Chardonnay - Grimsby Hillside Vineyard - Frontier Block 2021, Leaning Post Wines

A warm spring and warm summer lead to an uneven and wet fall, however good viticulture and good terroir still allowed these grapes to develop complex aromatics and structure without losing acidity or freshness. The blocks two different Chardonnay clones: clone 76 and clone 96, were hand picked on October 17th. The clones were kept separate throughout pressing and oak aging. The fruit was whole cluster pressed and allowed to settle for a couple of days before being put into barrel for spontaneous fermentation. Once fermentations were completed, the wine remained in French oak barriques on lees for 15 months. This wine was skillfully blended with the perfect percentage of each clone to truly showcase this vintage, (63% clone 76 and 37% clone 96). We bottled this wine in June of 2023.

Nose: Tightly wound and dense, the bright lemon curd is balanced perfectly with wet-stone, gunflint and wisps of meringue. With more air, red apple skin, pineapple, crème-fraiche, salted caramel and roasted almond make an appearance.

Palate: The palate is perfectly balanced, matching the nose while adding grilled Niagara peach and orange-blossom, but the fantastic notion of a cold mountain stream trickling over limestones never fades.

Finish: The weight and structure are excellent and are almost immediately washed away with laser-like acidity. The finish is exceptionally complex and long, fading very slowly.

Pairing: Umami-rich dishes such as grilled, seared or roast shellfish like lobster and scallops, roast, guinea fowl, dishes that include wild mushrooms and slow roast tomatoes, white truffles. Hazelnut-crusted chicken or fish.

Reviews: 93 PTS Rick Vansickle Wines in Niagara & 91 Wine Align J. Szabo