2019 Henry of Pelham Old Vines Baco Noir (Ontario VQA)

Henry of Pelham has been called the "King of Baco", and rightly so: they planted their first Baco vines in 1984 and have been putting out quality iterations of this varietal wine for decades. Henry of Pelham isn't just another producer of Baco Noir in Ontario: they're really dedicated to this grape variety.

I enjoy the regular bottling, finding it to be well made, well balanced, and stylistically elegant. The Old Vines version is sold in a tall, heavier bottle, and is closed with a natural (albeit particle) cork enclosure. The regular bottling, by contrast, has been closed with a screw cap for the past few years—a sensible, functional choice.

The 2019 Old Vines Baco is 13.5% alc./vol. and sells for about $20 at the LCBO. It pours with a gorgeous, saturated, deep-beet-red/purple colour that turns into a neon magenta at the meniscus—a common feature of the V. riparia hybrid reds. The nose is very oaky right off the bat, showing plummy/blackcurrant fruit and juicy acidity that is eager to carry that same fruit along the palate. On the palate, it is invigoratingly tart, zingy, and refreshing—with good mid-palate heft coming from both the tart berries and the oak overlay. Excellent quality. Following this fruit-and-oak crescendo, the aft-palate character of the wine accentuates the oak, which leaves a pleasant spicy finish.

2016 Henry of Pelham Old Vines Baco Noir (Ontario VQA)

After trying this version of Henry of Pelham's Baco last year, I resolved to repeat the experience and to purchase it once again for a detailed tasting.

Henry of Pelham could be called Ontario's "Baco King". Maybe they already have been?

The tall bottle is closed with a high-quality natural cork. The wine pours with a dark, saturated black-cherry/magenta colour. Raspberry and plummy fruit, along with signature riparia notes waft about on the nose. The entry is tart, lively and brisk, as befits Baco—and balanced, firm warmth is noted as the wine travels across the mid-palate. A good structure is also evident here.

This is available as a general-list item at the LCBO, for about $20.

I preferred this Old Vines version to the family reserve.

2016 Inniskillin Baco Noir (Ontario VQA)

This wine initially caught my eye last summer when I spotted it at a Wine Rack store. Baco from Inniskillin? That's a new one. Up to the turn of the millennium, Inniskillin had produced an Old Vines Foch (the very wine that turned me onto red hybrid wines twenty years ago); sadly, production of that wine was discontinued in the early 2000s—a mistake!

This Baco pours with a dense black-cherry colour that fades to medium-deep magenta at the meniscus. The initial aromas are of blue plums with a slight overlay of peppercorns—classic Baco. The entry is very supple with balanced acidity (the mildest of any Baco I've tasted) and a broad warmth from the 13% alc./vol. On the palate, the acidity remains mild but cleansing, as it works its way to the back of the palate. The finish is short and clean.

It's a good Baco that retails on general list at the LCBO now as well (limited availability), for $15.95 CAD.

I still would like to see Inniskillin bring back their Foch!

2015 Henry of Pelham Speck Family Reserve Baco Noir

Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery is Niagara's Baco Noir specialist. Not only are they a consistent producer of quality varietal Baco in the region—they actually produce three distinct releases of the varietal wine, all with slightly different oak aging regimens and fruit sourced from vines of different ages.

In reserve for today's New Year tasting is the Speck Family Reserve. It's the only one that I hadn't tasted up to now. It retails for $25 at Vintages and is available at select stores only.

This wine hails from the winery's original planting of Baco, dating back to 1984. That's interesting, because it means that the vines predate the whole VQA system under which the wine bears a "VQA Ontario" designation. Even though the wine technically hails from the Short Hills Bench appellation, VQA does not deem hybrids worthy of appellation-specific nomenclature—an absurdity, as wine writer David Lawrason rightly pointed out in his write-up on the wine.

The bottle is closed with an elegant, solid, top quality natural cork. The cork showed deep purple-black staining once pulled out, though only where it had been in contact with the wine, indicating a good seal.

