Niagara Region Tomorrow

[TheEngineer]

Driving over to the Niagara wine region tomorrow. Hope to find a few good icewines (I'm sure I will) and hoping for a few surprises!

Targets:
Creekside Estate:
Cave Springs
Chateau des Charmes
Inniskillin
and most importantly: Royal DeMaria.

The last one is currently issuing its 2002 icewine (one of them...not all of them), for something like $5000 CDN..... I know that there are fans but this must be appropriately classified as CRAZY....nonetheless, an outstanding roster of icewines!!

[jmcginley1]

5k for a new release? I can't be reading that propperly.

[wondersofwine]

How much do they charge for a tasting? $500?

[TheEngineer]

I had a great time today, probably not as good as the short Napa trip, but definitely worth while.

Inniskillin: Nice Icewines (2003 Riesling, 2003 Vidal, 2002 Oaked Vidal and 2001 Sparkling Vidal), plus 2002 Pinot Noir, 2003 Riesling Old Vines, 2004 Riesling and 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon. Confirmed my previous likes for only really their icewines and Rieslings. Pinot was weak and Cab was only reasonable at best....Did walk away with a 2002 Riesling Icewine. Nice winery with professional staff. Lower key than Napa it seems.

Chateaux Des Charmes, 2004 Gewurztraimer, 2004 Chardonnay, 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003 Equuleus (SP?), 2003 Riesling TBA. Nicest was the 2003 tba which had a great acidity to it that balanced the heavily Botrytized wine. Nice for $35 CDN per half bottle. Not sure I would purchase the $30 Equuleus. Nice winery with professional staff, big "Chateau"

Creekside Estate: Free Tasting. 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon and 2002 Pinot Noir. Both $30 bottles, which were rather good. Pinot showing much cherry, some pepper notes and hot at the end, but cab better balanced though a bit light. Could use time time in the cellar. No charge tasting...as it should be [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img] Still I prefer a really burgundy at this price point (Marsannay anyone??)

Cave Spring: 2003 Riesling (nice minerality and not heavy on the sweet...closest to a nice German off-dry that I've seen in Canada....good minerality too which was good. Just short due to focus...was not quite there but wine was sound). 2002 Vidal Icewine....nice but last of the hybrids for them as they have yanked them all out to removal all hybrids....nice as well but a bit cloy. 2003 Riesling Icewine. Very nice, clean honey, melon with a bit of lychee. Picked up one for $60 CDN.

Royal DeMaria: Small unassuming winery doing great things. Free tasting! Met the winery owners and what a nice couple! Outstanding icewines. Tried (all of these are icewines...) 1998 Vidal, 2003 Vidal, 2004 Vidal, 2002 Cabernet Franc, 2003 Gewurtraimer, 2003 Merlot, 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon, and a few others that I can't remember anymore.... they also had available (but not for tasting. Icewines from Chardonnay, Muscat, etc,..).

Picked up quite a few to go home with. BTW, just one correction, the $5000 CDN was for the 2000 (02?) meritage icewine and that was the case price or about $330 USD per half bottle). Nonetheless, I was very very impressed with this small focused winery. I really liked the merlot icewine which had a thin line of tannins on it (something new for me in icewines). Picked up quite a few bottles which compared to what I can purchase in Boston (where average price for standard icewine can range frm $90-150 USD per half bottle), I got a steal with great quality.

All in all, good day, plus got Niagara falls in, the casino (made my pound of flesh donation)....etc

[This message has been edited by TheEngineer (edited 07-21-2005).]

[dananne]

Sounds like you had a good time! I'd like to try a few of those -- thanks for the TNs.