I have been fortunate enough to enjoy a lot of great wines during this pandemic. Some of the high points have been the sparkling wines from Featherstone. For my wife’s birthday I opened my oldest bottle of Joy from 2009. Before the pandemic required us to spend more time at home my podcast co-host Michael Pinkus observed the vertical of sparkling wines from Featherstone in my collection. Michael told me that I had kept my bottles too long and it was time to drink… foolishly I listened to him.
I haven’t had much experience with older sparkling wine aged under crown cap – I am happy to see that the screw cap debate has been put to bed – but I wonder if consumers can be swayed by a new closure for sparkling wine. So the verdict is – the 2009 had barely aged at all. The acidity had mellowed a bit – but the fruit was still vibrant – with orchard and citrus fruit. The beautiful bubbles are still well preserved and this wine still has a long life ahead of it. I also managed to get my hands on a bottle of the 2011 vintage of Joy – same thing. I am going to have to hold the rest of my lineup for another decade before I revisit them.
On the other side of the spectrum I tasted the current vintage of the Joy Rosé from 2017. This is a Pinot Noir Rosé that doesn’t spend long on lees – and the fruit is candied, juicy, cherry mated with fantastic acidity. I tasted this next to the 2014 vintage. Don’t get me wrong – both these wines are still fantastic – so if you’re holding onto any older vintages of this wine you have nothing to worry about. But, the best part about the Featherstone rosé is the vibrant fruit – and a few extra years in bottle had started to bring out some citrus notes. So – perhaps this was a situation where the 2014 hadn’t aged enough before opening.
2018 Featherstone Red Tail Merlot – $19.95 – ****+ – There is something very un-merlot like about this vintage of the Red Tail. The fruit is ripe, and there is no sign of bell pepper on the nose or on the palate – but there’s a bit more weight and depth to this. Frankly, I was a little surprised – because one of the signatures of Featherstone to me is how immediately crushable the bottles are. My usual catchphrase is that these wines aren’t designed to sit in a cellar – and that’s not a bad thing… But I can’t say that here. 2018 was by no means a remarkable vintage for Niagara, especially for Bordeaux varieties, but this bottle needs another 12-18 months in bottle or a bit of time in a decanter. The tannin is a little unruly! This is a truly exciting Merlot – with lots of cherry and raspberry – just a hint of spice and vanilla on the finish.
2019 Featherstone Sauvignon Blanc – $17.95 – ****+ – There is a huge spot in my heart (and wine cellar) for Sauvignon Blanc from Ontario that has seen an oak barrel. 20% of this wine spends some time in neutral Canadian Oak barrels. Featherstone walks a tightrope between a large mouthfeel, and crisp acidity. I would reach for a bottle of this wine if you’re worried Chardonnay might be too fussy for a dinner party – This hits the right notes if you’re looking for citrus notes and a refreshing clean finish. But there is quite a bit of tropical in this bottle as well. I plan on drinking an obscene amount of this wine.
2018 Featherstone Black Sheep Riesling – $18.95 – ****+ – 2019 Ontario Wine Awards Winemaker of the Year David Johnson is a master with Riesling – this vintage is no exception. This wine is always the definition of perfect balance – there is 20g/l of residual sugar – this really pushes the fruit into Peach, Pear, and Apple territory. This wine then shifts to lime and grapefruit pith, but a nice mineral note keeps this lifted and easy drinking on the finish. The clean finish leaves you begging for your next sip – I hesitate to call this a “patio sipper” because I don’t want to pigeon hole this wine into something you should be drinking seasonally. The sweet fruit on the palate makes it a perfect match for heavier foods – things like fish and chips, or roasted meats.
2018 Featherstone Canadian Oak Chardonnay – $21.95 – ****+ – I’m a big fan of the Featherstone portfolio because it isn’t pretentious or fussy – these are the wines you can count on if you’re throwing a dinner party and want to be ready to rock. That being said – I’ve noticed my collection of Featherstone Canadian Oak Chardonnay starting to grow – and I’m grateful to have these gems in my collection. The 2018 vintage may be the most cellar worthy vintage of this wine I’ve ever tasted. Immediately there is fantastic balance between peach, and spice – but this year the vanilla and spice from the oak is a little more front and centre than in past years. That has me yearning for how this wine is going to evolve – at this price there isn’t an excuse for not buying a few to put in a cellar. I expect this to evolve gloriously over the next seven years.
2019 Featherstone Rosé – $15.95 – **** – What a cool blend of everything Featherstone has to offer in terms of varieties in the bottle – Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Gamay, and Merlot. There are nice candied fruit notes on the nose and palate – but it’s mated with nice acidity and just a kiss of perceptible sweetness on the finish. I was lucky enough to open this bottle on one of the first hot days of the year – and it was a perfect bottle with the heat. Perfectly priced, and a great match to whatever you’re cooking off the grill.