The wine poured with a gorgeous, saturated black, cherry-mahogany hue which, in the glass, morphs into a weathered-sumac hue at the meniscus. At 13.5% alc./vol., good tear development can be seen along the inside of the glass (and is even visible in the picture at right).

The nose is deeply oaky, with big, bold, black-cherry fruit and prominent wood vanillins from the American oak. There is lengthy integration of bold oak and fruit. On the palate, lithe, bright acidity leads the way; the texture is dry and cleansing along the mid-palate and energetically lively into the finish. The flavours finish out with beets, red currants, a hint of dried tomatoes and just a tap of oak at the end.

Very well done, but bold and oaky in style. If you prefer less oak, try the winery's Old Vines release.

Happy New Year!

2013 Magnotta Dry Vidal Equus Series (Ontario VQA)

I remember enjoying this wine tremendously many years ago. I'm happy to say that Magnotta's dry Vidal, while having undergone a name and label change since the early days, is as fine a wine as I remember it.

In fact, I love dry Vidal table wine so much that the background on my blog is a photo of Vidal grapes growing in Niagara wine country. Vidal is one of Ontario's most versatile wine grapes.

12.8% alc./vol. Clear, medium-straw/yellow hue in the glass. Wonderful aromas of lemon candy, pineapple, pine needles and guava. Crisp and focused on the entry, with that lively and lovely varietal acidity; a warm but balanced texture; and a palate-cleansing, fully dry finish that I appreciate.

Magnotta's retail outlet is a fine place to visit and the prices are right. I have long believed that Magnotta makes Ontario's best dry Vidal table wine... I still believe it, having tasted this version.

$7.45 for a 750 ml bottle, and worth every penny.

Vieni Estates 2012 Foch Vintage Reserve (Ontario VQA)

Vieni 2012 Foch Vintage Reserve (Ontario VQA)

I was impressed to find this fine Ontario Foch at Vintages recently. Truth be told, it sort of flew over my radar, having been released this past summer.

The wine pours with a beautiful, and typical, saturated deep-garnet colour that fades to a "weathered sumac" black-mahogany hue at the meniscus. It opens up in the glass with wonderful, big, quality aromatic oak aromas. Mingling with that, there are tart black currant and blue plum aromas. Aromatically, this reminds me of the many reserve Fochs that graced the Ontario wine scene right up to Y2K.

On the palate, there is tart, lithe acidity and a clean, dry, palate-cleansing texture that carries the fruit and oak aromas right across it — with power, lightness, and elegance, all at the same time. This is classic Ontario Foch.

The finish is dry and elegant, with replays of the same aromatic compounds.

It is a shame that so many excellent examples of varietal Maréchal Foch have disappeared from the Ontario wine scene over the past decade. For this reason, it is a joy to find a winery producing a treat like this, from a grape that deserves much more respect in this part of the world for climatic suitability and innate quality characteristics.

The wine retails for less than $20 and is 14% alc./vol.

2014 Peller Estates Baco Noir (Ontario VQA)

This is one of the best Bacos in Ontario: it is always fairly priced and done well.

Deep ruby-black with a ruby-magenta meniscus. Aromas of sweet plummy fruit and wild V. riparia grapiness. Mouth-filling, with bright, tense acidity and great structure. 2014 wasn't a great vintage for reds in Ontario, but Baco and its other V. riparia-derived brethren typically manage to shine, despite such obstacles.

Invigorating, palate-enlivening mouth feel, coupled with a dash of balancing residual sweetness and typical diminutive tannins.

The finish is clean and lean, and it leaves your palate refreshed.

12% alc./vol. Screw cap closure. $11.95 on general list at the LCBO.

2014 No. 99 Wayne Gretzky Estates Baco Noir (VQA Ontario)

The Great One knows a great grape.

