When an Ontario consumer trundles through the LCBO hunting for a good bottle of wine, the large Ontario section typically isn’t the first stop. There’s a reason for that. The sub-$20 bottle of wine from Ontario is pedestrian at best. A wine producer here in our beautiful province can’t produce a quality wine and make money in that range - labour costs and growing conditions alone lead to a much higher cost than in other wine regions of the world. The only way a producer here in Ontario can safely make a profit on a $15 bottle is to mass produce, which leads to a reduction in quality. Hand picking and sorting is not an option. Fruit is harvested en masse with less than gentle mechanizations. Conveyor belts take the fruit to monster de-stemming machines, and the juices are vinified in huge vats.
Thankfully, there are a number of producers in Niagara that are committed to producing premium wines, and a growing number of Ontario consumers who get it. It is possible to pick up a blended wine from the Bordeaux region in France for $15 and be reasonably satisfied, but consumers looking for quality Ontario wines will need to dig a little deeper.
$9 deeper will purchase a bottle of 2007 Thirty Bench Red (LCBO 53389, $24.20/750mL). Located in the Beamsville Bench sub-appellation, Thirty Bench Wine Makers is focused on creating premium wines from varietals they believe are best suited for the unique micro-climate of their area. In 2005, their 1998 “Benchmark Blend” ranked 2nd in a blind tasting of four major Bordeaux chateaus and 12 Ontario produced bordeaux style blends. Their oldest vineyards were planted in 1980, mainly Riesling grapes; red varietals followed, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and others. One of the first wineries in Ontario to promote small lot wines, Thirty Bench’s single vineyard Rieslings are really something. Winemaker Natalie Reynolds was trained at Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute. Her training, keen palate, and experienced hand in the cellar continue to result in outstanding wines for Thirty Bench.
This bottle is a blend of 55% Cabernet Franc, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 5% Merlot. The 2007 vintage was outstanding for the Niagara region, delivering beautiful fruit into Natalie’s more than capable hands.
In the glass this wine looks a royal velvet purple. The nose is perfumed and complex. Layers of ripe black cherry, cedar, spring daffodil, hints of dark chocolate and coffee leap from the glass. In the mouth its satiny texture gives way to raspberry and dark chocolate flavours. As the initial flavours disappear, the acidity and tannins seem to show up at the same time creating an interesting sensation of drying and puckering simultaneously. Flavours continue throughout this transitory period, bringing dark ripe plums, spice cake, and black cherries. The finish is long and wonderful, with a raspberry pie, black cherry and nutmeg afterglow.
This represents another great effort from Natalie and the team at Thirty Bench. It’s drinkable now, or could spend some time in the cellar and be fabulous. This will require a walk past the typical Ontario wines to the Vintages section, where the extra cash can buy not only peace of mind that a local industry is supported, but above all, an outstanding glass of wine.
