Cuvée From The Heart Recommendations
by David Lawrason
Twenty-nine Ontario winemakers come together to create 12 unique wines for the Grapes for Humanity Fine Wine Auction underway online via Waddington’s auction house. It runs until April 22.
There are so many worthy layers to this annual undertaking. I am most interested in the wines themselves and how they express Ontario’s capabilities. The pooling of the vision and ability of Ontario’s best winemakers — each fitted to a signature grape or style at which they excel in commercial practice — has produced a great snapshot of Ontario’s state of being.
Overall, I found all the wines quite delicate — certainly ripe enough and most very well balanced, which is actually what I expect and admire about Ontario wine. Most are not wines of great power or volume, which I sense is a reflection of the 2023 vintage, with its cool, humid summer saved by a long dry autumn harvest that ripened the grapes on their lighter frame.
Grapes for Humanity is an Ontario-born charity celebrating its 25th anniversary this spring. It was founded by philanthropist Arlene Willis and by my friend, mentor and prolific wine author Tony Aspler, with whom I have tasted Ontario wines for at least 40 years. Our finest dozen years or so were when we tasted every month together for Doug Tower’s Winery to Home, the province’s first curated direct delivery service.
I will forever see Grapes for Humanity for as a reflection of Tony’s big heart. The organization began as a foundation in 2000 to raise money for landmine removal. It went on to provide essential funds for 17 beneficiaries in Ontario and around the world. Several have helped with children’s health and education in Guatemala, Nepal, Cambodia, Tanzania and Rwanda. https://www.grapesforhumanity.com
The Fine Wine Auction, however, is supporting two environmental organizations. Tree Canada is a national non-profit that is focused this year on replanting lands in the Northwest Territories razed by recent forest fires. Nature Conservancy Canada is protecting over 150,000 hectares of boreal forests, wetlands and shorelines in the face of climate change and biodiversity loss.
There are over 600 lots in the auction, including some of the world’s most sought-after labels. There are special lots that honour Canadian music legend Gord Downie and winemaker Paul Pender (60 magnums of Tawse Sparkling 2016 Cuvee Paul Pender, made by Paul). There are celebrity wine dinner packages with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson of Rush, Jim Cuddy and Colin Cripps of Blue Rodeo, and Jays slugger Jose Bautista, plus dream-lot vacation packages to visit Torres in Spain, Catena in Argentina and Taylor Fladgate in Portugal. Waddington’s has waived its buyer’s premium and there is no HST on charity wine auctions, meaning a saving of more than 35% over traditional auctions.
The Cuvée from the Heart offerings make up about 20% of the lots. They include 60 mixed cases of one bottle each of the 12 wines and six cases of each individual wine sold as single lots. I would highly recommend the mixed cases for those “studying” Ontario wine, as well as drinking it. Full reviews by WineAlign critics are available to WineAlign subscribers only. Click here to see the full list.
Buyer’s Guide to From the Heart Cuvées
[Lot 344 – 349] – FIELD BLEND SPARKLING by Marc Pistor and Mitchell McCurdy of Marynissen Estates and the students of Brock University’s CCOVI program.
David Lawrason – Pristine and refreshing.
[Lot 350 – 355] – CABERNET FRANC by Alison Findlay of Niagara College Teaching Winery.
David Lawrason – Vibrant and textbook. A template for Niagara cab franc.
Michael Godel – In the scheme of 12 From the Heart cuvées there are but this and this alone produced as a solo effort at the hands of Allison Findlay. A cabernet franc by way of Niagara College Teaching WineryCrisp, crunchy, herbal and substantial, no doubt as per the sub-appellation and the method by which the fruit is celebrated.
[Lot 356 – 361] – RIESLING, a three-way collaboration by Emma Garner of Thirty Bench Winery, Charles Baker of Charles Baker Wines and Gabreil Demarco of Cave Spring Cellars.
Megha Jandhyala – The creation of three accomplished winemakers — Emma Garner of Thirty Bench Winery, Charles Baker of Charles Baker Wines and Gabriel Demarco of Cave Spring Cellars — this is a flavourful and elegantly composed riesling. I am especially taken with the impeccable balance it maintains between acidity and delicate sweetness. A few years in the cellar will bring out the multi-dimensional character of this wine more vividly.
[Lots 368 – 373] – SYRAH – by Rob Power from Creekside, Richie Roberts from Fielding, and Jonathan McLean from Black Bank Hill.
Megha Jandhyala – This syrah has a Northern Rhône-like quality to it and yet manages to capture and distil into itself some classic Niagara character. It is poised, perfumed, peppery and agile, with a silky palate, vibrant acidity and a long, enthralling finish.
[Lots 374 – 379] – RED BLEND – a Cabernet Merlot Blend by Kelly Mason of Domaine Queylus, Jessica Otting of Tawse Winery and Rebecca Ruggeri of Lailey Winery, in collaboration with Ann Sperling.
David Lawrason – Suave, rich and deep from a great vintage.
Michael Godel – Three-part affair with winemakers Kelly Mason (Domaine Queylus), Jessica Otting (Tawse Winery) and Rebecca Ruggeri (Lailey Winery) with two parts cabernet franc plus merlot for yet another extraordinary example of what can happen when great minds, passionate people and, of course, high-quality fruit come together as one.
[Lots 380 – 385] – CABERNET FRANC by Nicholas Gizuk of Inniskillin Niagara, Brian Schmidt of Vineland Estates and Adam Pearce of Two Sisters Vineyards.
John Szabo – Textbook raspberry and violet perfume mingling with a touch of herbal-green varietal DNA, with nicely integrated, dark barrel spice. The palate offers considerable grip. I can see why this was held back in the cellar for an extra year. It still needs another 2–3 years to come into prime drinking.
[Lots 392 – 397] – PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY CHARDONNAY by Mackenzie Brisbois of Trail Estate Winery, Jonas Newman of The Grange of Prince Edward and Colin Stanners of Stanners Vineyard.
David Lawrason – Delicate, complex, precise and mineral.
John Szabo – A gentle and relatively plump example from this cool, limestone-covered region; also, stony and flinty in the PEC style.
[Lots 410 – 415] – PINOT NOIR NIAGARA ESCARPMENT by Thomas Bachelder and Kelly Mason with grapes from three of the Niagara Escarpment’s most-renowned pinot noir terroirs.
David Lawrason – Elegant, composed, precise.
John Szabo – A fine and refined pinot with underlying density and power.
Michael Godel – Thomas Bachelder’s contribution comes from Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard and Spencer-Morgan Vineyard while Kelly Mason draws from her own block. The two friends, colleagues and collaborators see to a pinot noir that will do everything to please, of a gracious and generous gift that offers up immediate gratification.
Grapes for Humanity Fine Wine Auction .