This is the third and last installment of the Short Cellar’s profile of the excellent wine from 13th Street Winery in Jordan, Ontario. Last week, I described 13th Street’s white wines, which are mainly classic Ontario varieties: Chardonnay and Riesling. These are cool climate grapes that have proved themselves again and again as ideally suited to the Niagara region.
13th Street’s red wines are something else entirely. While many Ontario wineries are investing in Pinot Noir as their premium red wine, 13th Street has established its reputation on some grapes that are unusual in Niagara: Gamay Noir and Syrah.
Gamay Noir is an inspired choice. Although this light, fruity grape is dismissed by some critics as insufficiently serious, it is an ideal vehicle for 13th Street’s particular style of winemaking. Like so many of their wines, their Gamay is a breezy, graceful wine filled with élan.
Here are my favourite of 13th Street Winery’s red wines:
2006 Sandstone Old Vines Gamay Noir ($24.00 [Ed. note: No longer available] from winery)
- This wine displays the luminescent purple that’s classic for Gamay. The palate is polished and smooth, with the bright tang of raspberries and lime. Notwithstanding the tart acidity, the package remains calm and mellow. If a side of pork tenderloin could talk, I suspect it would courteously request that you eat it with this wine.
2006 Wismer Vineyard Syrah ($24.00 [Ed. note: No longer available] from winery)
- Like the Gamay Noir, 13th Street’s Syrah is a food-wine that has been designed to complement a rich meal. Syrah is one of Ontario’s best kept secrets. Although the Ontario version doesn’t have the jammy fruits that are common in Australia (where it is known as Shiraz), it displays the refinement and complexity of the famous French Syrah of the Northern Rhone Valley. I’ve explored most of Niagara’s Syrahs, and this is one of the best: very light-bodied, with a lovely concentration of fruit, including cherries, fresh strawberries and red liquorice.
2005 Et Ceteras Red ($19.00 [Ed. note: No longer available] from winery)
- 13th Street also throws together some fascinating blends. The 2005 Et Ceteras is a mixture of the rich grapes Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, with just a little bit of Gamay Noir to add levity and fun. The result is a soft, mild red with a rip-roaringly complex nose. I prefer the Gamay, but this easy-drinking wine gives you an opportunity to sample 13th Street’s mojo at a lower price. One thing disturbs me: “et cetera” doesn’t have an “s” on the end. In Latin, cetera is already plural (“and other things”). I don’t believe this grammatical point affects the taste.
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