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Wine
Notebook, Part 47 (August 27, 2008)
by the Wine Baron
I
had an invitation to pop by Hidden Bench
Vineyards and Winery by owner Harald
Thiel. Today was the day, and I was lucky
enough to find Harald behind the tasting bar
when I walked in. I could see that he clearly
loves interacting with the visitors, but I know
he spends a lot of time in the winery with
winemaker Jean-Martin Bouchard, collaborating to
ensure that every step in the process is
meticulously executed. |
Hidden Bench Winery -
click to enlarge |
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The
first thing that hit me here is that these
people are extremely passionate about wine.
Their consummate commitment to produce the
most perfect wines possible is evident.
Such commitment requires the highest degree of
attention to every detail - from the vineyard to
the bottle. It is noticeable as I look around. They
have a strong commitment to stewardship as well.
This is obvious from the sustainable farming
practices and environmental concern.
Roughly 70 acres of the 100 acre property on the
Beamsville Bench are planted to vine with
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Viognier,
Pinot Noir and four Bordeaux varieties: Cabernet
Sauvignon, Cab Franc, Merlot and Malbec. |
The vineyards are
managed to perfection!
Click to enlarge. |
Grapes are hand-picked and hand-sorted. The
winery makes wine only from its own vineyards.
The wines are ultra-premium. I was particularly
enamoured with the Chardonnay (I bought a case),
and the Bordeaux blend. See below.
2005 Estate Chardonnay ...
Vividly clear, light yellow, with a complex nose.
Aromas and flavours show tropical fruit,
preserved lemon, muted butter tones and
refreshing acidity. It bears a nice medium oak
treatment that gives it a charming toasted
almond appeal. One batch was barrel fermented, the
other was stainless steel fermented. The
combined batches spent 10
months in French Oak. Very complex, interesting
and satisfying.
9
points.
2005 Chardonnay
Tête de Cuvée ...
I did not try this wine, but since it's the "big
brother" of the one that scored a 9, I can only
imagine its elegance and power!
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2005 Terroir Caché
This Bordeaux blend is 65% Cabernet
Sauvignon, with the balance made up of
Merlot and Cabernet Franc. It's big,
rich, and elegant. Dark in colour, it
reveals notes of blackberries,
chocolate, vanilla and roasted
hazelnuts. The tannins are firm yet
fine. It reminds me a lot of a superbly
crafted Médoc. In fact I recall
Chateau Marojallia in
Margaux.
Very similar. This is the best crafted
red I've ever tasted from Niagara.
9.5
points.
A
super-premium cousin of this wine, called
La
Brunante, will be available in the fall. It
will include Malbec in the blend.
Hidden Bench offers private guided tours and
they have a wine club to keep the most
discriminating wine aficionados full of
anticipation.
4152 Locust Lane, Beamsville,
Ontario L0R 1B0
(905) 563-8700 |
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Luxuriant vineyards
at Hidden Bench |
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