I recently took a visit to the new brick and mortar facility for Big Head wines. If you haven’t had the chance to check out the new winery it is well worth the visit. Many of the wines are getting the appassimento treatment. There are many mixed reviews about using the grape drying technique in Ontario. I still think the technique is too new to make a hard opinion on it. There are great examples of Appassimento wines being made at Burning Kiln, Rennie Estates, the Foreign Affair and Big Head. My last visit I was impressed by the strength of the whole portfolio and I can handily say that this visit I was not disappointed. Here are a few wines that you should check out next time you’re in the area.
2014 Riesling Icewine – $68.00 – ***** – This is easily my favorite Icewine from 2015. This wine is liquid caramel corn — It smells like it, and it tastes like it. It’s hard to picture the savory elements working it’s way through a new Icewine because you usually have to age a bottle for a few years before you start getting a nuttiness and the sweet fruit flavours start to settle down. Now don’t get me wrong there is still the signature sweetness, the flavours are honey, apricot and peach but there is just this extra bit of depth and that caramel popcorn flavour that takes over the palate. I would love to see what this will taste like next to some actual popcorn so this may be the perfect wine to enjoy with a movie night.
2013 Select Pinot Noir – $42.00 – ****+ – This is a perfect balance of everything. It’s soft and delicate while still being concentrated and intense. It’s ripe and fruity while offering a nice subtle earth note on the finish. And then, the acidity is the icing on the cake giving a nice finish that leaves you with just a whisper of everything you just tasted. There are layers of ripe red cherry and raspberry, even with all the complexity in this wine it is the fruit flavours that are front and centre. The finish has just a hint of floral that rises to the roof of your mouth and then it’s gone and replaced with mushroom, and damp forest floor.
2014 Botrytis Affected Chenin Blanc – $34.00 – ****1/2 – As with the Pinot Noir balance is key here. This Chenin is a perfect balance between acidity and sweetness. The residual sugar in this wine is at 32.3 g/l, which makes this wine a little off-dry. The aromas are floral and honey, they have a heavy texture that just grips your nose. You must resist the urge to gulp this wine, it must be savored. The flavours match the nose with peach and pear mixed in with the honey and the floral on the finish. You are left with a bit of sweetness on the palate for the finish but it’s refreshing and leaves your mouth ready for the next sip. I could talk about food pairings with this wine, but this is truly meant to be enjoyed on it’s own.
