berries dancing around the glass. Tight structure, quite tannic in fact. Beautiful, lustrous.....what a surprise! A fantastic, delicate wine that has great aging potential, I wish I could find a few more bottles! Surpasses any of the 2004 Niagara pinot noirs I've had. Great vintage character.

We drank the wine with lobster tagliatelle, steak au poivre, and pan-seared bass. All the dishes were exquisite. The lobster tagliatelle was so flavoursome, freshly made pasta makes such a huge difference. The steak was tender, what's memorable is the huge bone they served, so you could scoop out the rich marrow inside. So, so decadent, the marrow just oozes down your throat. My bass was perfectly cooked, subtly flavoured, with great texture. Firm, but so plump. Absolutely delicious.

This meal was lavish, yes. But we were determined to close out the year properly. A meal like this once a year is needed, to rejuvenate and replenish. I got pretty tipsy from all the fantastic wine, but the room was dark. Beautiful setting, beautiful food........my palate was singing from the decadence.

Thirty Bench 6

Let's finish this off.

Thirty Bench is proving itself to be an exceptional producer of dry white wines. Beamsville is the right location - great acidity, great minerality from the limestone, and attracting the right people. And did I mention that Thirty Bench has one of the most well-designed wine labels I've ever seen in a New World producer?

These wines have finesse and elegance, but rippingly high amounts of acidity. I'm fascinated to see how well they age. 2007 is proving to be worth the hype - the wines from this vintage are some of the best I've ever tasted, and that goes across the majority of Niagara producers.

I'm excited for this producer. They only started producing these single vineyard rieslings in 2005, so we're watching from the very beginning. Give them 1o years, when they have a bit more of a track record, and these wines will be able to compete against the best the Mosel and Alsace can offer. That's how highly I think of these wines, and my friends will tell you how much I love German rieslings.

Thirty Bench 5

2007 Thirty Bench Riesling Icewine, VQA Beamsville Bench.

Ahh, icewine. I've never made secret my skepticism about icewine as a premium desert wine, and I made that clear to Alex. He thinks I don't taste it properly - I think Ontario wine makers are overhyping it, overpricing it, and too overeager to look over its deficiencies.

This wine was excellent. But it doesn't change the fact that icewine is still a one-dimensional, honeyed wine, that doesn't improve with age, and it shockingly far too expensive.

We tasted the 2007 Riesling Icewine, the 1996 Riesling Icewine, and the 2007 Cabernet Icewine. All showed off Thirty Bench's fantastic acidity, and good fruit characters. But nothing really beyond fruit and honey. I enjoyed them - these icewines have a purity to them. It's just pure fruit, no nonsense that hides or obstructs it. And the 1996 is holding up extremely well, with a long life ahead of it. It's just that these 12 years have failed to add any significant complexities.

It wasn't my decision to buy one. And I still think that Niagara region needs to build its reputation on riesling and pinot noir, not icewine. But these wines are so pure, I'll make an exception. How does $75 for a half-bottle sound? I paid $78 for a full bottle of 2007 Chateau Guiraud, one of the top producers of Sauternes, in one of the top vintages. Let's taste them together in a few years and see how right I am.

Thirty Bench 4

2007 Thirty Bench "Wood Post Vineyard" Riesling, VQA Beamsville Bench.

This was not my favourite, but I loved its purity. It has great varietal characteristics, with an elegance and a soft, plush texture. Much more feminine than the other wines - wait, no, that's the wrong impression. All these wines are feminine - this one just seems like the more gentle sister of the other wines. This caresses you, massages you a little. Beautiful.

Thirty Bench 3

2007 Thirty Bench "Steel Post Vineyard" Riesling, VQA Beamsville Bench.

This was my favourite wine the last time I visited. Intense, steely, just like its name.

The 2007 showed off as being a bit richer, a bit fuller, a bit denser. Great finesse, but just more presence. There's a lot of potential for this wine to develop a bit more, in terms of minerality and complexity. Previous vintages I've tasted have showed fabuously, so I'm not concerned about this one.

Thirty Bench 2

2005/2007 Thirty Bench "Triangle Vineyard" Riesling, VQA Beamsville Bench.

This was a surprise for me, and was my favourite of their rieslings. The top cuvee, I drank the 2007 first. Very linear - this wine cuts your palate, showing great fruit, but also great focus and clarity. Good - there really is nothing bad to hide. Like a slender woman with the perfect hips and waist, with no need for such things as pleats to cover up any flaws. Perfection.

The 2005 was much more complex, more mineral, with more overt petrol and richness. Lovely, dusty texture, with that intense acidity. Really excellent, and this wine excited me out of my seat.

These are wines to put away. I'll see you in 7-10.

Thirty Bench 1

Our first and only winery stop this time was at Thirty Bench Wine Makers.

