Do you take first impressions seriously? I do. Very much so. When I meet someone for the first time, how they act and talk to me tells me a lot of what kind of person they are. I take things very personally. I suppose it's the result of a childhood where you're reminded of your minority status every single day. So I don't forget things very easily.
Anyways, enough of that. Enough. On to wine. I only recently learned that we were talking to Mr. Jeff Aubry, President of Coyote's Run Estate Winery. I was asking him about their Red Paw Vineyard Pinot Noir. I was remarking how soft the wine was. It's what Mr. Aubry said to me after that really.......turned me off to their wine. He said, "That's what pinot noir is supposed to be. It's supposed to be more fruit forward and supple. Pinot noir isn't supposed to have a lot of structure." I apologize if those aren't the exact words, but the general idea is correct. Mr. Aubry believes that their wines are what pinot noir is supposed to be. That's where I disagree strongly, and I really emphasize that.
Wine isn't supposed to be anything. You can't say for certain what a certain varietal is supposed to be. With the proper equipment and technique, the winemaker can make the grape varietal taste like whatever they want it to be. You can make pinot noir into a montrous 16% alcohol fruit bomb, or make it delicate and structured. Certainly, pinot noir has common characteristics, whether you grow it in Cote de Beaune or in Niagara, or in Russian River Valley. But to say that pinot noir should be a certain style is misguided and naive, at best.
What I can't stand is the lack of honesty behind that statement. Why can't you just say that this is the philosophy of winemaking that Coyote's Run believes in? I respect that very much, when everyone in an organization believes in the same ideal, from the top down. Don't try to put a marketing spin on it, and say that this should be the standard for pinot noir. Wine isn't supposed to be anything but a conjunction between what nature provides and what man's hand creates. In the worst of cases, that balance is tipped more to the heavy hand of the winemaker, but that's for another post.
This is my point of view, and I stand firmly behind it. From what I remember, Coyote's Run makes an agreeable wine, particularly their unoaked Chardonnay. I just hate the spin on things. Maybe that's not what Aubry meant. But if it is, then I take issue with that statement.
So, Mr. Aubrey: if you're still reading this, I challenge you to correct me. And by the way, do you really not remember us coming in? I mean, 6 Chinese people coming into Niagara wine country in the middle of winter doesn't raise eyebrows?
Showing posts with label Niagara Tasting Trip - Feb 2008. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Niagara Tasting Trip - Feb 2008. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Some thoughts on Niagara region
Yesterday, I posted about the specific wineries we visited. Let me just say some things about Niagara as a whole.
Every time I go down to Niagara, I always leave impressed with the quality I see. There are noticeable improvements year to year, and I'm really excited to be able to experience a new wine region come into its own. I'd like to focus on the Beamsville Bench and Twenty Mile Bench appellations next time, around the towns of Jordan and Lincoln. They produce really classic northern climate wines, full of lively acidity, minerality, and most importantly, they make wines with elegance and style. I still can't get my mind off how great Malivoire's chardonnays are.
Again, I'm holding firm to my belief that this area is made for Burgundian varietals, the chardonnays and the pinot noirs. You need to grow grapes that ripen early, because we have such a short growing season here and the margin for error is so little. A lot of places we visited produce everything - it's like they want to grow every single varietal in existence. That's ridiculous. There has to be certain grapes that are more suitable for the terroir here, and instead of making 15 kinds of mediocre wines, producers would benefit from focusing on making 5 great wines. Simple philosophy, but some people obviously are more concerned with making money than staying true to the spirit of winemaking.
The area is still in an experimental stage. But it has an advantage. Unlike the Californian wine scene of the 1970's, all the techniques and processes and equipment winemakers need are available. The only thing Canadian winemakers need to focus on doing is working with the terroir, recognizing differences in soil, microclimates, things like that. They need to go back to the basics, and really understand the land. Some folks, which I don't need to name, focus more on how to attract Japanese tourists to their properties.
