I have been a fan of Kevin Panagapka’s wines since the first time I tasted them. His Chardonnay – from any of the vineyards he works with – is always among the best in Ontario. The best part about the portfolio at 2027 Cellars is that it is so affordable. Now the only downside is that these wines are only available when they make their way through the LCBO, and when they hit the vintages shelves they definitely do not stay on the shelves for very long. That being said – I was very excited to sit down and talk to Kevin about his new lineup of wines.
Kevin’s focus for 2027 Cellars is to make wines that reflect the individual terroir’s of the small blocks of vineyards that he works with. The name of the individual vineyards and blocks are displayed on the fronts of the labels so you know exactly where the fruit comes from. Needless to say the current lineup is just as good as I had expected and I am looking forward to finding these wines in restaurants and hopefully in Vintages soon.
2014 Wismer Vineyards Fox Croft Sparkling Blanc de Blancs – $25 Licensee – ****½ – Apples and spice on the nose with a slight vanilla note and a nice creaminess in the mouth. This has spent 36 months on lees before being disgorged. The fruit on the palate is bright, and feels sweet just because of phenolic ripeness. There is only 3 g/l of residual sugar so rest assured this is bone dry and has great crisp acidity.
2016 Edgerock Rosé Brut – $29 Licensee – ****+ – There are only 155 cases of this fruity, juicy pinot noir sparkling wine. The aromas are cherry and Swedish berry (yes … the candy) – the flavours match the nose but there is no sweetness to this wine. The texture is very rich and creamy on the mid palate – Kevin explained to me that he picks this as late as he can to get a bit more viscosity out of the fruit. There is a refreshing mineral note that pokes through on the finish. This is just a solid bottle of bubbles.
2017 Wismer Vineyard Fox Croft Riesling – $17 Licensee – **** – This is mineral from start to finish. The fruit profile is golden delicious apple, lime, and apple sauce. There is nice length to the finish – but it is perfectly balanced. There is 16 g/l of residual sugar in the bottle but it doesn’t feel sweet at all. The sweetness just helps to keep the fruit vibrant and youthful.
2018 Wismer Vineyard Fox Croft Gamay Rosé – $16 Licensee – ****+ – This is watermelon candy and the nose and on the palate but there is a slight savory note that makes this wine a little complex. I mean by no means is this a cerebral wine meant to be pondered – but it is an outstanding example of Gamay rosé. The concentration of all the flavours is off the chart with juicy, ripe flavours. There is a slight citrus note that pokes through on the finish.
2017 Stonebridge Chardonnay – $19.90 Licensee – ****+ – This is rich and heavy on the nose with pineapple and tangerine. This spent 14 months in barrel with 40% being new. It’s clear that this wine has no clue that 2017 was a rainy, cool summer in Niagara because this is teeming with very ripe fruit flavours I would usually expect from a warmer summer. Given the bigger mouthfeel and texture to this wine food pairing does become a bit of a challenge so stick to creamy pasta, or fried fish.
2017 Wismer Vineyard Fox Croft Chardonnay – $19.90 Licensee – ****½ – This is my favourite Chardonnay made by 2027 Cellars and definitely one of my favourites in the province. This always delivers outstanding value and incredible complexity from a bottle of wine that costs less than twenty five dollars. You get a dash of baking spice, nice vanilla, peach, pineapple, and a note of mineral that cuts through the rich fruit and barrel flavours.
