Vineyard Notes
The entire 2020 harvest was early. It started early and ended early, with harvest dates for each variety that were all notably earlier than normal. Harvest started on August 27th with early red hybrid varieties. Autumn was brilliant – warm, sunny, and very little rainfall, providing great conditions for
harvest. Yields were down on all varieties (about 10-20%), but quality was excellent. The warm, sunny days and cooler evenings allowed the grapes to develop phenolic ripeness without any breakdown. Not unexpectedly, the warm, dry growing season for the vines produced grapes with high sugars and low acids. Unfortunately, the overall yield was negatively impacted, with most varieties down between 10-20% of expected tonnage. Early November brought almost summer-like weather for more than a week, allowing us to finish up harvest with great picking conditions.
Production Notes
Grapes for this vintage wine came from select premium vineyards in the Niagara Peninsula. Crushed and pressed immediately upon arrival at
the winery the clean juice was racked after cold settling for 48 hours. Inoculated and fermented at a cool 16 C for 13 days until dry, the wine was
then transferred to new and older French and American barrels where it underwent a complete malo-lactic fermentation and aged for 8 months before transferring to stainless steel.
Winemaker Notes
Aromatics of hazelnut, toast and vanilla are evident on the nose. On the palate ripe pears, melon and spice round out the crisp balanced acidity.
