Learn what's in your glass
Here you will find the specifications of all the wines included in your flight
AND MORE!
Flight 1: All whites!
- The 2018 Riesling is the epitome of what makes Niagara Riesling great. It shows beautiful lemon, lime, and stone fruit aromas with a touch of honeysuckle followed but intense minerality. The palate replays the nose with some added honeydew melon and spice all balanced by crisp acidity with a fresh finish reminiscent of fallen leaves. The wine will age well for the next decade.
- The 2018 Riesling is the epitome of what makes Niagara Riesling great. It shows beautiful lemon, lime, and stone fruit aromas with a touch of honeysuckle followed but intense minerality. The palate replays the nose with some added honeydew melon and spice all balanced by crisp acidity with a fresh finish reminiscent of fallen leaves. The wine will age well for the next decade.
- Harvested on October 7th, it was kept on skins for 8 hours before being pressed off, settled and racked. It was inoculated with a selected yeast and fermented at very cool temperature to preserve freshness and aromatics. After fermentation a portion of the wine was aged in stainless steel tank on lees, and a portion was moved to barrel (barrique and 500L puncheon) where it was aged for 3 months to help build texture and weight. This wine was bottled on March 6th, 2020 in order to preserve the intense aromatics and fresh fruit character you expect from Sauvignon Blanc.
We always want Sauvignon Blanc to reflect our unique Niagara terroir and this wine shows it in spades. 2019 was a cool and even growing season, resulting in very intense aromas of lime-leaf, kiwi, passionfruit, and gooseberry. The palate has fresh acidity, with more kiwi, lime and passionfruit, but also lovely tropical mango, starfruit and a hint of mint and tarragon. The barrel and lees aging has helped build an intense and long finish with a pleasant flinty note. Drink now or over the next 3 years. Enjoy with pan-fried halibut, fresh tomato & anchovy-paste pasta, or lemon & herb roasted chicken.
Harvested on October 4 th, 10th and 18 th from 3 different vineyards, the majority of this wine was fermented in concrete tanks, with the remainder fermented in 228L Barriques and a 500L Puncheon and stainless steel. Once fermentation was complete, all the wine was aged on full lees in concrete and stainless steel for 9 months. After lees-aging, it was racked, lightly filtered and bottled on August 25, 2020.
- Vintages like this really epitomize what Ontario Chardonnay is all about! The nose bursts with lemon curd, pear, green apple, peach and freshly baked bread. Mineral and wet stone dominate the palate, with a background of cream, honeydew and almond in the background, all tied together with bracing, crisp acidity. This wine will age well for the next 5-8 years. Enjoy with brie, sole meuniere, and lemon-roasted chicken.
- Pinot Noir (70%) / Cabernet Sauvignon (30%)
- The grapes were picked on two separate days with the Pinot Noir harvested on October 11th and the Cabernet Sauvignon on November 9. They were left on skins over night to extract the right amount of colour, then direct pressed to stainless steel tanks where the juice was allowed to settle. We fermented at a cool temperature to preserve aromatics and fruit. It was bottled in March 2020.
Our house style of rose is bright and refreshing with a pale colour and great fruit. The nose has vibrant red fruits such as, sour cherry, raspberry, watermelon with complimentary savoury notes with hints of floral orange blossom. The palate supports the nose with rich texture and a delicate finish. This bright, refreshing Rose was built for warm summer days and good company!
Flight 2: All Reds!
End of the Road Vyrd (Twenty Mile Bench) – 44%
Wismer – Armbrust Vyrd (Twenty Mile Bench) – 37%
Wismer – JR Wismer Vyrd (Twenty Mile Bench) – 19%This wine is from 3 different vineyards that were picked on October 21st, October 26th, and November 6th. Each vineyard was vinified separately. After a 4-day cold soak, fermentation occurred spontaneously in both small open top and concrete fermenters. All wines were hand punched-down twice a day for 3 weeks. After 3.5 weeks on skins, each wine was gently pressed and racked into neutral oak barrique and puncheon for aging where it underwent spontaneous malo-lactic fermentation. Each vineyard was aged separately in barrel for 10 months. All of the vineyards were blended together when they were racked out of barrel and held in tank before being bottled.
The depth of this wine was structured by the warm summer and wet autumn. This wine stays true to the Leaning Post style and terroir of Armbrust Vineyard demonstrates lots of earth, mushroom, and undergrowth on the nose which is complimented by blackberry and cherry fruit with some beautiful freshly picked lavender. In the mouth there is lots of beautiful beet, blackberry, kirsch, and cracked pepper. The finish is long and delectable. This wine will age well for the next 3-5 years. Try with brie, camembert, your favourite burger, or anything on your plate this thanksgiving.
