2010 Pinot Noir

Tuesday, Dec 17th, 2013

Consider this my therapy.  The ability to write and reminisce about a finished wine whilst going through the rigours of harvesting and vinifying that same grape varietal is a welcome shift of thought.  It doesn’t get much rosier than the memories I have associated with our 2010 Pinot Noir.

Simply put, 2010 was an ideal vintage to grow grapes.  Heat when you needed it and just wet enough for excellent vine growth, but not excessive vigour.  The risk with Pinot Noir in these warm, dry conditions is overripening.  Pushing the grapes to a point where they almost become “un-Pinot like”.  For that reason we harvested our crop on September 4th – a full week earlier than we ever had before.  All ripening parameters were dialed in.  Sugars high, but not so high as to make the wine overly alcoholic (22 degrees brix)  and decent enough acid (TA 7.5) to keep the pH low and aid in ageability.  This would be a bold Pinot for sure, but not so bold that our Terroir couldn’t shine through.

We harvested 8 rows from our Old Block and 3 rows from our new Clone 777 block.  The fruit was sorted, chilled and processed into bins for traditional punch-downs during fermentation.  I chose to let the three bins cold soak for a few days and let the fermentations start via indigenous yeast.  Each bin was then inoculated with a different cultured yeast to add complexity to the overall blend.  The 777 bin was treated with a strain called BRL97, while the the old block was fermented with RC212 and W15.  The fermentations lasted about 10 days whereupon each bin was pressed to barrel (25% new oak, all French).  The wine was allowed to mature for 24 months in oak before bottling 143 cases on March 26th, 2013.

In the end this is a Pinot Noir that should age gracefully for at least another ten years.  It’s the kind of wine that sneaks up on you and demands another sip, another glass…

Aromas:  cherry, leather, mushroom, wet stone, vanilla, red currant, meat jus, violets

Flavours: cherry, pomegranate

2010 Five Rows Cabernet Sauvignon

Saturday, Jun 01st, 2013

One decision a winemaker is faced with as a wine evolves is whether they are making that wine for now or for the future.  Variables such as the amount of time spent in barrel, new or previously used oak, French or American oak, health tannin level, acidity and pH all must be addressed.  It is where experience really comes into play, as the decisions you make now may lead to the wine being tougher to enjoy in the short term, but hopefully pay dividends later on.

Then there are rare wines like the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon that are enjoyable now while also exhibiting good aging potential.  These wines can make winemakers look very clever, but are probably the easiest to craft.  The fruit comes in ripe and clean with ideal parameters and the fermentations go exactly according to plan.  After many years of dealing with devilish Pinot Noir, this is a welcome luxury!

The 2010 Cab Sauv was harvested on October 28th and 29th.  If we push it, Howie, Wilma and I can hand-harvest and process about 1.5 to 2 tonnes in a day.  We normally tackle the Clone 169 block first, then bring in the Old Block Cab on day two.  It’s always a relief to get through these two days as the Cab Sauv is the last variety we harvest each year.  Needless to say, we slept in on October 30th.

70 picking boxes were harvested from rows 4 and 13 in the Clone 169 Block and 78 boxes from rows 5 and 8 in the Old Block.  Following a four-day cold soak, the two bins of fruit were inoculated and warmed to start fermentation.  Two yeasts were chosen to work with the specific strengths of each vineyard.  The slightly riper Clone 169 fruit was fermented with FX10, known to retain polyphenolic potential (structure and colour), release and bind polysaccharides, and aid in the expression of terroir through minimal “fermentation odour” production.  The Old Block was inoculated with CSM, a yeast that specializes in producing intense aro­matic profiles of berries, spice and licorice, while concurrently reducing vegetal aromas.  A winemaker can only hope that these yeasts live up to such bold claims!

Finished wines were racked to four barrels:  Clone 169 to a new Taransaud and two-year-old Billon; Old Block to a two-year-old Taransaud and five-year-old DAMY.  Through the years I’ve found that Taransaud barrels do magic for my Cab Sauv.  They have a way of “framing” the fruit components of the wine, while contributing just the right amount of oak spice and wood tannin.  I usually opt for a tight grain oak, medium toast level with three years of air drying to balance the longer time our red wines spend in barrel.  After 24 months in oak, the 2010 Five Rows Cabernet Sauvignon was blended and allowed to bulk age in a tank for five more months.  103 cases were bottled on March 26, 2013.  This wine is now available for purchase.

