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.

Ontario Wine Awards

Friday, May 07th, 2010

Five Rows is very proud and excited to be among the finalists for “Best Label Design” at the upcoming Ontario Wine Awards.  You can participate in the online judging at the Ontario Wine Awards website.  May 21st is the deadline to cast your vote for a chance to win four tickets to the gala event on June 17th.  It will be a great night to indulge in the finest wines our province has to offer.  The event also marks the Toronto debut of our 2007 Pinot Noir.

I look forward to seeing you there!

At Long Last

Wednesday, Apr 07th, 2010

 

Since deciding to start a winery, the question I get asked most is, “so when is the Pinot going to be ready?”.  I’ve stalled and tap-danced around the answer for about a year now, but not any longer.

Twenty-three years ago, five unassuming rows of Burgundian Clone 115 Pinot Noir were planted by a skeptical crew of individuals amid concerns about the future of a seemingly faltering grape and wine industry.  Would these vines even live to produce a crop?  Only time would tell.

No doubt my eagle-eye grandfather drove the tractor that fateful day, as this most important job meant the difference between straight and crooked rows.  To this day I’m amazed at his accuracy each time I gaze down a row in that vineyard.  The unsung heroes of the operation were the two women perched precipitously upon the planter as it was tugged violently behind the tractor.  My Mother and Aunt Pat were responsible for placing the young vines into the freshly harrowed trench at consistent intervals, all the while being tossed about on their cast iron seats.  Timing is everything, as vines planted too close together or too far apart can create a trellising nightmare (by the way, this is all done with laser and GPS nowadays).  I’m sure they were made well aware if any of the vines looked a little out of place!  Trudging along solemnly behind the operation was my Father, personally tamping and straightening each vine.  Did he have an inkling that one day I’d be writing about this?  Probably not.  At the time he didn’t know a Pinot from his elbow, so most likely he would have laughed at the thought of his young son as a blog-writing winemaker.  His deep connection to these original vines was evident in recent years when I saw him conspicuously wipe away few tears as we uprooted out some old, grisled vines that didn’t make it through winter.  Maybe it was just something in his eye.

Ironically, the rough clay-loam and limestone soil being cursed by the planters that day ultimately proved to be a key factor in the future success of these vines.  From the first wines made out of this fruit, it was apparent that the enigmatic effects of Terroir could be applied to this small patch of land in St. Davids.  The Reserve Pinot Noir produced by Inniskillin in the early 90s was much sought after and helped to elevate the image of Niagara wines as a whole.  The success of this Pinot spawned a collaboration project between Inniskillin and a counterpart in Burgundy.  Their goal was to produce a Niagara Pinot Noir that could stack up with the finest Grand Cru.  French Negotiant Bernard Repolt of Jaffelin was commissioned to select barrels from the Inniskillin portfolio that best represented the beloved wines of his homeland.  After an exhaustive search that involved physically tasting soil (“mmm….loamy”) from the vineyard origin of each barrel, he and Inniskillin winemaker Karl Kaiser worked in tandem to come up with a final blend.   These critically acclaimed “Alliance” wines sold out lightning fast and really helped put Inniskillin on the map.  The fact they ended up choosing Lowrey barrels for the project dramatically changed the focus of our farm and probably had a lot to do with my future choice to become a winemaker.  From that point on we weren’t growing grapes, we were growing wines.

Crafting my 2007 Pinot Noir from these same five rows was an exciting process that really brought things full circle.  There were plenty of anxious moments, but earlier this year as the wine went into bottle I felt a certain catharsis, knowing there was nothing more for me to do.  I have 99 cases of this wine and plan to release it early this summer.  If you are interested in reserving a six-bottle case ($300) please let me know soon (wes@fiverows.com).  In an effort to maximize distribution I must limit orders to 2 cases.

I’ll follow up with tasting notes and cellar details of this wine closer to the release date.

Love for the Label

Friday, Mar 19th, 2010

I must confess that on occasion I purchase a bottle of wine solely based on the packaging.  Don’t lie, I know you do too.  After narrowing my search down to a couple of contenders, I’ll often end up choosing the wine whose visual appeal I find more intriguing.  This is especially true of those wines I intend to age in my cellar.  They are the ones that look so stately all lined up on the rack, the ones I will debate over and over in my mind when to drink.  There is a strange bond formed with these wines over time, making it very heart-wrenching to finally insert the fatal corkscrew.  I see the beautiful packaging as a constant reminder that this wine is a unique, living work of art.

It has always been very important to me to have my wines showcased in a way that catches people’s attention and relays our message of quality and scarcity.  For this reason I’m very proud of our label designers, Insite Design, for some recent praise they’ve received on their work.  The Five Rows label has been commended by many global wine design sites (here is an example), as well as being included in a prestigious packaging annual entitled “Boxed and Labelled – New Approaches to Packaging Design”.

Also keep an eye out for “The Art & Design of Contemporary Wine Labels”, a soon to be released book written by Toronto author Tanya Scholes.  A true wine label aficionado, Tanya contacted me shortly after our initial launch to get some details about our winery and inquire if she could use our label and story in her book.  I look forward to seeing her finished product in August.

A Great Night

Monday, Feb 22nd, 2010

Congratulations to all Cuvee 2010 Award winners!  I applaud all those whose hard work and vision created a work of art that was recognized by their peers as exceptional.  From the grape growers to the winemakers; the cellar hands to the lab rats, all deserve the highest of praise.