Senchuk Vineyard (50%) – Lincoln Lakeshore / Lowrey Vineyard (50%) – St. David’s Bench
These two vineyards were hand-picked and hand-sort on two different dates, Senchuk Vineyard October 4, and Lowrey Vineyard October 14. Each vineyard was fermented separately, with 25% whole-cluster fruit and 75% de-stemmed. They were left to cold soak for 2 to 3 days before a spontaneous ferment started, followed by punch-downs by hand twice a day for 3 weeks. Once fermentation was finished, the wine remained on skins for 6 days before being gently pressed. It was then transferred to French oak barrels (20% new, 35% 1-year-old, 45% older) and aged for 16 months. The 2017 Pinot Noir was bottled on June 9th, 2019.
- A blend of fruit from our Estate Senchuk Vineyard in Lincoln Lakeshore and Lowrey Vineyard in St. Davids, this wine shows a wonderful balance of floral and fruit in a style that is approachable for all Pinot Noir lovers. The earthy and beety flavours frame a cherry and raspberry intensity. The sweeping acidity lengthens the palate that is followed by a soft and supple mouthfeel. This wine will age for 4 to 5 years.
2019 had an exceptionally cold spring but was followed by a warm and even growing season that extended well into the fall. This sort of season is phenomenal for Gamay, allowing to get great intensity and ripeness at low alcohol. This wine was picked on October 21st and placed in concrete fermenters. After a 3-day cold soak fermentation occurred spontaneously and was hand punched-down twice a day for 3 weeks. After fermentation, the wine was kept on skins for 5 days then gently pressed and settled in tank. It was then racked into a clay amphora and 3 neutral oak barrels and aged for 10 months. After aging it was racked out of barrel and held in tank for a one month before being bottled. No additions of any kind were made, not yeast, malolactic bacteria or even sulphites.
The depth of this wine was structured by the warm, but not hot summer and autumn. We believe this is the best Gamay we have made to date! The terroir of Wismer-Armbrust Vineyard really shines through, with loads of garrigue, spice and leather, with intense blackberry, cherry and pepper on the nose. The mouth is complimentary showing mulberry, pomegranate, lilac, smoked sausage and fennel seed. The finish is fantastically long and smooth. This wine will age well for the next 4-6 years.
The grapes were handpicked on October 16th and 29th when they were hand sorted, destemmed and placed in small open top fermenters. After a 5 day cold soak the grapes began fermentation with indigenous yeast and were hand punched-down 2 times per day for 4 weeks. After 5 weeks on skins, the wine was gently pressed and racked into oak barrels (18% new) for aging where it remained for 12 months. It was lightly filtered and bottled on May 12th, 2020.
This blended wine over-delivers massively for the price. The nose is pronounced with plum, strawberry, white pepper, lavender, and licorice. A background of blueberries, dirt and cured meat lead to a palate that adds raspberry, mocha, and rich tannins. It is perfectly drinkable now but will age well over the next 5-8 years. Great with burgers, cured meat, and hard cheese.
Flight 3: The Freaks and Geeks!
100% Muscat Ottonel
The grapes were harvested on September 21st of 2020. The fruit was gently pressed into a stainless steel tank and allowed to settle for 2 days. It was racked off the heavy lees from pressing and started fermenting shortly after. We bottled this wine while fermenting to create the source of carbon dioxide in the bottle.
The intense aromatics of this wine leap from the glass, lifted by beautiful, creamy bubbles. Explosive aromas of fresh mandarin orange, meyer lemon, fresh ginger, and notions of nutmeg and honeysuckle immediately engage the olfactory senses. The palate echoes the nose, but also brings in mango, lychee and rose-petal with the light citrus and floral components wisping through the background. A rich mouthfeel is brought on with this warmer vintage as well as the lees in bottle. This wine is wonderful right now but can age for 1-3 years.
This is the fourth vintage of Geek Riesling and as the years go by the tank gets bigger but the production volume stays about the same. Hand-picked and hand sorted grapes were gently whole-cluster pressed. Treated the same as our Wismer Riesling for the first two thirds of fermentation, we draw off a portion of the wine when the we stop the fermentation for the Wismer and allow it to ferment to dryness in a separate tank. As fermentations from other white-wines (Riesling, Chardonnays, Sauvignon Blanc) were completed, the lees from those fermentations were added to this wine. All the lees from the 2014, 2015 and 2016 vintages of this wine were added August 27, 2018. Then after 22 months on lees, the wine was racked and bottled unfined and unfiltered on September 12, 2019. Our “Solera-lees” system will continue into future vintages until we can answer the question everyone has been asking; how much lees is too much lees? Only the Geek knows.
The “Geekiness” continues to rise in this wine. Reductive notes of flint and mineral frame all the beautiful stone fruit and fragrance of Riesling with a wonderfully rich and creamy texture twinned with the freshness and slight hints of other grape varieties. It is practically immortal and should age for beautifully for the next decade and well beyond. Drink with freshly shucked oysters, sushi, and the geek you love the most.
- “Orange” wine (skin-fermented white) is an ancient technique for making wine and we continue to explore its potential. Harvested on September 17, 2020, the grapes were destemmed, spontaneously fermented and aged on skins for 63 days in 40% clay amphora and 60% stainless steel. All of the skins from the fresh pressings were added to this wine for additional skin contact. After aging, it was pressed on October 18, 2020 and allowed to settle in stainless-steel tank. It was racked 3 times, had a single sulphur addition prior to bottling but was not fined or filtered.