12.5% alc./vol. The wine pours with a deep scarlet-ruby hue and dense but translucent saturation. Superb, briny, plummy / V. riparia varietal Baco nose, with lively, tart red currant fruit.

Bright, refreshing tartness on the entry. Zingy, tight entry, with good focus and a firm backbone. The wine is, much like Barbera, a great palate cleanser. It would go superbly well with ribs, steak, pizza and any pasta-and-tomato-sauce combination. A natural match with any of these.

$15.95. Limited distribution at the LCBO.

2010 Frogpond Farm Organic W‌inery Chambourcin (Ontario VQA)

Varietal Chambourcin is rare in Ontario - so when this wine caught my eye recently, I knew that I just had to give it a try. Not only is it one of the few examples of this variety in Ontario, but the wine is also organic - always a good thing.

The wine pours with a beautiful, clear dark ruby colour; it is translucent yet has a dark tone all the same. The nose is very light; just some red currant and possibly some light cherry fruit. I pick up no oak on the nose at all; a pity, as I think that this wine would have benefited immensely from some oak aging.

On the entry, the Chambourcin is light and tart with brisk yet well-apportioned acidity. It's quite palate-cleansing, much like its other hybrid cousins (e.g. Baco and Foch - though Baco tends to be quite a bit more tart). The mid-palate is mildly warm (12.4% alc./vol.), acid-driven and cleansing. The finish is light and short.

If you were to compare this to a vinifera wine, Barbera or Chianti would be fair benchmarks.

I do think that this wine would have benefited from 8-10 months of oak contact - even if it meant using oak chips instead of barrels. The oak vanillins would add a welcome extra dimension to the whole package.

Even so, I am delighted to have discovered this wine. It will be on my "watch for" list from now on.

It retails for $14 at the LCBO.

2012 Villa Nova Estate Aenigma

I recently visited Villa Nova Estate Winery, located in Ontario's Norfolk County. I had read about their wines online and wanted to try them - especially the Aenigma, which is a blend of Regent, Frontenac, and Cab Sauvignon.

Previous to this, I don't ever recall seeing a wine for sale in Ontario made using the Regent variety. Regent was created in Germany in 1967 by crossing Diana (Silvaner x Müller Thurgau) and Chambourcin (see here for more information). This is a very welcome addition to the wine scene in Ontario.

The 2012 Aenigma is interesting not just for the blend of grapes it consists of, but also for the fact that it is finished with Ontario white oak - something that is still a rarity here. I heartily applaud this decision to use locally sourced oak, both for the unique flavour profile and for the regional authenticity.

Aenigma pours with a beautiful, dense garnet colour that turns to deep magenta at the rim of the glass. Obviously, Regent has inherited the amazing pigmentation of other V. riparia-based hybrids. Fruity, spicy oak hints mingle with pepper-infused black cherry notes to create a very elegant bouquet. Moderate acidity leads the way, with a beautifully dry mid-palate on which superb puckery tannins flesh out broadly. Subtle oak-spice replays fan out at this point and linger prominently into the dry, tasty finish. The wine is 14% alc./vol. but everything is so well balanced that the finish displays just a gentle warmth.

This is a most excellent wine - one that I will be proud to serve on my dinner table in the future. An excellent blend with character, quality and structure. Once again - if you need a vinifera equivalent to gauge the style, think of the Chianti Classico style.

I would also add that this wine has clearly convinced me that Regent deserves a prominent place in Ontario's winescape: it produces an excellent red wine.

$14.50 per 750 ml bottle. Available at the winery only.

2012 Reif Estate Vidal (Ontario VQA)

The 2012 Reif Vidal pours with a very light, pale greenish straw colour. Initially shy on the nose, the wine showed more of a bouquet a day after being opened and kept in the fridge.

After it warmed up and upon being swirled in the glass, the Vidal revealed clean, light pineapple aromas and a hint of pine needles. The entry is clean, crisp and light; some tangerine rind (common to Vidal table wines) shows up on the fore-palate. Very crisp and dry on the finish, with some warmth rounding it out (12% alc./vol.). Apparently, this wine has 10 g/L of residual sugar (as per the LCBO product description), but it tastes drier.