Aromas:  blueberry, cherry, Stanley prune, mint

Palate:  soft tannin, ripe cherry, savoury mouthfeel/flavour

Cellaring:  I personally enjoy drinking this wine now (call it winemaker bias), but it should really be cellared for at least another six months.  It has the tannin and structure to age and improve for many years to come, I prefer not to put a limit on it.

Price:  $50/bottle

Alcohol:  13.3%

2010 Five Rows Shiraz

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013

 

Is it a Shiraz or is it a Syrah?  The debate over the name of this wine has played out numerous times around our tasting table since we released our first one back in 2008.  That 2008 “Shiraz” was a hit with our friends, but most agreed it was more reminiscent of a “Syrah” in style.

I get a kick out of this debate because it brings me nostalgically back to the origins of this grape in our vineyard.  We planted Shiraz Clone 100 back in the late 90’s at the request of Creekside Estate Winery, who were bravely setting out to turn Shiraz into a key part of their varietal portfolio and winery identity.  Fueled by the knowledge and vision of an enterprising Australian winemaker, Marcus Ansems, my parents agreed to plant the 11 rows of Shiraz that now stand tall along our driveway, across from Wilma’s lavender.

Upon planting, we quickly found out that these vines loved to grow!  They shot up like the most vigorous of weeds, making us wonder why few farmers had attempted to grow this grape variety in Niagara before.  The first cold winter would provide us the harsh answer to that question.

Just as the vines were starting to mature and bear their first fruit, we were hit with some cold winter conditions that killed nearly half the vines in our new Shiraz vineyard.  The Achilles heel of this fast-growing, high-cropping varietal was now all too clear.  Should we replant the vineyard or wash our hands with Shiraz altogether?  This was a tough call, but in the end we decided to give it one more shot.  Thankfully, the winters have been more co-operative since then and we’ve also learned a few tricks in the vineyard to help the vines overwinter better.  We switched from a Scott-Henry training system to a more simple, two-arm pendelbogen trellis.  More attention was paid to controlling vine vigour through soil nutrition and cropping levels.  The vines performed well enough to merit planting 8 more rows of a second Australian Shiraz Clone (#7) in soil with higher clay content to aid in vine development.  Both blocks are doing well to this day.

Due to the success of these Shiraz vineyards on our farm and the legitimacy brought to the varietal by Creekside (think luscious Broken Press Shiraz…mmmm!) it was a no-brainer that I would order a large run of labels adorned with “Shiraz” for my 2008 debut.  However, as it came time to blend my 2008 Shiraz – the jammy, hot (high-alcohol) and bold notes present in all of our favourite Aussie “critter” wines were nowhere to be found!  In fact, every time I sampled these barrels I felt as if I had just tacked up a horse and ridden through a fragrant lavender field, only to suddenly realize I was surrounded by blackberry bushes and Marijuana plants (for the record this has never happened…yet).  Alas, despite what thousands of freshly printed labels now proclaimed, my first Shiraz had just become a Syrah – and I didn’t mind one bit!

A second issue with growing Shir..I mean Syrah in a cool climate is that it tends to ripen very late in the season, making it a challenge to vinify in lackluster, “shorter” growing seasons like 2009.  For that reason we decided not to attempt a Syrah in 2009 as the acidity levels never seemed right for crafting a premium wine.

The opposite was true for 2010.  It will be remembered as one of the warmest vintages Niagara has ever seen.  The growing season started early and never slowed down.  Precipitation was spotty but adequate – just perfect for wine grapes.  We harvested the Syrah on October 11, much earlier than any other vintage.  Sugar levels hit an all-time high (24°Brix) and the skins and seeds showed excellent maturity.  Three rows were selected from the older Clone 100 block (#2,9,10) along with two rows from the younger Clone 7 block (#4,8).