I fell in love, absolutely head over heels, with Thirty Bench the first time I tasted their wines. I last visited in June of this year, and it reaffirmed my belief that they make the greatest rieslings in North America. This is a world-class property, producing outstanding wines, wines that are as complex, fragrant, and ageworthy as some of the greatest rieslings of Europe.

We were late for our appointment - trying to drive through fog as thick as plump swells of cotton candy will make you late for anything. I called in to apologize, and the man on the other end of the phone began our conversation by saying, "Thanks for calling, what can I do to make your day better?"

We were given glasses of their 2007 Wine Maker's Riesling, the estate riesling. An absolute smashing success for an $18 wine, delicate and fruit-forward, mouthwateringly acidic. Beautiful.

Alex showed us the fermenting tanks, we couldn't go outside because the rain was starting to come down. We went through all four "Small Lot" rieslings from the different parcels, and Alex poured me two vintages of their Triangle Vineyard riesling, the top cuvee. Also, I wanted to taste the pinot gris, and Alex was kind enough to pour us all three icewines, two 2007 and one 1996. Excellent!

After going through, I am utterly convinced in the high quality of the rieslings. Pure wines, with great depth and complexity, and forget what anyone tells you - these wines can age forever. Came home with a case. Going to have to tighten the belt come January, but let's salvage 2008 and end the year on a high note. My last winery visit of 2008 was an incredible learning experience, and so was my last wine purchase of the year! Definitely will be going back soon, this property is definitely one to keep your eyes on.

Roundup

Got back from Niagara at 5:15pm, harrowing. Can you believe how windy it was today? I couldn't get out of the hotel lobby. Literally, the wind was blowing through the stores so strong, I couldn't walk. Stuck in the doorway like a schmuck. The valets were helping push people out to their cars. And they shut down the Burlington Bridge. You know, the big one on the QEW that goes over Hamilton. That took about 45 minutes to bypass, with lots of illegal and rude swerving around. These people in Hamilton don't know how to drive.

---Rant on ahead.

And that little prick in the mod-on-a-budget FastandtheFurious Camry deserves to have his license suspended. You know, you're not gangsta when you install shit body kits that have pre-cut holes for two exhausts when you only have one, and when the colour of the kit doesn't match the body. You're just a little wannabe white boy trying to emulate Asian ricer cool. Not going to happen. You look like a f*cking idiot, and a cheap one at that. And I STILL cut you off, even though you tried your hardest to deny me entry, even though it was the right thing to do because the road to the bridge was closed. Ass. If this little boy was driving in Toronto, he'd be pwned into the lake.

---

Anyways......I'm a bit irate, a bit jittery, and very relieved that we made it back in one piece. Got a case of wine from Thirty Bench. Had a fantastic lunch at Old Winery Restaurant. Now, dinner, and then I'll start writing up some worthwhile notes.

Niagara 2

Just showered, sobered a bit. Not as tipsy.

Came out on what was possibly the most foggiest day in Canadian history. It was so foggy you literally couldn't see the car in front of you. Scary driving, but we made it to Thirty Bench, albeit 40 minutes late. But Alex was a good sport about it.

It was a good day. We drank lots of fantastic wines. And I mean A LOT. Did not make use of the spit bucket. I emulated one of my friends today, you know who you are!

Going to sleep soon, I am exhausted. Sleeping in tomorrow, definitely. I think we'll enjoy lunch at Old Winery Restaurant tomorrow, then maybe visit Flat Rock to see whether the 2007 pinot noirs are available. Then, back to Toronto - after all, all is back to normal on Monday.

A more detailed writeup on the wines and the food Sunday afternoon, back safe in Toronto. Staying overnight in Niagara isn't so bad. But this place is full of vulgar people, just full of them.........

Niagara 1

In Niagara, Mariott right now. They make you pay for internet, can you believe this shit? Absolutely unbelievable.

I am all good and buzzed now, from dinner. Glasses of Champagne and a good 2/3 of a bottle of Niagara pinot noir will do that for you. Nice.

We visited Thirty Bench today, had a very productive tasting. I think I kind of busted his balls a bit, didn't mean to, but I hate it when people feed you bullshit and try to convince you that it tastes good.

Had a magnificent dinner at Tiara restaurant, at Queen's Landing hotel. Lavish, yes, but absolutely worth it. Our server was a sweetheart, even though she mistake the tagliatelle for gnocchi. Vintage Niagara pinot noir is stunning.

More wine tonight? I don't know. I have a bottle of Monbazillac, but don't know if I can take it. After all, I don't want to puke out all the wonderful food I've eaten tonight. I think.........I'm just going to go to sleep. I sleep like I'm dead.

Kind of drunk right now, not making any sense. Will write more in detail when I get my tasting ntoes in order, and of course, when I'm sober. Long live good wine and food! Long live Niagara!