Overall, this is a light-bodied Vidal. It works really well as an aperitif, but also with any main course calling for a light, dry white wine.

Purchased for $9.95 on general list at the LCBO.

I like to think of Vidal being to Ontario what Grüner Veltliner is to Austria: a regionally recognizable grape that may not be one of the "mainstream" varieties, but that can be counted on to produce quality table wine with a defined character. 

Vidal is, in fact, a very versatile grape: it produces everything from icewines to late-harvest wines, off-dry table wines - and dry crisp wines, like this one. It's well worth checking out.

2010 Sandbanks Estate Baco Noir Reserve (Ontario VQA)

I had been wanting to try Sandbanks' Baco for quite some time. Having seen the Reserve recently, I bought it for Victoria Day weekend ($19.95 on general list at the LCBO; Product ID: 225920).

This Baco Reserve pours to reveal a dark garnet colour with a ruby tint that appears nearer the meniscus. Strong barrel aromas emerge over Baco's sour hickory and brackish bouquet. Brisk, strong acidity signals the entry. Plenty of oak character mingles with the tart, lithe and laser-like focus of the acid-driven structure. There's an invigorating, Barbera-like tartness, with plum and hickory replays; a bit of warmth (13% alc./vol.), and a mouth-cleansing finale, with more oak replays drawing the proverbial curtains.

While the wine initially seemed a bit tart for a 2010 reserve, it did settle down and integrate with some decanting (2+ hrs).

2011 20 Bees Baco Noir (Ontario VQA)

The wine pours with a beautiful dark garnet core and a magenta meniscus. The aromas are very Baco - but more in a fruity rather than funky way: bright raspberries cloaked in cherries; crispy bacon aromas round it all out. Tart, juicy, invigoratingly brisk entry; mouth-filling, cleansing acidity dominates the texture. Light bodied and tartish, but balanced. Diminutive tannins carry through on the mid-palate, and are followed by a wave of warmth across the aft-palate. The flavours all but peter out at this point; there is no strong or dominant flavour on the finish. I cannot pick up any oak in this wine.

This light Baco was purchased for less than ten bucks on general list at the LCBO. It is 12.5% alc./vol. and has been bottled with a screwcap closure. This would make a very decent pizza wine. As with all Bacos, it has that palate-cleansing quality that is particularly good if you're having cuts of meat that have some fat on them.

2011 Pelee Island Eco Trail Red (Ontario VQA)

A blend of 33% Baco Noir , 17% Chambourcin, 50% Cabernet Franc (according to the winery's website), this red comes with a natural, high-quality cork closure. It is 13% alc./vol.

Deep, yet clear, dark garnet with a good ruby tint. Some spice enters on the nose and is soon followed by Baco's brackish rootsy aromas, and a bit of cherry in the background. You can pretty much pick up each of the varieties and their contributions to the blend. Tart entry, with rootsy celeriac flavours, wrapped in a touch of oak spice. Brisk tartness, but good balance; a touch of warmth on the mid-palate, with more oak spice (very balanced) and that familiar Chambourcin cherry fruit, all rounding it out. Very invigorating.

A three-way red blend using a vinifera component, together with a hybrid component (or, as in this case, two hybrids), is a good formula. Years ago, Henry of Pelham made a Cabernet-Baco blend that showcased the best of each grape variety, and was a good blend.

This was a very good wine, and the price is right.

(Note: it was decanted for a bit over two hours.)

2010 Pelee Island Baco Noir (Ontario VQA)

$10.95 on general list at the LCBO. 12.5% alc./vol. Compressed-particle, natural-cork closure (I think a screw cap would be better).