The fruit was de-stemmed into bins, which were then sealed for a four-day cold soak on the skins.  Fermentations were allowed to start wild, then inoculated with a yeast known as “Enoferm Syrah” (an isolate from the Côtes du Rhône in France).  It was chosen for this ripe fruit because it’s known to be a good glycerol producer for smoother mouthfeel with typical aromas including violets, raspberries, cassis, strawberries and black pepper.  Fermentations lasted about 8 days with temperature peaks around 28°C.  I could tell early on that this wine would one day be something special!

Five barrels were filled following pressing.  The Clone 7 fruit was racked to a new Taransaud barrel and a two-year-old Billon, while the Clone 100 fruit was split between two older French and one American oak barrel.  The wine was allowed to mature in oak for 24 months.  We bottled 118 cases of this Syrah on March 26th, 2013.  This wine, along with all of our 2010 reds, is now available for purchase.

Price: $50/bottle

Alcohol:  13.4%

Cellaring:  3-5 years

The Wine That Almost Wasn’t

Sunday, Aug 26th, 2012

We are in the midst of a summer for the ages – and that’s all I’m willing to say at the moment.  I will spare the superlatives in an effort not to tempt fate.   So much can (and probably will) go wrong between now and the end of harvest.  Suffice it to say we are mere days away from taking in the first of our fruit.  That’s silly early!

While experiencing these ideal conditions I like to reminisce about years when we weren’t so fortunate.  I remember well the late, cool and wet summer of 2009.  Conditions were optimal for the early varieties, but proved a serious challenge for ripening Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.  We thinned down to ridiculous levels (a few bunches per vine) but the acid levels in the grapes remained very high in both varieties.  I clearly remember making the sad decision not to harvest any of this fruit for our Five Rows wines.  It was decided to sell the Shiraz to another winery and hang the Cab Sauv for Icewine.  Before the Icewine nets went up, my ever optimistic Mother made the suggestion to go through our Cab Sauv blocks and select only the ripest of bunches in an effort to salvage a couple barrels worth of fruit.  Every ounce of winemaker in me screamed no, but how could I say no to Wilma?  The next day we set out to do our tedious selective picking.

So begins the tale of our 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon or as I like to call it “The wine that almost wasn’t”.  This elegant wine is now for sale in our barn, which is a minor miracle based on how many times it was written off.

It was intensely aromatic from the get go, but took 30 months in some magical old barrels to achieve it’s current mouthfeel, structure and flavour profile.  During those 30 months in my beloved (but soon to be retired) 2002 Gillet barrels, this wine was always an afterthought.  In fact, I even looked into selling it as bulk a couple of times just to get it out of the barn.  Fortunately, there were no takers.  Sometime around the two year mark spent in barrel, things began to change and those two black sheep began to get my attention.  I found myself tasting them at least once a week, just to make sure I wasn’t going nuts.  I began to feel that this 2009 Cab could actually one day don a Five Rows label.  My first thought was to use it as a silent partner with our 2010 Cab, but the blending trials flopped.  I proceeded to try a Shiraz/Cab Sauv blend, but that idea was also eventually nixed.

The resilient 2009 Five Rows Cabernet Sauvignon had managed to dodge every bullet I could muster.  There was no other option than to let it rightfully stand on its own.  I now consider this wine to be a secret bonus for those open-minded oenophiles who don’t practice vintage discrimination.  There are people who will never try this wine simply because it was made in 2009.  That just leaves more for the rest of us.  This Cab is texturally gorgeous and delivers classic Lowrey Cab Sauv aromatics (blackberry, cherry, cassis) and wonderful balance that literally appeared out of nowhere.  50 cases were bottled on April 6th, 2012.  It will be fun to compare and contrast this wine with the big bombers on the horizon (2010 and 2012).

An Ode to Oak

Wednesday, Feb 15th, 2012

 

I’m generally not an emotional guy.  Why then, am I having such a difficult time parting ways with the first two barrels that ever held my wine?

The time has come to cruelly determine which of our used oak barrels must be sent out to pasture, literally.  I’ve been through wars with these veteran barriques.  They’ve seen good wine, bad wine and everything in between.  Some have been a working fixture in our barn for eight years.  Now you must decide which old soldiers can no longer carry out their job, good luck with that!  This unceremonious send-off just doesn’t seem to befit such a valuable part of our winery.

