New Year, New Sign
I feel it fitting, in this my 100th blog entry, to festively announce the erection of a new Five Rows roadside sign.
I can hear you all in unison: “Well, it’s about time!”
However, it is not without some sentimental regret that we retire our old red sandwich board. At various times it was stolen, returned, run over, blown over, repainted, amusingly observed by Beppi and cursed by all those who didn’t see it on first pass. A useful (if not reliable) sign it was.
As is evident in the following photographic essay, the beautiful new sign was hung with typical Five Rows grace and ingenuity. I ask anyone working for the Ontario Workplace Safety Insurance Board to kindly avert your eyes. A special thanks to Barry Imber for his fine craftmanship.
I wish you all a Happy New Year and invite you to join us for our third annual Treadwell’s Winemaker Dinner on January 26th, 2013. Wine pairing details coming soon!
Happy Holidays
The relaxing afterglow experienced at the end of a vintage presents a great time to reflect on the many wonderful visitors we’ve hosted over the past year. Some are returnees who’ve come to pick up their treasured order, others stumble upon us while searching for another winery and a few brave souls even traverse unimproved roads determined to reach their destination. It is a testament to every single one of you that our tiny winery has become a pilgrimage for wine lovers from around the world!
It’s easy for us to say we plan to grow by “word of mouth”, but without the right “words” and “mouths” – it just doesn’t work. We thank you for being that “mouth”, a true Five Rows ambassador! All of you have helped to make our tasting room a rewarding place to spend our weekends.
Each year we’ve attempted to make a few more cases of wine to keep up with demands and stretch quantities through to our spring bottling date. Consequently, our production is up to 750 cases in 2012. Thanks to your enthusiasm and generosity we are down to the final 40 cases of both 2009 Pinot Noir and 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Icewine – everything else is sold out. Christmas orders and deliveries can still be arranged if you would like.
We look forward to having you taste the 2012 whites and much-anticipated 2010 reds next spring. Expect a release announcement and order request on or around May 1st. As in previous years, we will not have regular weekend retail hours from January through March (apart from Cuvee weekend March 1-3). Appointments can still be arranged anytime. In fact, the barn can get quite lonely over the winter so don’t make yourself a stranger!
“Off With The Cabs!” (and hurry)
Never in my experience as a Viticuluralist has the end of a growing season been so clearly defined. A couple of weeks back I glanced at the long term forecast and didn’t like what I saw. As the resulting “Frankenstorm” began taking shape, the decision to harvest our last fruit of the season on Friday, October 26th was an easy one.
The sunny and warm conditions we experienced that day belied the imminent storm hovering in the Atlantic. We happily snipped clusters and reminisced about the unique season we had just experienced. Unprecedented heat and prolonged periods of drought combined to give us the ripe grapes we now toted to the wagon. Slowly but surely, the five rows I had chosen for our 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon graciously handed us their bounty. As usual, we harvested three rows from our younger Clone 169 Block and two rows from our trusty “Old Block”. I’ve come to appreciate that these two vineyards complement one another very well. I count on the Clone 169 vines for the ripe, dark fruit characters, while the old block always supplies a uniquely elegant structure.
As we set up the crush pad later that afternoon, I was struck by the harmonious way old vintages seem make way for new ones. Just as the 2012 Cab Sauv grapes were processed into bins in the back of the barn, the last few cases of 2009 Cab Sauv were making a hasty exit out the front door! The interior floor space freed up by these case sales was much needed for the incoming bins. A second example arises as the 2012 Shiraz finishes fermentation. It would need to be pressed soon, meaning the 2010 Shiraz must be racked out of barrel and blended, so the wood can be re-used to house the pressed 2012’s. This poetic cycle appeals to my love of order and flow – one in, one out. The fact that 2010 and 2012 were very similar growing seasons deepens the bond between these two wines that now share both lineage and cooperage.
I would like to thank all the people who have braved the wet weather to pay us a visit over the busy months of harvest. I apologize to those “first-timers” who came at a time when our once plentiful stacks were now gone or critically low. We do still have limited quantities of 2009 Pinot Noir and 2009 Cab Sauv Icewine available, and we plan to stay open for tastings until Christmas. Please stop in if you have a chance.
Cheers to a great vintage!!
2009 Pinot Noir Review – Spotlight Toronto
Five Rows would like to sincerely thank Mike Di Caro and Suresh Doss of Spotlight Toronto for visiting our winery last week and relating our story to their readers. Mike’s article appeared in the popular “30 Days on Wine” feature that we look forward to every year. You can read it here.