This opens with a very typical leafy / peppercorn / brackish / raisiny Baco aroma. With a couple of hours of aeration, the raisiny quality becomes more pronounced and the wine now shows some bright raspberry character. Suprisingly tart on the entry (2010 was a hot vintage in Ontario). Sour redcurrant fruit, with a rounded sourness to the mid-palate and a soft core. A bit odd, and not in line with what I expected from the vintage.

Given this, I tried an old trick that worked really well in the past: I refrigerated the rest of the wine overnight. On the following day I poured a glass cold, and let it slowly warm up. Now, some torrefied character came through on the nose. The palate, however, was much improved from the previous day: although the wine was still zingy, there was a certain density to it when sipped cold, that seemed to round it out a bit more. Some diminutive fuzzy tannin and a bit of warmth rounded out the finish.

I always used to say that Foch was more funky than Baco, but that Foch had better acid / tannin balance.

I still believe this to be true.

Baco can surprise you with acidity that's aggressive and unbalanced. What's really strange about it is that more often than not, you'll find this to be the case in hot, rather than cool, vintages...

2010 Pelee Island Late Harvest Vidal (Ontario VQA)

Screwcap closure; 12.5% alc./vol.; on sale for $10.95 (at time of writing) on regular list at the LCBO.

Light straw colour with a slightly viscous appearance. Green apple, pineapple, citrus pith and a whiff of something that reminds me of varietal Diamond. Zippy acidity on the entry, immediately balanced by a rounded residual sweetness; tangy and zesty on the mid-palate. Warm zesty replays last long into the finish.

One of my favourite Vidals, year in and year out, the Late Harvest edition of Pelee Island's Vidal (there are two - a near-dry one called Monarch and this sweeter one, Late Harvest) is a reliable go-to wine if you happen to want something a few notches sweeter than your average table wine. Unlike many late-harvest wines in Ontario, this one is always bottled in a 750 ml format.

2010 Magnotta Harvest Moon Vidal (Ontario VQA)

A medium-sweet Vidal, attractively packaged in a deep blue 750 ml bottle. Synthetic cork closure. $9.95 at the Magnotta retail outlet; 12.6% alc./vol.

The Vidal pours with a pretty, semi-unctuous straw hue and brilliant clarity. A beautiful mix of ripe tropical fruits rises out of the glass: pineapple, tangerine, fresh orange juice, Granny Smith apple, and that note of spicy passionfruit that is so typical in sweeter versions of Vidal.  Laser-crisp acidity on the entry, well wrapped in a blanket of residual sweetness (7 g/l). Crisp/sweet texture, but the acidity never lets up bringing on the tang - so this wine still works decidedly well at the dinner table. Lots of citrusy tangerine / pink-grapefruit zest in the finish, which again is fleshed out nicely by another dose of residual... A very pleasing wine indeed.

Even though I am partial to dry wine across the entire vinous spectrum, I still find the occasion now and then to enjoy a late-harvest Vidal - one of Ontario's true gems, and with a close heritage to another regional highlight: icewine.

2005 Domaine Berrien Cellars Wolf's Prairie Red (Lake Michigan Shore AVA)

What an interesting find on my most recent visit to Michigan. This wine is a blend of Dechaunac and Chelois (proportions for this vintage undisclosed, though the 2009 notes indicate 80% Dechaunac and 20% Chelois), produced by Domaine Berrien Cellars in the Lake Michigan Shore AVA. ABV is not disclosed on the wine label - but again, notes for the 2009 release indicate 12.5% (which may be meaningless considering that we're dealing across four distinct vintages!).

The wine undergoes a year of complex oak aging: portions are aged in barrels of varying age, including neutral oak.

Purchased for $13.99 USD (it's cheaper at the winery). The solid, high-quality natural cork closure was nicely tinted as I pulled it out of the bottle.