A good buddy mentioned something to me last night, that really made me take note. He said, "It's all about the wine, not the person behind the counter". It was in reference to the man working at Coyote's Run. I think Rocky was absolutely right. I let my personal feelings get in the way of really getting a good feel for the wine. Coyote's Run couldn't have received its reputation if they didn't produce something worth noting. I will definitely return to the winery again, and this time focus only on the wine.
An interesting thing, which I forgot to mention was that when we were at Creekside, the lady mentioned that their winemaker also produces the Mike Weir and Wayne Gretzky wines. I didn't say anything, but I immediately had this negative perception not only of those wines but also of Creekside's as well. I can appreciate that these 2 celebrities donate the proceeds to charity and they're doing a good thing to promote Niagara, but from a purely wine making point of view, it is an insult to Niagara wine.
Let me explain.
Weir's tournaments take him all over the world. Gretzky coaches in Phoenix. Do you see the problem? How many days a year do you think they spend in Niagara, tending to their wines? You think Weir's going to skip a tournament to take part in the harvest? You think Gretzky can skip a few games to decide when to bottle? That's the problem with these celebrities just slapping their names on anything to make money. Same goes for celebrity perfumes and clothing lines. If you're not serious about committing to something, if you're not willing to spend the time to do something the right way, don't do it at all. It's disrespect to the honest winemakers that are working hard to make a name for themselves. It's absolutely ridiculous!
Let's be very clear: this area holds a lot of promise. If you havn't been up to Niagara wine country, make the trip. It's a short drive, talk to some of the people at the wineries, it'll be interesting even if you aren't really into wine. Experience the area, learn something new, and in 20 years when this region really takes off internationally, you can say that you were there right from the beginning.
Every time I go down to Niagara, I always leave impressed with the quality I see. There are noticeable improvements year to year, and I'm really excited to be able to experience a new wine region come into its own. I'd like to focus on the Beamsville Bench and Twenty Mile Bench appellations next time, around the towns of Jordan and Lincoln. They produce really classic northern climate wines, full of lively acidity, minerality, and most importantly, they make wines with elegance and style. I still can't get my mind off how great Malivoire's chardonnays are.
Again, I'm holding firm to my belief that this area is made for Burgundian varietals, the chardonnays and the pinot noirs. You need to grow grapes that ripen early, because we have such a short growing season here and the margin for error is so little. A lot of places we visited produce everything - it's like they want to grow every single varietal in existence. That's ridiculous. There has to be certain grapes that are more suitable for the terroir here, and instead of making 15 kinds of mediocre wines, producers would benefit from focusing on making 5 great wines. Simple philosophy, but some people obviously are more concerned with making money than staying true to the spirit of winemaking.
The area is still in an experimental stage. But it has an advantage. Unlike the Californian wine scene of the 1970's, all the techniques and processes and equipment winemakers need are available. The only thing Canadian winemakers need to focus on doing is working with the terroir, recognizing differences in soil, microclimates, things like that. They need to go back to the basics, and really understand the land. Some folks, which I don't need to name, focus more on how to attract Japanese tourists to their properties.
A good buddy mentioned something to me last night, that really made me take note. He said, "It's all about the wine, not the person behind the counter". It was in reference to the man working at Coyote's Run. I think Rocky was absolutely right. I let my personal feelings get in the way of really getting a good feel for the wine. Coyote's Run couldn't have received its reputation if they didn't produce something worth noting. I will definitely return to the winery again, and this time focus only on the wine.
An interesting thing, which I forgot to mention was that when we were at Creekside, the lady mentioned that their winemaker also produces the Mike Weir and Wayne Gretzky wines. I didn't say anything, but I immediately had this negative perception not only of those wines but also of Creekside's as well. I can appreciate that these 2 celebrities donate the proceeds to charity and they're doing a good thing to promote Niagara, but from a purely wine making point of view, it is an insult to Niagara wine.
Let me explain.
