Niagara Tour - Le Clos Jordanne

Le Clos Jordanne, Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard

Le Clos Jordanne. It's been more than a month since our visit - one that made me the target of more than a few ornery comments. Yet I learned more about the potential of Niagara terroir after this visit than from any other tour. I know I didn't make myself very popular with all the posting in early March. Everyone's a critic.

It's taken me so long to put this down in print because I needed more time to reflect. Le Clos Jordanne isn't just about making high quality wines - it's about an ideal, that Niagara can produce the greatest pinot noir and chardonnay outside of Burgundy. There is a responsibility here, to finally solidify Niagara's international standing as a serious wine region.

Great wine terroirs are great not because they produce stunning wines in excellent vintages, but because they can achieve greatness in difficult vintages as well. In difficult years, the winemaker has to have a heavier hand in the process, but that doesn't refute the fact that great terroirs will consistently produce excellent wines. That is why the focus here will be on pinot noir, from the 2008 vintage.

As Ontarians know, 2007 was a legendary vintage. Dry, hot weather, breeding wines of immense concentration, density, and ripeness. But 2008 was a different matter. Cold winter, leading to late flowering. Heavy rain falls, during the growing season and harvest. In a word, disastrous. There were expectations that the wines were going to be nothing more than thin, insipid, and green. I wanted to see how Le Clos Jordanne coped with this vintage, as it would be misleading to judge them purely on the blockbuster 2007's.

Le Clos Jordanne has 4 distinct terroirs - Talon Ridge, Le Clos Jordanne, Claystone Terrace, and La Petite. Scattered throughout Twenty Mile Bench in west Niagara, they have a commonality in that they all occupy the highest land. This elevation is what sets them apart. Higher elevation means better drainage, and better sun/wind exposure. Mix of clay and sand on top of limestone. I've always felt that Twenty Mile Bench and Beamsville Bench produced the most elegant wines, with the ability to age. Le Clos Jordanne's sites are clearly the premier vineyard sites in the area.

The epitome of Burgundy is the wine's ability to distinguish different terroirs in the glass, sometimes dramatically. Parcels just metres apart can taste significantly different. And that is what I found in Le Clos Jordanne. To put it simplistically, Talon Ridge showcased lots of red fruit, with a lovely balance of big tannins and big acidity. Claystone Terrace was brawny - meatier, gamier, and reminiscent of dried fruits and roses. La Petite Vineyard was just ultra-elegant - silky weight and texture, lots of rose petals and a finish that just dances on your palate. Timeless beauty, in vinous form. Le Clos Jordanne was clearly the powerhouse. Seamless texture, but on a stern foundation. Lots of freshness - fresh roses, cranberries, cherries. A darker, more brooding wine with lots of layers and depth. This showed the mystery that Burgundian wines have - there's an aspect of its character that is undefinable, but so intoxicating.

I absolutely fell in love with La Petite Vineyard. It's situated on a very high slope, like a glistening ruby in the crown of Niagara's escarpment. The sheer elegance was absolutely stunning - I've never drank a more weightless, silky wine. Absolute sophistication and grace. Perfectly balanced, subtle - I remember standing there speechless, and all I could manage was, "It's so beautiful!"

There's not a doubt in my mind that Le Clos Jordanne is world class. To my palate, the 2008's are superior to the 2007's. While not possessing the same density and tightness, the 2008's demonstrate perfectly the seductiveness and great class of pinot noir. As the vineyards age and their root systems become more ingrained, the minerality present in these wines is only going to increase. In 10 years time, we are really going to see these distinct terroirs flourish and showcase their unique characters. Will these wines age well? I don't know, and it seems Le Clos Jordanne isn't clear either. That will take time. I have a feeling that the wines will easily hold for 10+ years. Excellent balance and acidity is not a problem in these wines.

This piece does not do Le Clos Jordanne wines justice. It's just my impression, and as you can tell, I was floored and amazed. Running out of superlatives. I would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to the kind lady that took us around, and explained Niagara terroir to us.

I'll be following these wines with great interest. I've fallen in love, for life.

Niagara Tour - Bottles in coolers

These are the wines I picked up on this tour. Multiple bottles of each, of course, but all of them are 2007's. Wines to put away. The reds from this vintage have quite fierce structures, and some bottle age is required.