The evening itself more than lived up to my expectations.  A packed room of enthusiastic wine lovers streamed around like kids on Christmas morning, eyes wide and not knowing which present to open next.  The food stations were splendid and really helped highlight the true stars of the night – the wines.

The proudest part of the Cuvee experience for me occurred just after stepping away from our table for a few moments to grab a bite to eat.  Upon returning, I was inspired by the size of the crowd around our table and the joy in my parents’ faces as they merrily poured samples and held court.  It dawned on me that we’d reached a milestone this night, and accomplished it together as a family.  In many ways it legitimized the risks and stress involved in our journey thus far.  To have our wines showcased alongside award-winning juggernauts like Creekside, Fielding, Flat Rock and Thirty Bench was truly a thrill.

Based on the amount of “repeat pours” and those who were “sent to try your Cab”  I would conclude that our wines were very well received.  A few of my winemaking colleagues even noted a distinct “Five Rows buzz” in the air, but I actually think they may have been sensing the sheer amount of alcohol being metabolized in the room that night.

Cuvée 2010

Monday, Feb 08th, 2010

One of the marquee events on the Ontario wine scene is the annual Cuvée celebration held every February.  Although fruit from Lowrey Vineyards has graced award-winners in years past, Cuvée 2010 marks the first time our own wines will be showcased and we’re very excited to attend.  You will hear words like “Oscar’s”, “Pomp”, and “Circumstance” used to describe the event, but simply put, it’s a weekend-long showcase of our best stuff.  It’s billed as more celebration than competition, but I assure you that all participating winemakers will secretly have their fingers crossed in hopes of a podium appearance on Gala Night.  Trust me though, based on some of the stupendous wines I tasted at the judging event last month, I won’t be penning any anticipatory acceptance speeches anytime soon!

Due to the 50-case minimum production requirement, we were only able to enter our 2008 Pinot Gris and 2008 Sauvignon Blanc into the competition.  Those visiting our winery over the February 19-21 weekend will get to sample those two wines along with our 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon (45 cases produced).   Our barn will be open to the public all three days of Cuvée from 11-5.  Tastings, as always, are complimentary.  Tickets to the Gala event and Cuvée en Route passes can be purchased here, with proceeds going to the Niagara Community Foundation.  I encourage all those with a keen interest in tasting some of Ontario’s best wines to attend and join in the fun.

Zoltan Szabo Reviews

Friday, Jan 15th, 2010

 

Sommelier Zoltan Szabo is a jack of all trades on the Toronto wine scene.  A wine consultant, writer and educator, his vast enological knowledge has been proven time and again through consistently high finishes at International Sommelier competitions.  His dashing personality and skill with the pen make him a personal favourite of mine.  For that reason, I was slightly starstruck to receive an email from Zoltan wishing to try our wines. Casting jitters aside, I had him try our current Five Rows portfolio.  Here are his thoughts:

“The wines are clean, varietally really accurate, honestly-made, not ambitious nor over-blown stylistically speaking, all natural with unmistakable signs of the love of land and winemaking passion.”

2008 Pinot Gris Five Rows, Lowrey Vineyards, St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula VQA

Tastefully done package, some label descriptors are hand-written, also indicating the exact count of the bottle you are tasting, in this case the 112th. The colour has a tiny tint of cooper, characteristic of the grape. Aromas of white peach and pear, white blossoms and spice. Medium bodied with slight oily texture, sweet white summer fruit and orange toffee-nutty flavours, and a pretty long star anise, mineral-accented finish. 57 cases produced. $25.

4 stars out of 5.

2008 Sauvignon Blanc Five Rows, Lowrey Vineyards, St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula VQA

Lime, kiwi, lemon tree blossom bouquet. Light and fresh over the palate with savoury fruit and mineral flavors and the finish brings along very pleasant honeydew melon nuances. A delicate Sauv Blanc here, perfect with pure, Willapa Bay Kumamoto oysters. 64 cases produced.

4 stars out of 5.

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Five Rows, Lowrey Vineyards, St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula VQA

Classic, old world-style Cab Sauv with aromas and flavours of blueberries, plums, currants, white pepper, tobacco and underlying scorched earth and gamey notes that I seem to find in many of St. David’s Bench reds. Medium plus bodied and dry with soft, melted-in tannins and with neat accents of boysenberries, tar-bitter chocolate and herbaceous finish. Drinking very well right now. 45 cases produced.

4 + stars out of 5.

You can read Zoltan’s blog and find more of his reviews at zoltanszabo.org.

Christmas Packaging

Sunday, Dec 06th, 2009

Just a couple of quick Five Rows announcements as we head into the Holiday season.  First off, we’ve added our three newest releases to the bottle registry section of the website.  I would like to make a personal request to all those who have recently enjoyed a bottle to please share your comments.   This will help a great deal as I decide stylistically which way to go with upcoming vintages.

We’ll be open for the next two weekends (December 12-13 & 19-20) before concluding our weekend retail hours until Cuvee in February (19-21).  As always, we are happy to see visitors at any time over the winter by appointment.  For those looking to find the perfect holiday gift, my mother has been busy putting together special Christmas packaging and thus far it’s been a big hit.   Please call or email soon if you’d like a case delivered by Christmas.  I’d be happy to personalize the box label, just let me know.