Weir's tournaments take him all over the world. Gretzky coaches in Phoenix. Do you see the problem? How many days a year do you think they spend in Niagara, tending to their wines? You think Weir's going to skip a tournament to take part in the harvest? You think Gretzky can skip a few games to decide when to bottle? That's the problem with these celebrities just slapping their names on anything to make money. Same goes for celebrity perfumes and clothing lines. If you're not serious about committing to something, if you're not willing to spend the time to do something the right way, don't do it at all. It's disrespect to the honest winemakers that are working hard to make a name for themselves. It's absolutely ridiculous!
Let's be very clear: this area holds a lot of promise. If you havn't been up to Niagara wine country, make the trip. It's a short drive, talk to some of the people at the wineries, it'll be interesting even if you aren't really into wine. Experience the area, learn something new, and in 20 years when this region really takes off internationally, you can say that you were there right from the beginning.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Feb. 2007 Niagara wine country tour
February 20, 2008, about four and a half months from my last trip down to Niagara. Interesting to see the area in winter, when last time we went, it was still a fairly mild autumn.
I went down this time again with my dear friends, in a group of 6. The purpose for this trip was firstly to enjoy the day with friends and secondly, I wanted to focus on the small, artisanal producers of Niagara.
My original list was for 6 wineries, 2 of which I was quite familiar with. I wanted to focus on the Burgundian varietals chardonnay and pinot noir. Overall, it was a smooth day, we tasted upwards of 80 different wines and everyone arrived home safely. I'll go through the 9 wineries we ended up visiting, and my thoughts on each producer. I don't want this post to be too long.
1. Malivoire Wine Company
Our first stop of the day. They were featured in an LCBO release. The gentlemen inside was friendly, knowledgable and most importantly, honest. He was honest about the harvest, honest about their wine-making philosophy, and honest about recognizing other producers as well. Just a joy to talk to. I started with both their chardonnays, their main line and their more exclusive Moira line. I also tried their pinot noirs. Having gone through a wide spectrum of both red and white wines, I was very, very impressed. You really get a consistent level of aroma, flavour, and quality through their entire line, something that not many wineries can achieve. And the acidity! My goodness, what gusto!! I've never had a better chardonnay, period. PERIOD. Both their single vineyard and lower end bottle is fantastic, just this beautiful blend of fruit and minerality, with this flavour that is intense, focussed and clean. Wonderful. Unfortunately, the price is set quite high. The Moira line, which I was interested in, goes for $36 and up. Can they justify setting the price so high? It's hard to say. I think it's about economics - small vineyard, small yields, you have to at least break even. So yes, I believe that they are over-pricing the wines, but my goodness, what marvelous wines!
2. Flat Rock Cellars
This is one of my favourite producers of pinot noir. I've written about this before, look it up here. This time though, I wanted to try a wider variety of their wine. I tasted their riesling as well as their new Gravity Pinot Noir. The rieslings were good - really noticeable petrol on the nose, but very lively with their trademark acidity. Lovely, just a really classic, well-structured riesling. Their Gravity - I wasn't very impressed. Maybe it was due to storage, since it could have been opened for days. What was most interesting was the pinot noir clone sample she poured me. It was never released for sale, just sort of an experiment by the growers. And it was very interesting, quite unlike the pinot noir they have on the market. I left with 2 bottles of riesling.
3. Creekside Estate Winery
This was not one that we had planned to go to. It was new to me, so I tried almost their entire line. I felt that their blends, both red and white were...ok. They had nice complexity but in a much softer and approachable style. For the beginning wine-drinker. What was more interesting was that the lady there matched us glass for glass. Can't imagine how many bottles the staff there goes through annually!