- This wine represents the evolving nature of wine in Niagara. Orange marmalade, jalapeno pepper jelly, and passionfruit dominate the nose and palate, while elderflower honey, cream and lemon dominate the palate with a rich and oily texture. It is all tied together with bracing acidity, gorgeous texture and a seam of fine tannin. Chill and drink as it warms to reveal new facets of its unique personality.
Hand-picked and hand sorted grapes from our estate Senchuk Vineyard were placed with 100% whole-clusters in clay amphora with no sulphites added. After a 3-day cold-soak spontaneous fermentation began. This wine was hand punched-down 2 times per day for 4 weeks. After 4 weeks on skins it was gently pressed. It was then transferred to clay amphora where spontaneous malo-lactic fermentation occurred. This Pinot Noir was kept in amphora for 11 months, then transferred out of amphora to tank. A single racking in tank was followed by bottling without fining, filtration or addition of sulphites on Sept 10, 2020.
A very complex nose of sugar beets, black olives, damp moss, seaweed, is layered over bright bing-cherry, raspberry and nutmeg that pushes itself forward in the glass. The palate shows wonderful softness and suppleness, with dried autumn-leaf, strawberry, cumin, green olive and freshly-turned soil. Balanced acidity, collides with smooth tannins, leading to a very long and complex finish. This is definitely Pinot at its dirtiest! And we like it!
Flight 4: Our Specialties!
- Pinot Noir (70%) / Cabernet Sauvignon (30%)
- The grapes were picked on two separate days with the Pinot Noir harvested on October 11th and the Cabernet Sauvignon on November 9. They were left on skins over night to extract the right amount of colour, then direct pressed to stainless steel tanks where the juice was allowed to settle. We fermented at a cool temperature to preserve aromatics and fruit. It was bottled in March 2020.
- Our house style of rose is bright and refreshing with a pale colour and great fruit. The nose has vibrant red fruits such as, sour cherry, raspberry, watermelon with complimentary savoury notes with hints of floral orange blossom. The palate supports the nose with rich texture and a delicate finish. This bright, refreshing Rose was built for warm summer days and good company!
- Harvested on October 4 th, 10th and 18 th from 3 different vineyards, the majority of this wine was fermented in concrete tanks, with the remainder fermented in 228L Barriques and a 500L Puncheon and stainless steel. Once fermentation was complete, all the wine was aged on full lees in concrete and stainless steel for 9 months. After lees-aging, it was racked, lightly filtered and bottled on August 25, 2020.
- Vintages like this really epitomize what Ontario Chardonnay is all about! The nose bursts with lemon curd, pear, green apple, peach and freshly baked bread. Mineral and wet stone dominate the palate, with a background of cream, honeydew and almond in the background, all tied together with bracing, crisp acidity. This wine will age well for the next 5-8 years. Enjoy with brie, sole meuniere, and lemon-roasted chicken.
- Picked from September 26 to October 16 all grapes were hand-picked and hand-sorted. Left partially whole-cluster (25%) and the remaining crushed (75%), the majority of the Pinot Noir was put in concrete fermenters, where it soaked on skins prior to fermentation for 2 days until fermentation occurred spontaneously. During fermentation the skins were punched-down by hand 2 times per day. Once fermentation was finished the wine remained on skins for 3-5 days before being gently pressed. A portion was then transferred to French oak barrels (10% new, 90% older), while the remainder was kept in concrete tank where it underwent spontaneous malo-lactic fermentation and aged for 9 months. The Fifty Pinot Noir was bottled on August 12, 2020.
A blend of fruit from 5 different Vineyards from 3 different sub-appelations, this wine explodes out of the glass with wonderful raspberry, kirsch, earth and rose-petals on the nose, with tobacco leaf, herb and mushroom immediately behind it. Made in an approachable yet complex style, the palate shows good tannin and intensity with sugar beet, wet leaves, and mineral flavours giving way to pomegranate and spice. Balanced acidity follows a soft and supple mouthfeel that will age for 3-4 years but can certainly be enjoyed now.
- The grapes were handpicked on October 16th and 29th when they were hand sorted, destemmed and placed in small open top fermenters. After a 5 day cold soak the grapes began fermentation with indigenous yeast and were hand punched-down 2 times per day for 4 weeks. After 5 weeks on skins, the wine was gently pressed and racked into oak barrels (18% new) for aging where it remained for 12 months. It was lightly filtered and bottled on May 12th, 2020.
This blended wine over-delivers massively for the price. The nose is pronounced with plum, strawberry, white pepper, lavender, and licorice. A background of blueberries, dirt and cured meat lead to a palate that adds raspberry, mocha, and rich tannins. It is perfectly drinkable now but will age well over the next 5-8 years. Great with burgers, cured meat, and hard cheese.