Oh, and if you're thinking of going to wine country and planning on buying wines...bring a cooler. Cleaner and greener than getting a lot of boxes and paper bags. Keeps the wine sheltered from dramatic temperature changes in your car trunk as well.

2007 Thirty Bench Pinot Noir, VQA Beamsville Bench

2007 13th Street Winery, Funk Vineyard Riesling, VQA Creek Shores

2007 Lailey Syrah, VQA Niagara River

2007 Lailey Pinot Noir, VQA Niagara River

A note on Niagara reporting

I've written a few posts on my Niagara Tour, with many apologies for being so disjointed. In the past, I've written about everything back to back, to keep my thoughts organized. I don't know why this has been so this time around - maybe because my current tour requires a more delicate touch.

I written about 3 of the 4 properties we visited - 13th Street Winery, Thirty Bench, Lailey. The fourth one? To put it into context, it was the first property we visited, and the most important one. I've had a running argument with a few random people here on this. And I've been instructed to be discreet when blogging about the appointment. So what do I do? See how scared I am? Havn't even written the name of the place yet!

I'll let this sit for a bit longer. I definitely want to write and share the details of my visit with everyone. I also want to respect the winery, and the people we met. It's very hard not to be enthusiastic about wines that amaze, so keep checking back in the next week. A post of LCJ is coming!

Niagara Tour - Old Winery Restaurant

One of my favourite restaurants in the area. Fresh, seasonal foods, value-driven, excellent service, decent wine list. I really need to be more adventurous, but I find myself coming here to eat everytime I'm in the area.

We started with the carrot and squash curry soup. Perfect balance of rich sweetness and spiciness. Just delicious, perfectly preparing the appetite for our meal. We followed with Italian sausage pizza (crispy crust, tangy toppings), seafood linguine, and pan-seared rainbow trout (perfectly cooked, tender and flavoursome).

For wine, we drank 2007 Cave Spring Dry Riesling. I don't know why they'd add the word "dry" in the name - it's anything but. Of course, not cloyingly sweet, but off-dry enough to make you notice. Although a simple wine, it's well-balanced but sufficient acidity to pair nicely with everyone's food.

Niagara Tour - Photos

Le Clos Jordanne, Claystone Terrace Vineyard, Chardonnay vines

Le Clos Jordanne, Claystone Terrace Vineyard, Chardonnay vines

Le Clos Jordanne, Claystone Terrace Vineyard, Pinot Noir vines

Thirty Bench Wine Makers, oak ferment tanks

Thirty Bench Wine Makers, Tasting room

Lailey Vineyard, cellar

Lailey Vineyard, Pinot noir barrels

Lailey Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2006

Niagara Tour - Lailey Vineyard

Ed drawing 2008 Wismer Chardonnay

Tasting 2008 Lailey Pinot Noir

Lailey Vineyard

Ever since that drop of 2005 Lailey Pinot Noir a few summers ago at Escabeche, I was entranced. The wine that first sparked my interest in Niagara wines, and proved to me that distinct, transcendant wine could be made here.

Ed's always been very humble and self-deprecating about Lailey wines. I admire that, because the wines speak for themselves.

We tasted a lot of wine, from barrel and bottle. The 2008's were delicious. Elegant, exceptionally delicate wines of great finesse. You would be stupid to write off this vintage, simply based on the at times awful weather we saw last year. The chardonnays were round and balanced. Pinot noirs were very fragrant, lovely roses and red fruits. The red fruits are typical of a cooler vintage, and the floral component is instantly recognizable as Niagara.

The 2007's have just been bottled, and are living up to expectations. The syrah has excellent varietal characteristics, lots of white pepper and buttery soft tannins. Pinot noirs have depth and structure, and are no doubt built for aging. Chardonnays are very refined, with layers of fruit.

This is just an overview of the wines we tasted, and were the ones that stood out. I was lucky - the 2007 pinot noirs are all sold out, but Ed found a few unlabelled ones for me. I wish they had been left bare bottled.

Again, Lailey proves that it creates balanced, terroir-driven wines of great personality and class. Maybe, like Thirty Bench, it would benefit with less varietals - strengths are clearly pinot noir and chardonnay. Really exceptional wines, that will turn anyone into a believer. Thanks Ed, I'll see you in a few months!

Niagara Tour - Thirty Bench Wine Makers

Thirty Bench Wine Makers

It's hard for me not to get excited when I talk about Thirty Bench. This is my 3rd consecutive visit - their rieslings are just irresistibly seductive and true. I havn't made a secret of my belief that they make the truest rieslings of Niagara, and possibly one of the better New World examples of this varietal.