The WPR pours with a beautiful, black-garnet colour and a very deep hue that is reminiscent of dried red roses, but with the saturation cranked way up. The nose, at first swish, is strongly medicinal and reminiscent of dried elderberries... However, given just 15 minutes in the open bottle, the bouquet opens up to reveal a very complex mix of roasted, toasty aromas (elderberries now in the background), black olives (reminiscent of many SW French reds), juicy black cherries, and plenty of earthiness. This is very similar to Norton/Cynthiana, both for the colour and the aromas. Tart yet gentle acidity, followed by an elegant, dry texture, with plenty of spicy / pencil-shavings-type oak on the fore-palate. Exceptional balance. Incredible spiciness and persistence all across the palate, with gentle warmth chiming in toward the aft-palate, and leading the finish along its entire trajectory. The spicy oak regimen works really well here: it's an elegant, wood-driven style of oak, rather than perfumey (i.e. no vanilla or coconut aromas). A whiff of torrefied coffee beans (dark roast) comes in on the finish.

Truly one of the best hybrid reds I've had in years; there's nothing like this that I've tried in Ontario for a long time. Most of what we have left here is Baco Noir, which is typically far more acidic, and without the aromatic Norton-like complexity that I find in this Lake Michigan Shore red.

Considering that the wine is now 6 years old, I would say that ageability is quite good. A decade should not be any problem at all.

A note about the grape varieties: Dechaunac used to be made into single varietal wines in Niagara up until about a decade ago. Now, it can be found at some wineries in the newer, younger, Prince Edward County wine region. Chelois, on the other hand, used to be present in Ontario, but many decades ago: if I recall correctly, Inniskillin grew it and made wine from it in the very early days (would have been in the 1970s). Chelois is said to have more tannin than many of the old-line red hybrid varieties, but the trade off is that it is less winter hardy than Baco or Foch (and probably even Dechaunac), and is somewhat more susceptible to the usual diseases affecting grapevines.

Personally, I'm extremely happy to see Domaine Berrien using these two historically significant hybrids in such a quality blend.

2009 Malivoire "Albert's Honour" Old Vines Foch (Ontario VQA)

A long-time favourite of mine, since its initial release in the 1998 vintage.

Vineyard established in 1975. Solid, high-quality natural cork closure. 12.5% alc./vol.

Intense, saturated black/cherry-red hue, with a ruby/magenta meniscus. Beautiful, nearly viscous appearance in the glass; the dark colour and light-purple legs make for great visuals. Expansive bramble-type fruit, framed by tightly-wound oak spice; secondary hints of its V. riparia parentage, via myriad brackish/wild/marshy/celeriac aromas. Plummy replays. Tart entry, with lively acidity, a firm but light structure, and good warmth on the finish. Flavours carry through onto the mid-palate. Cleansing, tasty, bright-on-the-palate, dark-coloured red wine.

If you must compare this to something from the vinifera world, think northern Italy: e.g. a laser-crisp Barbera, but with a much darker colour.

As usual, give it some time in the open bottle before drinking - or better yet, decant it: the bouquet will open up very nicely.

2009 was not a notable vintage in Ontario; it was actually quite a weak vintage. But I love trying red hybrid wines from such years, because I get to see what grapes that fit the climate can produce under less than favourable conditions. I'm already looking forward to trying the 2010 version of this classic Ontarian red.

2008 Konzelmann "Golden Vintage" Vidal (Ontario VQA)

One of my favourite Vidals, but only available at the winery.  Natural cork closure. 12% alc./vol.

Light straw colour.  Lovely aromas of apricot, pineapple, green apple, passionfruit and citrus - classic Ontario Vidal.  Balanced on the entry, with tart acidity but a rounding sweetness of light- to moderate intensity.  Pineapple replays on the midpalate.  A warm, cleansing, tart / sweet finish - very invigorating and enjoyable.

I am convinced that Vidal is one of Ontario's noble grape varieties: not only is it versatile (dry, off-dry, late-harvest wines and icewines are made from it), but it does each of these styles extremely well.  Konzelmann's Vidal is not only no exception to this rule, but it is indeed exemplary.