Kind words during the grueling harvest are always welcome – Thanks guys!
Mother Nature or Winemaker’s Nurture?
The last couple of weeks saw a flurry of action at our family vineyard. The “perfect” summer of 2012 ended with a stretch of wet weather that spawned nervous moments and tough decisions. Looking back, I probably worried more than I should have (what’s new) because the fruit hung on wonderfully through the intense downpours and resultant humidity. In a nine day span we were able to harvest all of our Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. It’s rare that all four of these varietals mature within such a short window. Perhaps that is what we will remember most when we enjoy the wines of 2012, just how early and quickly everything ripened. Even the later varietals taste like they are not too far off – a very exciting prospect!
As I fall into my daily ritual of fermentation checks (specific gravity, temperature and taste), I ponder whether this may be my favourite time to be a winemaker. I enjoy the solemnity of this stage, the wines are mine and mine alone. It won’t be long until I share them with my friends, but for now they are mine to protect and nurture. Each day there are surprises and letdowns, comebacks and revelations, but most of all there is respect for a process that I did not invent, nor will I ever perfect. I will only get so many chances to do this in my lifetime.
I used to feel pressure at this stage to repeat past successes, but now I know that it is a foolish pursuit. The wines will be what they were destined to be the moment the grapes were clipped from the mother vine. The job of the farmer is what crafts these wines. Sure, I control the fermentation with choice of yeast, temperature and nutrition, but I can no longer impact the natural elements of the harvested grape. It is those natural elements, supplied by the Terroir, that make a wine special.
I hold out high hopes for these young wines as they bubble their way through fermentation. The Pinot Noir is particularly intriguing this year. The aromatics are so intense! There are few things I enjoy more than punching down a bin of actively fermenting Pinot. It is a grunt at times, but also very therapeutic and mesmerizing (according to Wilma). Your entire year’s work reduced down to a single vessel of beautiful aromas and colours. As I said, a good time to be a winemaker.
The Wine That Almost Wasn’t
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).
Library Update
This is a Five Rows Library update for those who are still cellaring our 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon:
Bottle #535 (only 30 bottles left in the collection)
Date Consumed: July 7th, 2012
Setting: Our annual trip up north to Hurricane Point on Pigeon Lake for a quick summer recharge session. A beautiful Bobcaygeon sunset prelude to a night of fishing and Texas Poker.
Occasion: Celebrating a ferocious Muskie encounter the previous evening – “Son…I think we’re gonna need a bigger net”
Meal: Steve’s Famous Chicken Chili
Musical Accompaniment: Cuff the Duke – “Listen to your Heart”
Conversation: Old times at the cottage and Bella’s swimming prowess
2005 Five Rows Cabernet Sauvignon: Have not visited this vintage for a couple of years. Aromatics have intensified tremendously and include ripe Burbank plum, black currant jam, vanilla and mocha. I’m most pleased with how the tannins have softened and matured since we last indulged. I’ve always felt like this Cab needed time to reach it’s full potential, now my patience has been realized. It was a pleasure to drink. Perceptible flavours include candied cherry, red licorice, mocha and vanilla bean. It’s hard for me to advise people not to consume this wine right now, but I believe it still has some life to live yet.
2011 “Jean’s Block” Riesling
Many oenophiles consider Riesling to be the best-suited white grape varietal for the rigours of Niagara regional terroir. It’s a treat to grow, with good crop levels and minimal finicky hand-labour compared to tight-clustered Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc. It has decent winter hardiness and tends to thrive in our slightly “cooler climate” (my current air conditioning bill might disagree with this categorization).
Vinifying Riesling is where things get a little more complicated. So many different styles and so many variables to experiment with. Although we grow Alsatian Clone 49 in Jean’s Block, the resultant wines I’ve crafted tend to be an amalgam of varying Riesling profiles. The 2011 vintage features the subtle, mineral-laden nose of an Alsace Riesling, but the richness and depth of flavour of my favourite German styles. The natural acidity is the strength of the wine, balanced with a touch of residual sugar. Over the years, I’ve found that Riesling takes a while to open up after the stress of filtration and bottling, so we usually release it later than our other whites. Riesling fans will tell you that it’s a mistake to drink it too young anyway!
In the ongoing quest to improve wine quality, we decided to employ a different pressing technique in the fall of 2011 – a gentle, whole-bunch squeeze in our old wooden basket press. It proved to be very time consuming and a huge headache to clean out, but I think the end product justifies the extra effort. I also experimented with a different yeast, R2, on 50% of the juice, while using my old standby, W15, on the other half. Fans of our Pinot Gris might recognize some of the elements that R2 brings – rounder mouthfeel, tropical fruit notes – in this Riesling.