I ask them to pour us the 3 single vineyard rieslings everytime. I don't know if anyone else notices, but the Triangle Vineyard and Steel Post Rieslings show differently each time. I don't know which one is my favourite, because I change my mind everytime. The first time, Steel Post just made such an impression on me, with its incredible minerality and petrol notes. Last December, I fell in love with Triangle, with its weight and complexity. But this time, I wasn't so sure. Both wines weren't very expressive. Maybe an awkward time in the bottle, maybe some reduction going on - maybe just needs some age. Still delicious, but not showing their true colours.

What's interesting is that Wood Post Rieslings have always been consistent. Round, supple, silky. We were given a surprise riesling - a 2003 Dim Vineyard Riesling. They don't make it anymore, and this example was made by the old winemaker. I don't know if the folks there think of it as a good wine, but after tasting it, my appreciation of Natalie Reynolds increased tenfold.

For the first time, the pinot noir was available. 2007 Small Lots Pinot Noir, it showed the characteristics of the vintage well. Ripe, well-structured, and just hinting of developing complexity. I'm intrigued to how this will age.

An informative and enjoyable visit, as always. I'd like to see them cut down on the number of wines they make, especially the cabernet franc that thinks of itself as a syrah. It's just a dream, but why can't people focus on the things they do so well? Like rieslings? Nevertheless, an excellent producer, and one that I think is just tapping its potential. One of the most reliable producers as well, across its whole product line. Natalie Reynolds does exceptional work, and proves that sometimes, (more often than not) wine benefits from a woman's touch.

Niagara Tour - 13th Street Winery

13th Street Winery

It's so exciting to visit a winery for the first time. I've heard a lot about their wines, and we were able to taste through a fair number. Enough to get a sense of the winery's style and personality.

We really enjoyed our time here. The lady was very friendly, and we talked about the winery, Niagara, and wine in general.

The wines are well-balanced, understated representations of what seems a sensible approach to winemaking. I can see all the wines being able to marry well with food, which is what good wine is supposed to do. Maybe won't light a fire, but they make good wines.

My favourite was the 2007 Funk Vineyard Riesling, VQA Creek Shores. Lots of citrus and lanolin on the nose. Great balance in the mouth, ending in a refreshing, slightly off-dry finish. It doesn't shout riesling in a show of flash, but how come the majority of producers still havn't figured this out? Un-balanced wines are pointless and crude - if it doesn't go with food, then it doesn't belong on the table.

Niagara Tour, March 2009

Niagara is a magical place. I've always known that, but everytime I go up, there's always new things to learn. As each producer makes and begins building a library of vintages, the subtleties and characteristics of Niagara's terroir begin to unveil. I believe in this region. Now, more than ever, there is a unity of place, in the wines that are being produced here. However, producers must be aware of the dangers that the globalization of wine tastes bring - we must continue to be unique. There must only be Niagara wines being made here. Wine cannot be altered to fit the trends and public tastes that are so fickle and callow. I've tasted it - there is such thing as a Niagara wine, but how many people are willing to sacrifice in order to allow the terroir to sing in all its glory?

All the people we met were as friendly and welcoming, as Niagara's wineries always are. Everyone was willing to share their knowledge of the region's wines, without hesitating to recommend other producers to seek out and try. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, and came away with greater appreciation for the wine, and the people. The wines we tasted were, at their best, incredibly pure expressions of fruit and earth. Of course, there were many simple wines, but even these were well-balanced, and food-friendly. Only two wines we tasted were undrinkable - a hybrid variety and an archaically made wine. There was consistency of quality, and the wines were honest interpretations of vintage and varietal. No sign of over-manipulation - the over-oaked, overripe monsters that plague so much of the New World.

As the sub-appellations of Niagara begin to reveal their personalities and characters, there is palpable excitement in the area. This is a dramatic and important time for Ontario wine, and local wine lovers. I feel privileged to be along for the ride.

A day in the fields

I am absolutely exhausted, but so elated at the things I've seen, tasted, and learned today in Niagara. I've always enjoyed my visits up, but today was my greatest tour. Learned so much, and gained a giant leap in my wine knowledge, as well as appreciation for the region.

Need some time to sort through my notes and photos, but will begin posting tomorrow.