You don’t know Ontario wine until you’ve tasted a bottle from the unique 13th Street Winery. Last week, I wrote about how 13th Street used to be tantalizingly difficult to find. It was essentially a “garage-wine”, made in small quantities by precociously talented part-time vintners. Rarity breeds excitement. Awards and praise piled up. But inevitably, such success brings change. Now 13th Street is enlarging production, opening itself up to the public, and selling its wine online.
On the cusp of all this metamorphosis, I took some time to appreciate their latest release. But before I delve into individual tasting notes, I want to tell you why I love 13th Street. Like all memorable producers, all of its wines are united by a shared personality. This is not just a house style; it is a spirit that infuses every wine vintage after vintage. In the case of 13th Street, all of their wines are characterized by a light touch that integrates sparkling acidity into a mellow, fruity texture. The result is a wine that is both eccentric and buoyant. There’s nothing else like it in Niagara.
Here are some highlights from 13th Street Winery’s white wines:
- 2004 Premier Cuvee Brut (
$28.00[Ed. note: No longer available] from winery)
A stupendous value for a dry sparkling wine. The predominant flavour is lime and white grapefruit, but it’s dappled with hints of anise, white pepper, and that bread-like flavour that generally only comes from expensive Champagne. Complexity like this is hard to find in bubbly.
- 2007 June’s Vineyard Riesling (
$17.00[Ed. note: No longer available] from winery)
A slightly sweet and easy-going style of Riesling. It has a summery, lazy character with hints of flower blossoms and chewy, juicy fruit. It has a rich, unctuous body. Reminds me of a pretty girl in a flower print dress. Maybe a little cleavage.
- 2007 Funk Vineyard Riesling (
$24.00[Ed. note: No longer available] from winery)
This is the big brother of the June’s Vineyard Rielsing. The extra $7 is buying you a more complex and assertive wine that’s lit up with a brilliant mineral flavour. It’s lighter than June’s too, but the trade off is it lacks the round, ripe fruit that makes June’s such a charming lollipop. Still, I prefer it because it showcases 13th Street’s talent for purity and elegance.
- 2006 Sandstone Estate Chardonnay (
$18.00[Ed. note: No longer available] from winery)
The pick of the litter. The oak barrels have given this chardonnay a decadent nose: hints of yoghurt, brown apple, cinnamon and burnt vanilla. The aromas come on strong, but the palate is mellow yellow. It is soft and plush, with a mild acidity that is perfectly balanced with the juicy flavours of apple and pear. Just a lovely package – one of the best oaked chardonnays that you can get for under $20. I actually prefer it to their more expensive but less vibrant “Old Vines” Chardonnay.
Matthew Sullivan is a civil litigator in Toronto. He writes a weekly blog entry here on lawandstyle.ca. The Short Cellar column appears in the print edition of Precedent. Matthew can be reached at matthew@lawandstyle.beta-site.ca