Eatdrink Waterloo & Wellington #2 August/September 2018

38 |August/September 2018
eatdrink.ca |@eatdrinkmag
The wineries each presented a line-up of products:
(from the left) Cave Spring, Malivoire, and Hidden Bench.
French barrels, for nine months. The buttery
notes and the hint of vanilla oak balance the
green apple and the lemon citrus notes.
Harald Thiel, owner of Hidden Bench Estate
Winery, was pouring six terroir-driven wines
at the event. “Our wines are unfiltered, which
I believe adds to their ageability” he said. “We
are trying to make wines that are not only
good Ontario wines but also are wines that
can take their place on the world stage.” The
2015 Estate Chardonnay ($29.95 retail from
the winery) showcases the Beamsville Bench
terroir. The grapes in this wine are sourced
from the Locust Lane, Felseck and Rosomel
vineyards. Locust Lane and Felseck have a
west/east slope as well as a south/north slope,
providing excellent air, drainage and solar
exposure. A strikingly complex chardonnay
with lemon citrus, pear, melon and white
flowers, driven by a mineral backbone one
might expect from old world burgundies.
“Somewhereness” is also about sustainable
practices and responsible stewardship
of the land that is dedicated to growing
grapes. These winemakers also identify as
caretakers of the earth where their vines
grow. Nowhere is this more evident than at
Stratus Vineyards. Located in Niagara-on-the-
Lake, the winery was the first to earn LEED
Canada Certification by producing wines in an
environmentally-responsible manner.
“The wine we grow is dependent on the
health of the land on which it is grown,”
reads the Stratus Environmental Mission
Statement. “We farm our vineyard and guide
our winemaking as though our children’s
future depends on it.”
At the event, Stratus poured the 2014 Stratus
Red ($48 available at the winery only), a fine
example of terroir, as it presents a different
taste profile than the 2013 vintage currently
available at the LCBO ($38.75, vintages
#131037). A ripe, full bodied blend of cabernet
franc, cabernet sauvignon, merlot and syrah.
Juicy red berry fruits, grippy tannins and
complex secondary oak flavours having spent
584 days in 34% new French oak barrels.
Terroir reflects a vineyard’s location and
captures a sense of place, soil, climate, and
seasons. It impacts vintage variations and the
winemaker’s production decisions. Events
like showcase the unique terroir of Ontario
vineyards, and confirm that our wines have
evolved to be comparable with other wellknown
world-class wines.
GARY KILLOPS is a CAPS Certified Sommelier who
loves to talk, taste, and write about wine. He shares his
tasting notes on EssexWineReview.com
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