I was really looking forward to my visit to Leaning Post. I had a chance to meet owners Ilya and Nadia Senchuk last summer at I4C. After that this winery has a bit of a buzz about them. I have a soft spot for Gamay and they have quickly joined the ranks of the likes of 13th Street and Malivoire for being known for theirs.
2013 Riesling – $25 – ***1/2+ – Peach and Pear on the nose. The flavours are nice citrus with lime and a subtle mineral note. There is great acidity to this wine with lingering citrus on the finish. Nice and crisp this will make a great patio sipper but will also pair well with chicken and pork.
2013 The Fifty – $22 – ***1/2+ – This is an unoaked chardonnay … that is oaked. This was barrel fermented in neutral oak barrels. There is Macintosh apple on the nose with just slight hints of spice. The flavours of this wine are apple with citrus notes and a fantastic creamy texture. This wine strikes a great balance between being complex yet unpretentious. This is extremely food friendly and will make a great match to chicken, pork or lighter patio fare.
2012 Chardonnay – $35 – **** – This is very soft and round on the palate while at the same time rich and creamy. There is a slight smokiness on the finish that follows apple, citrus, butterscotch and vanilla with hints of baking spice on the finish. This was just delicious. Frankly a Chardonnay with this complexity shouldn’t be paired with anything.
2014 Rosé – $20 – ***1/2+ – Strawberry Rhubarb pie in a glass. There is a hint of sweetness on the finish that plays nice counterpoint to a slight savory edge on the finish. This is bright, crisp and refreshing loaded with lots of fresh summer flavours. This is summer in a glass.
2013 Gamay – $25 – ****+ – This was one of my favorite wines from last year. Beautiful concentrated flavours of fresh and black cherry. There is nice acidity that follows a nice peppery finish. We don’t have enough Gamay in the province. It’s often overlooked and forgotten compared to Pinot Noir. It’s food friendly, and age-worthy what’s not to like? Like most Gamay it’s drinking beautifully right now but will age beautifully as long as 10 years if you have the patience.
2011 Lowrey Vineyard Pinot Noir – $38 – ****+ – The nose is very pretty with lots of violet dominating the aromas of the wine. The flavours continue with floral qualities leading the way, followed by ripe cherry flavours. This wine is incredibly soft on the palate making it dangerously easy to drink. There is nice acidity to round out the package.
2012 Lowrey Vineyard Pinot Noir – $42 – **** – If the 2011 was subtle, elegant and refined the 2012 vintage of the Lowrey Pinot Noir is ballsy. The nose still has violet, but delicious ripe red cherry is much more present. The flavours are dominated by fruit on this wine with Cherry and Raspberry. There is a nice earthiness on the finish with nice acidity. Honestly your best bet would be to pick up both the 2011 and 2012 Lowrey Pinot Noir to taste them side by side.
