I was very excited to have an opportunity to taste through the latest releases from Featherstone Winery. I know there is a level of consistency in this portfolio that should be the envy of any winery on the planet. But that doesn’t mean there is anything boring about this collection of wines. Of course, the benchmark wines Joy and Canadian Oak Chardonnay continued to deliver the goods … but there were some solid surprises here when I tasted the Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc. Here are some wines you should rush to get your hands on this summer.
2019 Featherstone Canadian Oak Chardonnay – $23.15 – ****+ – One of the most Canadian wines you can get – wild ferment, and aged in local Oak barrels. The 2019 vintage was cool and challenging across the board for all varieties – but there is no hint of that in this bottle. What we have here is a perfectly balanced rich Chardonnay at a very very reasonable price. The aromas are tangerine, golden delicious apple, and perfectly ripe pear. On the palate this is rich with the fruit notes from the nose but mated with subtle vanilla and a sprinkle of baking spice. This creates a tension on the back palate between a broad texture and palate cleansing acidity. This is definitely a food friendly bottle of Chardonnay, but frankly stock up and enjoy with a second glass. Enjoy now or hold until 2026.
2014 Featherstone Joy – $35.15 – ****+ – A perennial favourite in my house because the bottle oozes value. This sparkling wine is made entirely from Chardonnay seems to be spending a little bit more time on lees as the time between vintages seems to take a bit longer. One of the joys of Ontario bubbly is the fact that it is ready to drink now, but I have been building my back catalogue of Joy to see how long it will age. In the summer of 2020 I (regrettably) opened my oldest vintage, a 2009 that had barely begun to reach maturity. Nice notes of bread and lemon curd on the nose and palate with golden delicious apple and under ripe nectarine rear their heads as well. Open now – or with patience open in 2030.
2020 Sauvignon Blanc – $18.15 – ****½ – Anyone who follows me on social media knows that I have a soft spot in my heart for fumé blanc from California. The thing that Niagara does best when they give their tip of the hat to the style is hold the acid. Given that the hot 2020 summer presented a challenge to winemakers looking to hold onto their acid I wasn’t prepared for the near perfection presented in this bottle. Loaded with rich passionfruit, guava, and pineapple – but with a sprinkling of hay field and citrus. Everything in this wine would make Yoda proud – it’s got perfect balance between use of oak, acid, and alcohol. Drink now, or hold a few bottles (good luck) until 2025.
2019 Red Tail Merlot – $20.15 – **** – It’s remarkable the consistency in this bottle. I have made no secret of my skepticism of Niagara Merlot – but I think the talented winemakers in the province are learning to harness this grape. When you first open this bottle it is a little weedy from the onset – dense with a slight vegetal note, but it takes only a half an hour for this to relax and deliver bright cherry and wild strawberry aromas and flavours. The tannin is well integrated, and being sealed under a screw cap you can buy or hold this bottle. Another solid Merlot from Featherstone.
2020 Four Feathers – $15.15 – ***½ – This blend is Riesling, Gewurztraminer, and Chardonnay. Wine like this is made for hot days on the patio. This is your essential picnic wine – and it brings the cheerful parts of the sum of it’s whole to your glass. Tropical and floral notes from the Gew – Sweetness and orchard fruit from the Riesling and Chardonnay. What is wonderful about this particular vintage of the wine is a mineral note that pokes through on the finish. A perfect wine for a patio on a hot day.
2020 Pinot Grigio – $18.15 – **** – I love that in Ontario we haven’t really settled on a defined style for working with this grape. I also wonder if the consumers really care whether a wine is called Gris or Grigio … I open this note with this question because this is very un pinot gris about this. This wine is texture city – and it is exciting – two descriptors I don’t often get to use when talking about PG. Notes are apple, and melon – and the elegant fruit notes are caressed with a bright mineral.
2020 Rosé – $16.15 – **** – There is nothing restrained about this summer patio sipping wine. The rosé landscape in Ontario is fantastically exciting these days – and perhaps one of the most varied categories in terms of style. That being said – this might not be a rosé for everyone. The intensity of this wine gives it enough strength to stand up to heavier red meats from the grill – but the juicy fruit flavours keeps it somewhat elegant on the palate – a wine can be elegant but intense can’t it? Nicely balanced acidity keeps the palate refreshed so you’re begging for the next sip.
2020 Phoenix – $19.15 – **** – It has taken a few years but the Phoenix is now flying high again. The name from this gewurztraminer comes from the fact that the vines that bear the fruit were damaged by back to back cold winters – but miraculously the vineyard came back to life. We don’t see much gewurztraminer left in the province – but this is what I would consider to be textbook Niagara gew. You have nice balance between sweetness and acid – it has a bit of weight on the mid palate but it’s not heavy on the finish like you would expect from Alsace. I realize it’s pretty lazy to throw out the blanket “asian” cuisine for this wine – but the tropical notes are a dovetail for cumin based dishes, ginger based dishes, and soy. So – there you go – I’m not saying “asian” cuisine but pull out the spice rack and go nuts!
2019 Black Sheep Riesling – $19.15 – ****+ – Once again this bottle continues to deliver pure liquid sunshine. The aromas are vibrant pink grapefruit cocktail. Coming in at 10.5% alcohol you know there is going to be some sweetness to this juice … but in the best way possible. When you get into this bottle you go through the spectrum of delicious fruit flavours – niagara peach, grapefruit cocktail… that perfect pear that you’ve let ripen to the point where it’s almost mush… but not quite. Drink this easy, and drink it often – it’s going to be a hot summer my dudes.
2019 Gamay – $18.15 – ****+ – I have had the opportunity to taste Gamay from years past thanks to my Two Guys talking Wine podcast with Michael Pinkus. This is the first Gamay from Featherstone that I’ve tasted as a new release. Frankly, I’m not surprised to see Gamay on the shelf of the winery as I know that the focus from Dave and Louise is making sure the wines aren’t fussy, and ready to drink. While this doesn’t need to spend time in a cellar – it will definitely improve with a bit of patience. The 12% alcohol statement lets you know that this is from a cool vintage – The intensity of flavours in this wine is off the charts. Notes of violet and black cherry ooze out of the glass, and this opens up on the palate with a depth that reminds us with certain grapes – there is no such thing as a “bad” vintage in Niagara. Super Yum!
2019 Cabernet Franc – **** – I am eternally grateful for the podcast I recorded on a rainy November night where I had the opportunity to taste back vintages of Featherstone Franc. I am eternally guilty to praise these wines as not needing time in a cellar (which is true)… but I am also guilty of not taking enough time to talk about how you should age these wines in a cellar. Juicy raspberry, cranberry, and blackberry wrapped in subtle vanilla notes. The texture on the palate is dense, plush, and very rich. 2019 was a challenging growing season – especially for a grape that does enjoy hot summers. In spite of the growing conditions what we have here is a great cool climate franc that would benefit from 3-5 years in a cellar.
