Winemaker's Notes
This wine is barrel fermented and aged “sur lie” for up to 12 months in French oak barrels. The resulting wine is full-bodied, combining flavours of tropical fruit and melon in a concentrated, buttery style. There are also nuances of smokiness and soft, warm spice to make things interesting. This is an age worthy Chardonnay that will continue to develop for a few years in the bottle.
Vineyard Manager's Notes
Chardonnay is one of the most widely planted varieties in the world. There are more than 40 different clones of Chardonnay and we believe we have indentified and planted the right ones for our vineyard sites. All the Chardonnay for this single vineyard wine is grown on the East side of the Château. There is a gradual but significant slope from the back of the vineyard down towards York Road to the North. This is important because it helps the under-drainage system work even more efficiently. It also helps the underground artesian water flow from the Escarpment towards the road under the vineyard so the long vine roots can pull up the limestone, calcium and other minerals that have dissolved into the water. This is expressed in the finished wine as minerality, one of the signature flavours found in wines grown on our St. David’s Bench Vineyard.
Bosc Family Food Pairings
This Chardonnay has an elegance and finesse that we love to pair food with. It is a full-bodied white wine, but the judicious use of oak doesn’t overwhelm the accompanying dish. Try it with gnocchi in a brown butter and sage sauce with a little crispy pancetta crumbled on top.
Technical Notes
| Harvest Date |
Alcohol |
Brix at Harvest |
PH |
Total Acidity |
Cases Produced |
Residual Sugar |
| September 28 |
13.5% |
23.3˚ |
3.5 |
5 |
500 |
3 g/L |
Featured Accolades
"Aromas of toasty notes, baking spice and nuances of wet-stone minerality peek through on the nose. This dishes up palate flavours of caramel, honeydew melon and lemon pie filling, smooth, mellow, balanced and delicious. It’s medium-plus bodied with a good buttery mouthfeel and plenty of palate-flavour replays along with mouth-watering tang on the finish and aftertaste. Pour alongside roast chicken done with roasted root veggies or a pork roast. 92 points -- Vic Harradine, Winecurrent.com, April 2021
"This estate Chardonnay is barrel fermented and aged sur lie for 12 months in French oak barrels with regular bâtonnage. It shows expressive pear, lemon toast, some tropical fruits, golden apple, butter and cream with elegant oak spice notes. It has a lovely creamy texture on the palate and is perfectly mature, with ripe orchard fruits, toasted vanilla and spice. All that and a finessed finish keeping it lively and fresh. Very nice, full-bodied, old style Chardonnay" 92 points -- Rick Vansickle, winesinniagara.com, March 2021
"One of their several chardonnays at different price points, from Chateau des Charmes. My last vintage tasted was the 2014 (which was $5 less). Barrel-fermented and barrel-aged in French oak for a year, with lees stirring. 27-year old vines. Expect full-bodied balance with nuances of minerality and some muted tropicality, served up with orchard fruit and a buttery consistency with some slight smokey spices. Cork closure. Long finish. One of my fave chards, but do not serve overchilled. Very age worthy, should see us through (and after) the pandemic period." 92 points -- Dean Tudor, deantudor.com, Gothic Epicures, April 2021
"I have long admired the textual quality of the Bosc family’s whites and this is a superb example of a beautifully smooth creamy wine that is so drinkable. Barrel fermenting with minimal use of new oak and judicious lees stirring plus a few years in bottle has yielded this elegant somewhat understated very fine wine. Expect aromas of ripe apple and melon fruit with beeswax and floral notes with a mineral tone. Midweight and well balanced and velvety smooth with very good length. Enjoy with seafood and mildly flavoured cheese. 90 points -- Steve Thurlow, winealign.com, April 2021.
"Chardonnay grows well in Niagara - this is without debate. But in a hot vintage it can be a challenge to maintain balance in the wines. That is not the case here as this wine is perfectly walking a tightrope between unbridled tropical, corn, and coconut notes - and clean citrus and golden delicious apple. This opens up broadly on the palate - this is one of those Chardonnay’s that is a challenge to pair with food - but that is a-okay if you’re a lover of big wines. That being said there is some nice balance with acidity that offers some restraint and elegance. The finish is long with tangerine and spice that lingers. Drink now or hold until 2023." 4 Stars -- André Proulx, andrewinereview.com, April 2021