Good oak is the winemaker’s not-so-secret weapon.  Sure they are expensive (our largest capital expense from year to year) but they are essential.  I’ve come to learn that new oak should never be taken for granted and never be used in overabundance.  Too much new oak can mask and possibly ruin the fine subtleties of an aging wine.  Restraint should always be exercised.

My attachment to each individual barrel is surely due to the small size of our operation.  Over time I become acutely aware of their “personalities” through weekly tasting and topping regimens.  Some are big softies, while others are boldly complex.  Some barrels make the retirement decision easy for me.  No amount of sterilization can rid them of the contaminants they’ve accumulated over the years, so out the door they go.  But what about the barrel who’s only knock is it’s old age and bland neutrality?  That is the dilemma staring me in the face right now.

Back in 2004, under the guidance of Creekside Estate Winery winemakers Rob and Craig, I assembled a two barrel blend of Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from our vineyard.  With a pool of twelve barrels to choose from, we experimented with 50L from here and 25L from there until we all agreed upon a blend that I could confidently open a winery with.  It was decided that the wine should be housed in a couple of beautiful, two year old French oak barrels made by Burgundian cooper Claude Gillet.  The wine would stay cloaked in these barrels until 2006, when we bottled our first Five Rows release – the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Those same two Gillet barrels proved tremendously versatile with each successive vintage of Five Rows Cab Sauv.  What they lost in intensity each season, they gained in character and elegance.  This past week I racked some 2009 Cab Sauv from the Gillet twins and was pleasantly surprised at the finished product.  I didn’t hold out much hope for the 2009 Cab at this time last year, but an additional 12 months spent soothing in neutral oak really did the trick.  We’ll bottle the 2009 Cab Sauv this spring.

So there they sit after ten long years of service, empty and willing…but sadly there is no wine to fill them.  Now the decision is upon me.  No more stalling filibusters, it’s time to take these two out behind the barn and “pop the bung” for good.  I swear I’d have an easier time putting down Old Yeller.  At least he had rabies.

One day soon I’ll crack a bottle of 2004 Cab Sauv in their honour.  Few times will I enjoy a bottle more.

barrel graveyard

The Weight

Sunday, Oct 09th, 2011

Defining a personal “style” of winemaking has always been a difficult proposition for me.  I still consider myself an unexperienced rookie, then I glance at the calendar and realize I’ve been at this gig for quite a while.  As visions of past vintages scan by quickly in my mind, I recall my early days in Nova Scotia through my time as Viticultualist at Creekside Estate Winery.  I’m suddenly astounded when it hits me that I’ve been making wine for Five Rows since way back in 2004!  Has it really been that long?

Questioning my personal style is standard practice around this time of year, as I debate what tweaks to make in each of our of 2011 wines.  The quandary is whether to mess with the formula that has produced a certain style of wines people have come to expect and enjoy.  The safe move is to keep thing status quo, but that’s not why I got into this.  I want to push envelopes and ultimately change perceptions of St. David’s Bench Terroir.  But what if I screw it up?

I present the case for my 2011 Sauvignon Blanc.  Previous successful vintages (2007-2010) could be chalked up to equal parts fruit quality, terroir, and winemaking technique.  Beautiful late-summer weather assured the success of this year’s crop, with ideal acid and sugar parameters, ripe seeds and classic Lowrey Sauv Blanc flavours.

Do I treat this fruit the exact same way as I did in previous vintages or do I make a few subtle changes to the winemaking protocol in an effort to improve?  “Fence-sitter” Wes says, “Don’t rock the boat, people like it as is.  There is no need to alter the oak to stainless steel ratio, yeast type, fermentation temperature, and residual sugar content if you don’t have to.”

“Devil May Care” Wes says, “Deep down you know there was some room for improvement in the 2010 Sauv Blanc (and I don’t care if it sold out already!).  Trust your instincts and do what it takes to make the wine you envision.  When you first started making wine you didn’t care about defining a style, you just wanted to achieve the best possible representation of your terroir.  Ultimately, if you like the wine, so will everyone else.”

I chuckle at the irony when I read this over and tend to agree with “Fence-sitter” Wes, but all kidding aside, I feel it important to proceed without the boundaries of a defined style in all my wines.  The success or failure of a wine should not be judged by public perception or sales figures, but on whether the winemaker achieved their goal.