4. Hernder Estate Wines
This was also a spur of the moment decision. It looked grand on the outside, all wood structures on a very large property. Once we went inside, we realized that they do about 200 weddings a year, as well as make vinegar, jam, fruit liquers, etc....just about everything. The old lady was very nice, so I don't relish saying this; honestly, as honest as I can be, their wine was fucking shit. It was the worst and saddest excuse for wine I've ever tasted. No lie. I mean - I feel embarrased for whoever makes this stuff, because it really is undrinkable. The chardonnay we had is seared into my memory and palate. Incredible amounts of grassiness and vegetal qualities of the worst kind, obscenely underripe and overoaked. Really, quite literally, I'd rather drink original Listerine than this. My goodness. All the weddings they receive must be going to their heads.
5. Henry of Pelham
This estate was a lot of fun. Its a very big producer so naturally, I've never been very much of a fan. But the lady at the bar was so much fun to talk to. She really was. And she refused to charge us for the tasting and even gave us some chocolates for the road. I tasted their entire line of white wines, from their chardonnays to riesling to sauvignon blanc. And I tasted their pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and also their sparkling wine. The sparkling brut was interesting - blend of pinot noir, chardonnay, and petit meunier - the classic Champagne blend, in a golden style, a white wine. It was delicate, a lot of pretty aromas but lacking the more austere quality in a true champagne. It's a shame, I would have bought a bottle. The wines in general were serviceable and non-offensive. Meaning I don't mind drinking them for dinner at all, but nothing that blows my mind. Well, their pinot noir was good. Soft and supple, nice fruit. Overall, I had a good impression of their wines, which goes to show that not all big producers are bad. Of course, the lady there definitely had something to do with changing my perception!
6. Chateau des Charmes
This place again. You know how I feel about this place. But Ming had never been here before, so we just popped in quickly. They had the top of the line blend, the Equuleus, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and merlot. A classic Bordeaux blend. I thought it was interesting, nice fruit and firm structure, but not as concentrated as I'd expect it to be. They also produce a sparkling wine. Overall, my impression has not changed. They make drinkable wines, but nothing to go crazy over.
7. Coyote's Run Estate Winery
I was excited to go here, as I'd heard a lot about this place. But it was arguably the worst experience of the day. The man working there was the cockiest, most stuck up jackass I've ever met. He wouldn't even look me in the eye when I was talking to him. Give me a break. Really, give me a fucking break. Anyways, what was interesting about this winery was that for their chardonnays, the winemaker uses Hungarian oak barrels, instead of the more typical French or American. It's the first place I know that openly admits to using them. Their wines in general, the chardonnay and pinot noir - again, a more fruit-forward, juicy wine. I just don't get a sense of style, besides the noticeable spiciness of the Hungarian oak. Maybe because he was sucking all the fun out of the room.
8. Lailey Vineyard
This is another producer that I'm familiar with, whose pinot noir I used to believe was Niagara's best. This time - maybe its the storage again, or the icy cold woman behind the counter. But it lacks the focus, the intensity of Flat Rock's pinot noir. It's still a good wine, but maybe my taste has changed since last July. It's still wonderful. What was disappointing was that she wouldn't open a bottle of cabernet franc for me to taste. What the hell. I didn't know what I needed to do to get her to let me taste it. So I didn't buy anything.
9. Peller Estates
Again, another big winery, a huge property, with a restaurant, offices and ballroom. Our last stop of the day. It looked really nice instead - beautiful tasting room, lots of wine accessories on sale. So I was a bit leery about their wine. Turns out I was right about this one. I don't understand their use of oak, a theme that runs across their entire line. Much too manipulated, just too much oak. So much that for some wines, you have to dig really deep to find the fruit, and at times, you just can't. But the top of the line, the Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon fared better. Nice nose of red fruits, nicely concentrated with still a tight core. But, hints of smokiness and tar are coming out. This 2002 still needs some age. Their sparkling wine has a good story - they use their vidal icewine as a dosage, after they disgorge the yeast. The nose is all icewine. It lacks complexity and I think it's too much - this is a demi-sec. I don't agree with the philosophy of this producer. To me, they seem like they organize their lines according to wine-making method, instead of vineyard selection. I disagree firmly with that. The winemaker doesn't make the wine, the vineyards do. A lot of the differentiation of their wines comes with whether they ferment in stainless steel or oak barrels, how long they age in oak, and whether they bottle age in their cellars before they release they wines.
