So far, best Canadian wine on the trip. Blind would call Chenin Blanc as it was waxy with lanolin oil, little wooly…creamy pear, apple, some tropical mango fruits…nice fresh squeeze of citrus, barrel smoke, salty minerals…really like the banana skin waxiness. Very interesting, and tasty wine!
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Looks lovely. Climate change should continue to further aid these cool climate regions. Love the Pearl. If you can eat at the restaurant, don’t miss the chance!
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Oh wow! We just had the 2015 and 2016 of this at a New World wine dinner I hosted last weekend. Lovely and surprising wines. Our friend brought them wrapped blind. So surprised they were Canadien.
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Probably my third favorite Chard producer in the region and also one of my absolute favorite restaurants. Give Bachelder, Cloudsley, and Hitching Post a try if you see them.
You’re in my neck of the woods! If you get the chance to try their Cab Francs give them a whirl. Often some of my favorite reds.
Tawse Quarry Road Chardonnay is another wine I think you’d dig. Pretty readily available. On a lot of wines lists and often at LCBO stores.
First night we had the Tawse Robyns Block Chard, the waitress said it was rich and more Ca….it was not! Candied unripe fruit, and a weird vinegar nose that did blow off. We had noticed that vinegar smell on other wines as the bottle is just open…then blows off? That Pearl had it too. Very fun exploring the wines though…the ice wines are very enjoyable!
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Interesting. I think the reputation is Robyn’s block is “bigger” in the Tawse portfolio, relatively speaking. It’s been a while since I’ve had one but my vague memory is a bit more new oak? Not necessarily high ripeness, but a bit more viscosity. Quarry road usually strikes me more as more of a Chablis profile, sometimes having a bit of Cote d’Or richness. Some vintages definitely better than others!
Can’t say I can really explain the vinegar thing…?
The region is often prized for the limestone soil, though I think our climate is challenging. Winters to cold it kills vines, summers so hot and humid that there is disease pressure. I suspect that vines might even shut down a little in mid-summer when it exceeds 40 degrees C because there is often telltale thin green weedy note in the reds. I also don’t think winemaking quality outside of a few producers is all that high.
Haven’t really done the Niagara wine visit circuit in a number of years now, so I’m out of touch with new vintages and releases. The only thing I keep buying and enjoying sight unseen is Pearl Morissette Cab Franc.
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Headed to Niagara on the Lake right now…more exploring and will look out for that Franc! Thanks for the info!
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Might be too late but Just Cooking in Jordan area is nice Italian spot, very affordable. Then there is the greenhouse place nearby. Awesome place to eat lunch… can’t recall the name exactly
You need to get back. The amount of change there is quite rapid. Cloudsley is worth a stop for sure as they are new. Yes there are growing challenges, but just look at Bordeaux. Going biodynamic there is difficult for similar reasons (disease pressure)
Missed this yesterday but I would have said