2011 “Jean’s Block” Riesling is a wine that means a lot to me personally. I welcome you to come by starting this weekend to give it a try. There are only 48 cases available, so we must limit purchases to 4 bottles per customer. Retail price is $25 per bottle.
Father’s Day
There are days when I feel overwhelmed. It usually occurs around this time of year when despite my best efforts, I just can’t seem to catch up to the work that needs to be done. There are weak moments (humid, dizzy moments) that I actually begin to second guess my calling. Who on earth would be stupid enough to willingly submit themselves to the rigours of thinning grapes in this oppressive heat?
Just as I convince myself that my afternoon efforts might be better spent monitoring the progress of 2011 Pinot Noir barrels in the cool confines of the barn, I spot a cloud of dust emanating from the far corner of our 60 acres. Cue the proverbial forehead slap…
There is an individual in the center of that dust cloud who’s work ethic is second to none. He skillfully guides the tractor and disk, eventually making the careful wide turn for the next row. Four rows over, three rows back. A pattern he has repeated time and again for the last 40 years.
I get to the farm in the morning and he’s out there – I leave in the afternoon and he’s still out there. We may pass each other at some point during the day, but no words need to be spoken. That cloud of dust is his example. My second guessing comes to an abrupt halt. When I was younger I couldn’t wait until it was my turn to do all the tractor work. Now I hope that day never comes.
As I sing his praises, a comical beer commercial flashes to mind and it occurs to me that my father might just be, “The most interesting man in the world” (or at least St. Davids). Some proof:
His pre-dawn enthusiasm puts my Golden Retriever to shame.
Powdery Mildew is afraid of him.
His internal alarm clock laughs at my snooze button.
‘Hydration’ is a foreign term to him. He drinks beer and coffee, and when he’s really thirsty…Lipton Cup-a-Soup.
He could jump-start a canoe.
He doesn’t buy new golf clubs, he buys a new wrench (mainly because he broke something and can’t find the wrench he bought last week…and he can beat you with his old clubs anyway).
Happy Father’s Day to all the early risers and “Stay thirsty my friends!”
2009 Pinot Noir
Starting this weekend, our 2009 Five Rows Pinot Noir will embark on the final leg of it’s three year journey from vine to barrel to bottle to you. I debated letting the wine age a bit longer in bottle prior to release, but a tasting session last week made me realize that the time has come to finally let go. Parting is such sweet sorrow.
2009 Five Rows Pinot Noir:
Sometimes the best of wines and the worst of seasons magically collide to create an unexpected moment of glory. The growing season of 2009 was one of those odd times. A late budbreak set the tone for what would be a cool, wet summer. We usually harvest Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris in early September, but nothing was close to being ripe in the late summer of 2009. Cue the blessing in disguise.
The moderate September days and cool fall nights helped move the Pinot ripening window to a time when Botrytis concerns were at a minimum. This was uncharted territory for Niagara Pinot growers. You must understand that there is one and only one certainty when growing Pinot Noir – they WILL rot at some point. When the inevitable did not happen in 2009, we were afforded the luxury of harvesting at the exact point when tannins, flavours, sugars and acids were aligned to my liking.
We chose to harvest Rows 1 and 2 on October 6, the latest Pinot pick we’ve had in 25 years. The remainder of the fruit was taken in on October 17. Average harvest parameters were 22.9°Brix, 8.4 g/L TA and pH 3.15. Fruit was destemmed and crushed into one tonne fermentation bins and allowed a cold soak at 10°C for five days. All bins were warmed to 14°C and inocualted with RC212 yeast at 250 ppm. Ferments averaged about 7 days, with a peak temperature of 29°C. Each bin was allowed to macerate post-fermentation until tannins showed signs of softening.
The wine was pressed and settled before clean-racking into seven French oak barrels (average age 2.5 years). Malolactic fermentation was carried out in oak. Barrels were racked and returned every 6 months. Total time in wood was 24 months before final blending in November 2011. 182 cases were bottled on April 2nd, 2012.
In my early tasting notes for this wine I have written, “something dark, alluring and mysterious about this Pinot. Reminiscent of a rainy day on our honeymoon spent tasting great Burgundies in the dank cellars of Beaune.”
Aromas: cherry, violet, cassis, smoke, earth
Palate: dried cranberry, Bing cherry, soft tannin, haunting length
Cellaring: 2013-2023
Price: $50/bottle