Riesling Brut 2021
Hand-picked grapes from the Hughes Vineyard were whole cluster pressed, and the juice was fermented to create a base wine with great typicity. Tirage took place the following spring, after which the wine aged on lees for 12 months before disgorging and finishing with a dosage of arrested Hughes Vineyard Riesling, striking balance between freshness and complexity.
The half-bottle format and crown cap finish leave no excuse not to open a sparkling wine any time; no need to wait for an occasion.
Riesling Brut 2021
This Riesling traditional method sparkling wine was created to capture the freshness and vibrancy of this variety as it grows in Niagara.
Hand-picked grapes from the Hughes Vineyard were whole cluster pressed, and the juice was fermented to create a base wine with great typicity. Tirage took place the following spring, after which the wine aged on lees for 12 months before disgorging and finishing with a dosage of arrested Hughes Vineyard Riesling, striking balance between freshness and complexity.
The half-bottle format and crown cap finish leave no excuse not to open a sparkling wine any time; no need to wait for an occasion.
SENSORY PROFILE
Lemon, lime, and green apple are lifted by fine bubbles and compliment a generous weight on the palate. The wine finishes with just a touch of sweetness to enhance the fruit and balance the crisp acidity characteristic of Niagara Riesling.
FOOD PAIRINGS
This wine needs nothing more than a couple of glasses and a bottle opener but is also a great compliment to sushi or summer salads. Alternatively, bring it with your picnic lunch of cold sandwiches or charcuterie.
CELLARING POTENTIAL
Ready to drink now but the bubbles and crown cap closure will allow this wine to retain freshness for multiple years.
VINTAGE
The 2021 vintage started with relatively good vine and bud health from a small crop and mild winter. Summer temperatures were among the hottest on record and conditions were optimal for flowering and fruit set.
In August, what appeared to be an early and ripe vintage stalled due to drought. This was followed by record rains in September and October resulting in a rapid increase in cluster weight and dilution of berry contents.
Where harvest was able to be delayed until adequate ripening, most varieties are showing good fruit character early with delicate aromatic white varieties and fruit driven red varieties.
WINE DATA
Variety: 100% Riesling
Alcohol: 11.5%
Residual Sugar: 10 g/L
Titratable Acidity: 8.0 g/L
pH: 3.01
Tirage Date: 2022-03
Disgorging Date: 2023-03
Production: 1600 bottles
VINEYARD AND HARVEST DATA
Appellation: Lincoln Lakeshore
Site: Hughes Vineyard
Soil: Jeddo clay loam
Clone: 21B
Rootstock: 3309
Vine Age: 2006 planting
Harvest Date: 2021-10-08
Yield: 4.5 T/ac
VINIFICATION
Riesling was hand harvested from the Hughes Vineyard on October 8 and loaded immediately into the press. After a gentle press cycle, the juice was settled at cold temperature before racking into two stainless steel barrels for fermentation. The wine was fermented with a combination of selected yeast at cool temperatures over a period of 30 days.
The base wine was aged on primary lees for 4 months before racking and coarse filtration to prepare for tirage. The wine was bottled on March 3, 2022, and secondary fermentation was completed within one month. The wine then aged on lees in bottle for 12 months before disgorging in March 2023.
The wine was finished with a 9 g/L dosage using 2021 Hughes Vineyard Riesling as the base to best express the character of the variety.
REVIEWS
“This convenient, half bottle of traditionally made, 100% Riesling presented with a crown cap was aged on its lees for 12 months. The grapes were hand-picked from the Hughes Vineyard and a dosage of 9 g/l from the same Riesling was applied. It has a lovely mineral/saline nose with pure Meyer lemon, lime, green apple, white peach with a vigorous bubble in the glass. It’s bright and bubbly on the palate with lime, stony/chalky notes, green apple, lemon zest, peach skin, and a lively finish.” 91 points – Rick Vansickle, Wines in Niagara
“The grapes were hand-picked from the Hughes Vineyard and a dosage of 9 g/l is a bit misleading due to the high (and on-point) acidity of this wine. What I mean is this Riesling taste drier than the 9g of RS. Green apple, zingy, nice soft texture, bit of croissant, more on the nose than the palate for the bread qualities. Great minerality and citrus peel at the end, which reflect like a sneaky tartness sensation on the finish and shows fantastic grape varietal attributes – this is Riesling in a nutshell… and Freaking Fantastic! A little bit geeky given how dry the palate perception is, but right up my alley! The top-rated bubbly from our 2023 Holiday Bubbly Special.” 92 points – Carl’s Wine Club