I recently spent a much needed few days off in the county. As many of you know my day job is as a producer at Newstalk 1010. Needless to say that almost twenty years in talk radio I’ve never seen a year like this (to be fair no one is). It’s the first time I’ve spent more than just a day in the county. I know a lot of people say this – but trust me taking a few days to take in the county is the best way to do it. I am usually a fan of the frantic pace of cramming as many wineries in a day as possible. But I feel like I got the full feel of the relaxed pace of the county.
I took the opportunity to stop by Karlo Estates. It has been a few years since I’ve visited the winery. I’m glad I took the time to stop by. It’s been remarkable to see how the small businesses have been able to adapt to the Covid-19 restrictions. I was greeted warmly at Karlo where they took my information for contact tracing, and then I was asked to take a photo of the tasting menu so there is less stuff to touch, and less stuff for the staff to deal with. I was then told that it was a one way path through the barn to the back of the winery where several socially distanced tasting areas were set up. Tents have been rented – so tastings can be hosted outside even if the weather isn’t ideal. Honestly, I have really enjoyed the winery tastings I’ve done outside this summer. I wouldn’t be surprised if after the pandemic is over we see outdoor tastings a permanent fixture at wineries.
There are some very exciting things happening at Karlo. The addition of Derek Barnett as winemaker a few years ago started the buzz. But I think most exciting for this year is the vision of the late founder of the winery Richard Karlo is coming to fruition. Sextus is sitting in barrel waiting to be bottled. I remember my first visit to Karlo when Richard mentioned to me that he was working on bringing a blend to market that was assembled with all six Bordeaux varieties. For those keeping score at home that’s Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, Malbec, and Carmenere. Carmenere is the long lost sixth Bordeaux variety that all but disappeared around the time the phylloxera disease ravaged the vineyards of France. The grape was rediscovered in the 90s in Chile. While I haven’t had a chance to taste Sextus – on my visit I tasted the estate Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and the blended Quintus. I was thoroughly impressed with the quality of the Bordeaux varietals from Karlo given the challenges and climate with the county. My full notes follow.
2018 Estate Chardonnay – **** – A fine example of County Chardonnay, but if you’re drinking this in 2020 you may want to hold your horses. The individual components are all there – butterscotch, peach, apple, citrus, with nice spice notes – but they are a little disjointed. It’s kind of like a team meeting for the first time before learning to play together. I expect this to integrate and focus to early 2021 and be ready to drink well until 2027.
2018 Three Witches – **** – This blend of Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gewurztraminer is a glass of bottled sunshine. The aromas are guava and passion fruit with flavours to match. This opens broadly on the palate where a lifted floral note joins the tropical party. In spite of tiny hints of signature gewurztraminer florality this for all intents and purposes is a great bottle of Ontario Sauvignon Blanc.
2018 Lake On The Mountain Pinot Noir – ****+ – The fruit comes from the county but not from the estate. And when I think of my favourite Pinot Noir from Prince Edward County I think of wines that taste like this. Delicate, floral, and brimming with ripe red cherry. The tannin is so soft and well integrated it rolls off the back of your tongue like silk. The day I’m writing this note and thinking about this wine it makes me grateful the hot summer weather is over – because all I can think about is coq au vin, roast duck, duck confit, or pretty much anything with mushrooms. But frankly, I have a feeling I won’t be enjoying my bottle with any food, I will be enjoying it with good (socially distanced) company and a second glass.
2018 Estate Pinot Noir – ****+ – I got the impression from Karlo Owner Sherry Karlo that she is very proud of this wine – and with good reason. While Lake On The Mountain Pinot Noir is ready to party now – the Estate Pinot is a better behaved house guest – this is a bit more austere and has some manners. The nose is complex – deep black cherry, blackberry fight for attention with damp forest floor and mushroom notes. This needs either some time in a decanter or a few years in a cellar to relax a bit and come out of its shell. Expect to enjoy this in 2023 – but you should be able to age this for 7-10 years with ease. Beautiful, complex, and this will reward you with a bit of patience.
2017 Malbec – **** – I’ll admit I was sceptical about this wine from the onset. Malbec has a home in Cahors and Argentina – and in both regions expect big, bold flavours – and a lot of tannin. How does this grape fare in the county? Pretty well. I’m not sure if Prince Edward County Malbec is ever going to set the wine world a buzz – but this is a fine tasty wine. This definitely falls in line with what you would expect from the cool county growing conditions – the tannin is definitely softer than the regions previously mentioned… but don’t kid yourself it’s still there. The fruit is ripe – cherry, strawberry, blackberry, plum, and whispers of black currant. I would expect to enjoy this from 2021-2024.
2017 Quintus – **** – This is made with five of the Bordeaux varieties. While not ALL of the fruit comes from the county this definitely feels like the Prince Edward County take on a Bordeaux. It’s medium bodied – but brimming with red juicy fruit. This wine is a triumph to the vision that Richard Karlo had when he founded the winery. If you had the chance to meet Richard it is impossible to not look at this bottle and smile a little. So here’s the verdict – if you expect Bordeaux you may be a little disappointed – but if you’re looking for unbridled creativity from Ontario wine this is what you should be drinking… until the Sextus is released.
