It has been a little while since I’ve reviewed the wines from Chateau des Charmes. So when I received the latest package it was nice to have a chance to continue to taste the quality of the higher end of the portfolio. The Old Vines Cabernet Merlot was a breath of fresh air. It still feels like Ontario is in the process of trying to define its identity. The handful of grapes that are starting to evolve as the frontrunners are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Gamay, Riesling, and Cabernet Franc. When it comes to Cabernet Franc and the rest of the Bordeaux varieties there does seem to be a bit of a struggle. There are a handful of wineries where it feels sometimes there is a battle with the climate – and maybe too much emphasis is being placed on higher sugar, and higher alcohol. What does this look like in the vineyard when you’re harvesting your fruit in November and December because you’ve had a moderate summer. I was thinking about this because 2017 was the miracle vintage where the cool summer was saved by the hot fall. What winemaker Amélie Boury has delivered with the Cabernet-Merlot is pure restraint and elegance. But most importantly I think we’re looking at some winemakers who are leaning in to the “niagaraness” that comes with the client. When you’re letting your fruit hang until December are you working with terroir? or struggling to make Niagara wines into something they are not? To be honest – with more wines like this Old Vines Cab Merlot – the question is going to answer itself.
2017 Cabernet-Merlot “Old Vines” – $24.95 – **** – Winery/Online – This bottle was a breath of fresh air – There is a trend with many winemakers from Niagara on the Lake to try to emulate warm climate regions with Cabernet and Merlot… and don’t get me wrong, in a hot summer we can deliver the goods. The alcohol in this bottle sits at 12.5% and it could very well be a time machine looking into how things used to work in Bordeaux – in December I managed to get my hands on a bottle of Chateau de Lamarque from 1983 that also had alcohol at 12.5%. I had to phone winemaker Amélie Boury to ask her about this. She told me it was a conscious decision to make the wine in this style. This perfectly elegant cab merlot leans into the strengths of Niagara regardless of vintage. The aromas are an explosion of raspberry, cranberry, and caressed in violet and fresh herb garden. The savoury notes are harmonious and play in perfect rhythm with the torrents of fresh fruit. As the wine opened up notes of blackberry, plum, and sour cherry. The tannin is soft and well integrated in the wine already – 2017 wasn’t a hot summer but I think this should evolve nicely until 2027. My last word on this is that wine made in this style is critical to helping Ontario continue to develop its own identity instead of chasing something it isn’t.
2016 Chardonnay St. David’s Bench Vineyard – Vintages 430991 – $24.95 – **** – Chardonnay grows well in Niagara – this is without debate. But in a hot vintage it can be a challenge to maintain balance in the wines. That is not the case here as this wine is perfectly walking a tightrope between unbridled tropical, corn, and coconut notes – and clean citrus and golden delicious apple. This opens up broadly on the palate – this is one of those Chardonnay’s that is a challenge to pair with food – but that is a-okay if you’re a lover of big wines. That being said there is some nice balance with acidity that offers some restraint and elegance. The finish is long with tangerine and spice that lingers. Drink now or hold until 2023.