Out With the Old, In With the New

Thursday, Sep 30th, 2010

 

It’s an exciting time at the Lowrey Vineyard.  The majority of 2010 fruit has been harvested, and the usually stress-inducing  late varieties are ripe already!  Summer wine sales have exceeded our initial projections and we’ve sold out of most vintages much sooner than expected.  I still have to pinch myself at times to make sure this is all really happening.

I’m continually amazed at the awesome people who happen upon our winery each weekend.  It turns out that if you build it, they really will come.  They pick me up on rough days and drive my passion to continually push viticultural boundaries.  They are always patient when I’ve got a barrel to fill or tank to clean, so I will always try my best to craft wines that keep them coming back.

As the old vintages sell out, I quell my nostalgic thoughts with the early reviews of our 2009s.  We’ve been selling a few hastily labelled and waxed bottles of our new 2009 Sauvignon Blanc to a few customers who refused to leave until I could prove to them that this wine was not ready to sell yet.  They ended up winning the argument and left with bottles 1 through 12.  We are now taking case orders for this wine ($25/bottle).

In other news, we’ve recently made a decision not to actively promote our wines through submissions to wine writers.  I’m happy to arrange a tasting for any reviewer at any time, but unfortunately we just don’t have the quantities to send samples to all those who have put in a request.  Up to this point in our evolution as a craft winery we’ve relied mainly on “word of mouth” to sell our wines, and I see no reason that needs to change.

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon

Sunday, Jun 13th, 2010

I want to personally thank all the people who made the trek to our first ever Customer Appreciation Weekend!  It was great to catch up with those we hadn’t seen in a while and also meet some new friends along the way.  We decided to give people a sneak preview of upcoming Five Rows releases including the 2007 Pinot Noir and 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon.  After some gentle prodding, it was decided to also tap into some promising tank samples of our 2008 Shiraz and 2009 Riesling.  I sincerely appreciate all the constructive feedback.

We are now filling orders for the 2007 Pinot Noir, so you’re welcome to pick up your pre-ordered case if you haven’t already done so.  The 2007 Cab Sauv also generated a lot of interest over the weekend, so I now feel confident releasing this wine for sale.

2007 Five Rows Cabernet Sauvignon

Vinification Notes:

My third crack at crafting a single-varietal Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from our own vineyard was by far the least stressful to date.  We hand picked just under a tonne (900kg) of ripe, clean fruit on October 25th, 2007.  This harvest date really snuck up on us, as we hadn’t really anticipated the Cab being that ripe, that early.  For growers of multiple grape varietals, harvest time is a crazy sprint from the first Pinot’s of mid-September to the last of the Cab Sauv in November.  To pick ripe Cab in October is a luxury we are rarely afforded.

Normally a row of Cabernet Sauvignon in our vineyard would yield about 500kg of fruit, but the 4 rows we sourced for this wine were thinned down to one bunch per shoot resulting in a yield of 225kg/row.  The fruit came in like sweet little black marbles, at a shade under 24 degrees brix.  After processing and a brief cold soak, the fruit was warmed back up for fermentation.  I decided to use Zymaflore F15 yeast for this wine to maximize glycerolic production.  I figured this would be a big wine from the get-go, so any added elements to help round out the mouthfeel would eventually pay dividends.  Fermentation was carried out at a nice moderate pace over 7 days, with peak temperature of 26.8 degrees Celsius.  Malolactic fermentation was completed in barrel to aid in oak integration.

After 24 months in one old and one new French oak barrel, this wine was blended to a stainless steel tank for final settling.  50 cases were eventually bottled on February 18, 2010.  My only regret at the end of this process is that I didn’t have the foresight to make more Cabernet Sauvignon form this superb vintage.

Aromas:  blueberry pie, black cherry, mint, oak spice, red licorice

Flavours:  raspberry, blueberry, dark chocolate, powerful length

Cellaring:  Drinking well now, but should age gracefully for 20+ years

Price: $50 / bottle

2007 Pinot Noir Vinification Notes

Tuesday, Jun 01st, 2010

2007 Five Rows Pinot Noir

Vinification Notes:

The hot summer of 2007 brought ideal picking conditions to the St. David’s Bench.  Roughly three tonnes of Pinot Noir were hand-picked on September 23 at just under 22 degrees brix, having TA of 6.55 and pH 3.31.  Prior to picking, seed and skin tannins were both showing excellent maturity, and flavours were reminiscent of ripe seasons past (1998, 2001).

