End of season reflections
We want to thank all of our clients and our winery/cider house partners for a great first season in 2023. We greatly look forward to providing our clients with the best possible wine appreciation experience in 2024 as we continue to strive for excellence, and hope to see many of our clients return to the County.
2023 was a very challenging season in the vineyards, but it proved once again that September is the month that makes or breaks a vintage. The start was rocky with a late frost right before the May long weekend. June was a better month with warmth and lots of sunshine. Then things looked really bleak by early August after a July of rain and high humidity. Keeping up with the mildew on the grape clusters and the canopies was mostly impossible. Any attempt at spraying was immediately thwarted with rain that washed it all away. By mid August the dry sunny weather arrived and stayed right through until harvest in October. Daytime temperatures continuously hovered in the mid 20s for about 6 weeks, and frost didn’t arrive until after October harvest completed.
Grape production levels varied across the County with most vineyards reporting average, or above average tonnage per hectare. Some vineyards located in the area immediately north of Wellington and south of Closson Road reported record tonnage. Closer to the lake in both the west and south, and in the Milford vicinity, tonnage seemed to be about average. Vineyards growing later season ripening red varietals (e.g., Merlot, Cabernet Franc) were challenged to get grapes to full levels of Brix and much of this harvest will become rose. However the later ripening whites (e.g., Riesling, Gewurztraminer) seemed to have done well, especially further from the lake.
Our clients are always providing feedback throughout, or following our tours. The common theme from everyone regarding what makes the County unique is the easy going, friendly vibe and authenticity presented at our wineries. Winery staff, owners and winemakers are forthcoming and immediately show the passion for what is being done here, and it is clearly what our clients appreciate.
For our clients returning to the County after many years away, the most common comment is about the progress. There is genuine appreciation for how many good wines are being made here now, and people were surprised at the breadth of the portfolios that are being produced by our winery partners.
We tasted much of what was bottled and sold across the County this year and would like to share our own highlights. These are our notables from 2023, but in no way diminish what other producers and winemakers are doing. Across the County great wines are being produced now, and it becomes more difficult each vintage to pick and choose the best. That’s a great story to tell in one of the most challenging places on the globe to make wine.
Winemaker of the year for the adventurous wines she is producing, and the breadth of portfolio is Mackenzie Brisbois of Trail Estate. Her wines will challenge you to explore new horizons, and her Traditional Method Pinot Noir that has just been released is one of the best sparkling wines produced in the County to date. We love what she is doing with Chardonnay and the showing of terroir with the Nord and Sud bottlings in 2023. And despite how Mackenzie talks about her wines, I really think there is a very methodical thought process happening in how she is moving Trail forward. And people are really taking notice.
Colin Stanners continues to leave little doubt that he is the most reliable producer of County Pinot Noir across the last half dozen vintages. He can always tap each Pinot vintage to maximum potential, and each one authentically reflects the year that was. The 2021 released this fall is another shining example (though Colin decided to only release one Pinot for 2021 instead of the usual 2+). And the Cuivre Pinot Gris has become a dependable member of Colin’s portfolio now, and was loved by our clients this season.
Tim Kuepfer of Broken Stone released probably his best wine to date this year. His 2021 Pinot Noir is one of the best in the County from that vintage. Hopefully a sign of what is still to come from Tim and Broken Stone in the years ahead.
Dan Sullivan and the Rosehall Run team definitely lead the pack in depth of portfolio and consistent quality of all of their wines. Whether it’s sparkling, rose, chardonnay, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, or one of Dan’s creations from the latest vintage, the QPR of Rosehall Run wines is consistently at the highest level in the County. And both the St. CIndy Chardonnay and Pinot Noir released this year from the stellar 2020 vintage are longer term cellar worthy wines best to be appreciated down the road.
Lighthall Vineyards is a winery to be watched, and not simply for the cheese complementing the wines. The Pinot Noir gets better each vintage, and both 2021 Pinot Noir’s released this year give a great terroir comparison that only a few producers in the County can provide. The sparklings continue to be very good. And the 2022 Pinot Gris was the best we’ve tasted from that vintage in the County, and just has some outstanding County attributes of minerality and acidity shining through.
Speaking of terroir in the County, you can’t help but mention Keith Tyers of Closson Chase and what he is doing with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the estate (and neighbouring vineyards). The last couple of vintages are really making the maturity of the South Clos vineyard shine through in Keith’s hands. South Clos are among the most cellar worthy wines being produced in the County today from one of its oldest vineyards. The younger sibling Churchside vineyard is also producing great wines, and Keith is really bringing out the best of single vineyard bottlings of both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Looking forward to what comes from the new Ridge Vineyard production.
Last mention goes to the small boutique winery to keep an eye on. Andre Gagne has come out of the blocks impressively with his early vintages from his small Last House Vineyard estate on the Lake Ontario shoreline. Whether it’s his Chardonnay or Pinot Noir bottlings, or his experimentation with ciders, skin contact, or sparkling, I fully expect Andre’s best wines are still to come.
We are wrapping things up for 2023 and have closed our tour bookings for the season. We will restart again in March 2024 and our booking calendar for 2024 is now open. We have travels planned in the early new year to South Africa and the Balkans, and will be visiting wineries and vineyards as we go. Stay tuned for those reports in January and February. Best of the season to everyone and a happy new year!