In Conclusion:
I thoroughly enjoyed the day. We had a lot of wine, learned some new things about the area, and have a clearer picture of the differences in terroir. And there is a clear difference between the Beamsville area and the area around the Niagara River. This is getting too long, but I will post some pictures up, as soon as Rocky sends them my way. Next post, I still have some things to say about Niagara as a whole.
I went down this time again with my dear friends, in a group of 6. The purpose for this trip was firstly to enjoy the day with friends and secondly, I wanted to focus on the small, artisanal producers of Niagara.
My original list was for 6 wineries, 2 of which I was quite familiar with. I wanted to focus on the Burgundian varietals chardonnay and pinot noir. Overall, it was a smooth day, we tasted upwards of 80 different wines and everyone arrived home safely. I'll go through the 9 wineries we ended up visiting, and my thoughts on each producer. I don't want this post to be too long.
1. Malivoire Wine Company
Our first stop of the day. They were featured in an LCBO release. The gentlemen inside was friendly, knowledgable and most importantly, honest. He was honest about the harvest, honest about their wine-making philosophy, and honest about recognizing other producers as well. Just a joy to talk to. I started with both their chardonnays, their main line and their more exclusive Moira line. I also tried their pinot noirs. Having gone through a wide spectrum of both red and white wines, I was very, very impressed. You really get a consistent level of aroma, flavour, and quality through their entire line, something that not many wineries can achieve. And the acidity! My goodness, what gusto!! I've never had a better chardonnay, period. PERIOD. Both their single vineyard and lower end bottle is fantastic, just this beautiful blend of fruit and minerality, with this flavour that is intense, focussed and clean. Wonderful. Unfortunately, the price is set quite high. The Moira line, which I was interested in, goes for $36 and up. Can they justify setting the price so high? It's hard to say. I think it's about economics - small vineyard, small yields, you have to at least break even. So yes, I believe that they are over-pricing the wines, but my goodness, what marvelous wines!
2. Flat Rock Cellars
This is one of my favourite producers of pinot noir. I've written about this before, look it up here. This time though, I wanted to try a wider variety of their wine. I tasted their riesling as well as their new Gravity Pinot Noir. The rieslings were good - really noticeable petrol on the nose, but very lively with their trademark acidity. Lovely, just a really classic, well-structured riesling. Their Gravity - I wasn't very impressed. Maybe it was due to storage, since it could have been opened for days. What was most interesting was the pinot noir clone sample she poured me. It was never released for sale, just sort of an experiment by the growers. And it was very interesting, quite unlike the pinot noir they have on the market. I left with 2 bottles of riesling.
3. Creekside Estate Winery
This was not one that we had planned to go to. It was new to me, so I tried almost their entire line. I felt that their blends, both red and white were...ok. They had nice complexity but in a much softer and approachable style. For the beginning wine-drinker. What was more interesting was that the lady there matched us glass for glass. Can't imagine how many bottles the staff there goes through annually!
4. Hernder Estate Wines
This was also a spur of the moment decision. It looked grand on the outside, all wood structures on a very large property. Once we went inside, we realized that they do about 200 weddings a year, as well as make vinegar, jam, fruit liquers, etc....just about everything. The old lady was very nice, so I don't relish saying this; honestly, as honest as I can be, their wine was fucking shit. It was the worst and saddest excuse for wine I've ever tasted. No lie. I mean - I feel embarrased for whoever makes this stuff, because it really is undrinkable. The chardonnay we had is seared into my memory and palate. Incredible amounts of grassiness and vegetal qualities of the worst kind, obscenely underripe and overoaked. Really, quite literally, I'd rather drink original Listerine than this. My goodness. All the weddings they receive must be going to their heads.