It was decided to source equal amounts of fruit from the three Lowrey Pinot blocks of differing ages (20 years, 15 years and 10 years).  Each block was processed into open-top fermentors, with 15% of the fruit being left as whole-bunch.  Bins were then sealed and underwent a lengthy cold soak to promote extraction.

Ferments were generally quick and warm, with peak temperatures in the low 30s.  The wines were pressed into five French oak barrels (2 new, 3 old). Malolactic fermentation was carried out over the next few weeks in barrel.

After about a year of aging, it was apparent that the 2007 reds packed a real punch in both flavour and tannin.  To mellow the mouthfeel, it was decided after bench-top trials to fine the wines with small volumes of Pinot Gris lees from the 2008 vintage.  Following a few days settling, the wines were racked off all lees.

24 months and countless blending trials later, the final cut was married together in a stainless steel tank for final settling and stabilization.  99 cases of this wine were bottled on February 18, 2010.

Aromas:  cherry, strawberry, raspberry, earth, and faint tobacco leaf

Palate:  flavours of luscious black cherry, great balance, and ample tannin for optimal aging potential

Price: $50 / bottle.  Your order can be directed to wines@fiverows.com.

Vinification Notes

Thursday, Oct 29th, 2009

 

When you get to a point where the line between work and life is so blurry that the majority of your day seems like filler between fixes of caffeine, and what little sleep you do get is haunted by images of Multi-coloured Asian Lady Beetles and under-ripe Cabernet Franc…it’s best to step back, focus, and re-consider exactly why you do what you do.

Thankfully, success breeds perseverance.  The following are two reasons why I still choose life as a winemaker:

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

A severe winter led to an average of 50% bud damage in the Lowrey Vineyard.  This Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from vines that were shouldering a much lighter load than they were used to, hence a greater opportunity for ripening was in the cards.  Thankfully, the growing season weather co-operated and the resultant fruit was as good as has ever been produced on our farm.  The St. David’s Bench microclimate really strutted its stuff, with even the later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon reaching optimal sugar and TA levels.  Like our first “Five Rows” vintage in 2004, we took equal portions of Young and Old Cab Blocks to maximize clonal complexity.  Following traditional small batch punch downs, the wine was aged in a 50-50 blend of American and French Oak with an average age of 1.7 years per barrel.  A comparative barrel tasting took place on July 5, 2007 and as with previous years, the highest rated wines were housed in two-year old wood (a 2003 Barrel Associates & 2003 Berthomieu).  These two superior bottles were bottled on July 18, 2008.  This wine showcases the potential of minimally-cropped Cabernet Sauvignon from warm vintages in the Lowrey Vineyard.  Aromatic highlights include wild blueberry, ripe cherry and vanilla.  Very ripe and jammy on the palate with soft, mature tannins and excellent length.  Although hard to resist its youthful charm, this Cab is only entering its prime.

Barrels: 2       Cases: 45        Alcohol: 13.4%         Price: $50/Bottle

2008 Pinot Gris

In an effort to instill confidence, I tell my wines that it is never fair to compare themselves to their predecessors.   For that reason we won’t speak further of the effusive praise garnered by the 2007 Five Rows Pinot Gris.  Some shoes are just too big to fill.

Harvested on September 19, 2008, this Pinot Gris began its life fermenting slowly in stainless steel and older French Oak.  The oak component was added in an effort to further enhance mouthfeel and increase aromatic complexity.  A nice cool ferment, dotted with periodic lees stirring, was complete by mid-October.  The finished wine was blended, then fined with bentonite for protein stability.

Early tasting sessions showed strong notes of McIntosh apple and anise, while one panelist was sure he could smell “catbox” (depending, of course, on the type of litter you prefer).  The French Oak and lees stirring helped create rounder texture and seemed to lend tropical nuances such as star fruit.  The wine was left with just enough residual sugar to balance the acidity.  Lemon-lime citrus flavours are predominant.  Bottled September 14th, 2009.

Cases: 57             Alcohol: 13.3%       Price: $25/Bottle

Both wines are now available for purchase!