It’s been an exciting year at Featherstone. The winery celebrated their 20th anniversary, and winemaker/owner David Johnson was named winemaker of the year at the Ontario Wine Awards. David had previously been named Grape King in 2003 – which I believe makes him the only winemaker to hold both coveted titles. While it’s been a big year to those on the outside – I personally always feel that Featherstone has a big year. When I have friends and strangers ask about one winery to visit – I often suggest Featherstone. Simply put, the portfolio is bulletproof – not a single wine is one I wouldn’t be thrilled to have in my house. And every time you leave this winery with a bottle it feels like you haven’t paid enough. I had an opportunity to sit down with owner/falconer Louise Engel to taste through the current portfolio. The great news, if you’re reading this from Toronto, is that many of these wines will be available at the LCBO from time to time. But if you’re impatient you should rush down to the winery before things close down for the winter.
2013 Joy – $34.95 – ****+ – I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again – this is possibly the most underrated wine in the province of Ontario. This Blanc de Blanc sparkling is sealed with a crown cap – and I love that it’s topped with a red ribbon. The aromas are fresh bread and lemon drop. With a nice vanilla note that peeks through golden delicious apple, and bright citrus. There is a nice texture to this wine – it really has a chance to open up on the mid palate before the flavours are swept away by searing acid. This texture is what makes this wine so special. As I’ve been doing since first discovering this wine I keep a couple bottles squirrelled away waiting for the right moment to open them.
2018 Sauvignon Blanc – ****+ – Fifty percent of this wine is barrel fermented in neutral Canadian oak barrels. This is a tropical bomb on the nose and on the palate, and there is something so incredibly satisfying about how ripe this is. There is a whisper of hayfield on the nose and on the finish – but not a hint of bell pepper anywhere to be found. I’ll admit I’ve been on a bit of a Sauvignon Blanc kick in the province, this is definitely a great bottle to get started with if you decide to do the same.
2017 Canadian Oak Chardonnay – $21.95 – ****½ – What is there not to like about this bottle? This is a perennial favourite of mine and it’s hard to get more Canadian than this. Fermented using indigenous yeasts, and in Canadian Oak barrels. New barrels are added sparingly in each vintage with only 10% being new in this vintage. There are nots of mineral, smoke, tangerine, peach, pear, and vanilla. There is some nice weight to this, but the finish is not so long that it might get in the way of your grilled chicken, or pork chops. Dave and Louise have told me that this wine has a cellaring potential of up to seven years – but I wouldn’t know, the bottles never last that long in my house.
2017 Red Tailed Merlot – $19.95 – ****+ – This is exciting and a bit puzzling – the aromas are spicy, and the fruit is confected. But when you take your first sip of this wine the juicy red fruit doesn’t overstay its welcome. It smells like 2017 was a hot summer, but it tastes like well made red wine in a typical cool year (whatever you can call typical in Niagara). The tannin is soft and integrated and this rolls off the back of your tongue with ease. This isn’t fussy and is easy to pair with grilled or roasted red meats immediately.
2017 Cabernet Franc – $19.95 – ****+ – Something fun about this wine is taking a look at the dates these grapes were picked – Oct 30, Nov 14, and Dec 5th. While harvesting your red grapes in December would usually be an indicator of a challenging vintage – there is no evidence of that in this bottle. This is plush and juicy with blackberry, raspberry, dark cherry, and a slight licorice note. I usually dive headfirst into my bottles of red from Featherstone because they are affable and ready to drink the moment they are available for sale – but this is a little different. I expect this to evolve into something even bigger and more special over the next two to three years.
