Chardonnay Reserve 2018

VQA NIAGARA RIVER | 750ML

VINTAGE & VITICULTURE

Mild winter was greatly welcomed after the harsh winters of previous years. Spring weather was quite varied but in the end was average. By mid may the tone had been set for a warm dry season. Timely irrigation and canopy management played critical roles in ensuring grapes could uptake all the required nutrients from the soil and ripen fully. Fall continued with the warm dry pattern that made for a great year.

WINEMAKER’S NOTES

Wine was made using our oldest four-acre block of chardonnay planted in 1981. Wines from this block have always given us beautifully complex wines and 2016 is no exception. A slow warm fermentation in stainless steel was followed by aging 24 months in 80% new French oak and 20% in old American oak. The wine will continue to develop in bottle.

TASTING NOTES

Fresh and lively with a delicate application of oak to add richness and texture. Notes of pear, melon, and apricot are met with subtle coconut and vanilla. On the palate this wine is smooth, vibrant, and very food-friendly. Try with chicken pot pie, creamy pasta sauces, or buttery shellfish.

RESIDUAL SUGAR:4.5g/L

ALCOHOL/VOLUME:14%

BRIX AT HARVEST:24.3

TOTAL ACIDITY:5.5g/L

AGING IN OAK:24 months

RELEASE DATE:September 1, 2020

AGEABILITY:7-9

SCORE 90/100 "Lovely, robust Niagara Chardonnay with aromas of golden apple and toasty oak. Lots of layers. Pair with roast chicken of turkey."

Natalie Maclean