5. Henry of Pelham
This estate was a lot of fun. Its a very big producer so naturally, I've never been very much of a fan. But the lady at the bar was so much fun to talk to. She really was. And she refused to charge us for the tasting and even gave us some chocolates for the road. I tasted their entire line of white wines, from their chardonnays to riesling to sauvignon blanc. And I tasted their pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and also their sparkling wine. The sparkling brut was interesting - blend of pinot noir, chardonnay, and petit meunier - the classic Champagne blend, in a golden style, a white wine. It was delicate, a lot of pretty aromas but lacking the more austere quality in a true champagne. It's a shame, I would have bought a bottle. The wines in general were serviceable and non-offensive. Meaning I don't mind drinking them for dinner at all, but nothing that blows my mind. Well, their pinot noir was good. Soft and supple, nice fruit. Overall, I had a good impression of their wines, which goes to show that not all big producers are bad. Of course, the lady there definitely had something to do with changing my perception!
6. Chateau des Charmes
This place again. You know how I feel about this place. But Ming had never been here before, so we just popped in quickly. They had the top of the line blend, the Equuleus, a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and merlot. A classic Bordeaux blend. I thought it was interesting, nice fruit and firm structure, but not as concentrated as I'd expect it to be. They also produce a sparkling wine. Overall, my impression has not changed. They make drinkable wines, but nothing to go crazy over.
7. Coyote's Run Estate Winery
I was excited to go here, as I'd heard a lot about this place. But it was arguably the worst experience of the day. The man working there was the cockiest, most stuck up jackass I've ever met. He wouldn't even look me in the eye when I was talking to him. Give me a break. Really, give me a fucking break. Anyways, what was interesting about this winery was that for their chardonnays, the winemaker uses Hungarian oak barrels, instead of the more typical French or American. It's the first place I know that openly admits to using them. Their wines in general, the chardonnay and pinot noir - again, a more fruit-forward, juicy wine. I just don't get a sense of style, besides the noticeable spiciness of the Hungarian oak. Maybe because he was sucking all the fun out of the room.
8. Lailey Vineyard
This is another producer that I'm familiar with, whose pinot noir I used to believe was Niagara's best. This time - maybe its the storage again, or the icy cold woman behind the counter. But it lacks the focus, the intensity of Flat Rock's pinot noir. It's still a good wine, but maybe my taste has changed since last July. It's still wonderful. What was disappointing was that she wouldn't open a bottle of cabernet franc for me to taste. What the hell. I didn't know what I needed to do to get her to let me taste it. So I didn't buy anything.
9. Peller Estates
Again, another big winery, a huge property, with a restaurant, offices and ballroom. Our last stop of the day. It looked really nice instead - beautiful tasting room, lots of wine accessories on sale. So I was a bit leery about their wine. Turns out I was right about this one. I don't understand their use of oak, a theme that runs across their entire line. Much too manipulated, just too much oak. So much that for some wines, you have to dig really deep to find the fruit, and at times, you just can't. But the top of the line, the Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon fared better. Nice nose of red fruits, nicely concentrated with still a tight core. But, hints of smokiness and tar are coming out. This 2002 still needs some age. Their sparkling wine has a good story - they use their vidal icewine as a dosage, after they disgorge the yeast. The nose is all icewine. It lacks complexity and I think it's too much - this is a demi-sec. I don't agree with the philosophy of this producer. To me, they seem like they organize their lines according to wine-making method, instead of vineyard selection. I disagree firmly with that. The winemaker doesn't make the wine, the vineyards do. A lot of the differentiation of their wines comes with whether they ferment in stainless steel or oak barrels, how long they age in oak, and whether they bottle age in their cellars before they release they wines.
In Conclusion:
I thoroughly enjoyed the day. We had a lot of wine, learned some new things about the area, and have a clearer picture of the differences in terroir. And there is a clear difference between the Beamsville area and the area around the Niagara River. This is getting too long, but I will post some pictures up, as soon as Rocky sends them my way. Next post, I still have some things to say about Niagara as a whole.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
