Winemaker's Notes
ALIGOTÉ, CUVÉE MICHÈLE
Aligoté is a rare vitis vinifera variety native to the Burgundy region of France. Aligoté can be a chameleon by exuberantly expressing its terroir. Our Aligoté will remind you of green apples and fresh pears on the nose while on the palate the minerality and zing of crisp acidity is mouthwatering. That’s why we believe it doesn’t need to be oak aged – it’s delicious on its own.
In memory of Michèle Bosc, $1 from the sale of each bottle of Cuvée Michèle Aligoté at the winery or online will be donated to the Camp Kerry Society which specializes in providing bereavement programs and support to individuals and families impacted by serious illness, grief and loss.
SAUVIGNON BLANC
We bottle this wine in a clear Bordeaux shaped bottle so you can see how clean and vibrant the wine is. You can also see from the colour that it’s unoaked. This is the way we like Sauvignon Blanc; fragrant with classic hints of gooseberry and citrus fruit with an herbal note on the finish. We chose to use a screwcap on this wine to signal that we believe this wine is best enjoyed young.
BARREL FERMENTED CHARDONNAY
Chardonnay is still one of the most popular white varieties in the world. It may have to do with how versatile it can be; you can have unoaked, lightly oaked and full-on, no-holds barred woody Chardonnay. We believe that if you are going to oak-age any wine it should be done judiciously so the fruit notes can still come through and this is a terrific example of that approach. This Chardonnay was barrel fermented with extended lees contact and aged for about nine months in the same French oak barrels. It has a creamy, buttery texture with melon and pear flavours. The wine is quite rich and can develop in the bottle for a few years.
PINOT NOIR, CUVÉE MICHÈLE
There are two distinct styles of Pinot in the world of wine: big, jammy fruit bombs typical of hot climates, and a more delicate, nuanced and balanced wine with silky tannins that is more typical in cool climates. Our Pinot Noir most often is described in the latter style. It should remind you of strawberries and violets on the nose with a hint of mushrooms. On the palate the tannins are nicely integrated giving the wine structure and ageability.
In memory of Michèle Bosc, $1 from the sale of each bottle of Cuvée Michèle Pinot Noir at the winery or online will be donated to the Camp Kerry Society which specializes in providing bereavement programs and support to individuals and families impacted by serious illness, grief and loss.
CABERNET-MERLOT ESTATE
This Cabernet-Merlot is a classically styled blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot that has been aged for six months in French oak barrels. We use the time-honoured tradition of sourcing grapes from our various vineyards in order to combine the best flavour profiles of each site. Each variety is vinified separately then combined to create the final blend. The resulting wine is medium-bodied with layers of flavours. It will remind you of dark chocolate, raspberry and cassis. It is certainly ready to drink now but has the structure to continue to develop in the bottle for 3-5 years.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON ESTATE
The grape bunches for this Cabernet Sauvignon were hand-sorted right in the vineyard and only high quality bunches made the grade. This hands-on approach continued in the cellar with ten months of aging in French oak barrels and regular stirring of the lees. The wine is vibrant with mouth-watering black cherry, dark chocolate and warm spice notes wrapped in toasty vanilla. Classic old world style Cab Sauv. It’s ready to drink now but will continue to evolve in the bottle over the next few years.
Vineyard Manager's Notes
ALIGOTÉ, CUVÉE MICHÈLE
We have been growing Aligoté since 1978 and it’s a pleasure to work within the vineyard. It is quite generous in producing fruit so we do have to keep the yield in check so each vine produces ripe, concentrated grapes. But the canopy doesn’t grow too high and the canes are not as woody as most vinifera so they are easy to tie in the spring and trellis in the summer. Aligoté’s leaves are bigger than average providing ample surface area for photosynthesis, producing ripe juicy grapes
SAUVIGNON BLANC
The grapes for this wine were sourced exclusively from our vineyards. We hand select the fruit as it is being picked to make sure only top quality grape bunches are used. We choose fruit from several of our different vineyards; silty, mineral rich soils from those located in the Four Mile Creek sub-appellation and some from the heavier clay-based soils from the St. David’s Bench sub-appellation to add depth and character. All the while making sure we are farming our vineyards responsibly and sustainably, like we have done since 1978.
BARREL FERMENTED CHARDONNAY
The grapes for this wine were sourced exclusively from our vineyards. We hand select the fruit as it is being picked to make sure only top quality grape bunches are used. We choose fruit from several of our different vineyards; silty, mineral rich soils from those located in the Four Mile Creek sub-appellation and some from the heavier clay-based soils from the St. David’s Bench sub-appellation to add depth and character. All the while making sure we are farming our vineyards responsibly and sustainably, like we have done since 1978.
PINOT NOIR, CUVÉE MICHÈLE
Pinot Noir is known the world over as the “heart break grape” because of how difficult it is to grow well. The slightest bit of moisture in the air can spell trouble so it is critical that we stay vigilant during the growing season. Our sustainable practices mean we are in the vineyards routinely, so we can spot the beginnings of a problem and stop it from developing.
Our sustainable practices include never using herbicides; we control weeds by tilling them into the soil where they add nutrients; our cellars are geothermal environments where heating and air conditioning are not needed at any time during the year. These are just a few examples of our environmentally friendly practices both in the vineyards and in the winery.
CABERNET-MERLOT ESTATE
The grapes for this wine were grown exclusively in our vineyards. We believe we are custodians of the land and have been practicing sustainable agriculture right from the beginning. We made this Cabernet- Merlot by selecting grapes from more than one of our vineyards. The tradition of sourcing grapes from different vineyards adds character and dimension to wine, and this is a fine example. Our vineyards thrived by very carefully managing the yield from each vine. The result was fully mature, ripe grapes that were brimming with flavour.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON ESTATE
The grapes for this wine were grown exclusively in our vineyards. We believe we are custodians of the land and have been practising sustainable agriculture right from the beginning. We made this Cabernet Sauvignon by selecting grapes from more than one of our vineyards. The tradition of sourcing grapes from different vineyards adds character and dimension to wine, and this is a fine example. Our vineyards thrived by very carefully managing the yield from each vine. The result was fully mature, ripe grapes that were brimming with flavour.
Bosc Family Food Pairings
ALIGOTÉ, CUVÉE MICHÈLE
We love our Aligoté any time but especially on a hot summer day. Imagine your favourite patio, a fresh green salad topped with grilled shrimp and a glass of crisp refreshing Aligoté on the side. A perfect lunch. For a more hearty meal, Aligoté is the first wine we reach for when cooking risotto. Not only is it the perfect wine to cook off in the rice but it is delicious to sip while waiting for the risotto to cook.
SAUVIGNON BLANC
Sauvignon Blanc has gained popularity over the past couple of years. We think it’s because it’s fresh and easy drinking but the zip of acidity also makes it a versatile food wine. Our Sauv Blanc is a great example of this style. It works well with salads topped with vinaigrettes as well as simple oysters on the half shell.
BARREL FERMENTED CHARDONNAY
This classic Chardonnay is a picture of balance – fruit, acid, oak and alcohol working together to create a wonderfully versatile food wine. Try it with a simple Caesar salad topped with Niagara-on-the-Lake’s own Pingue prosciutto that has been dried in the oven then crumbled over the salad.
PINOT NOIR,CUVÉE MICHÈLE
The classic Burgundian pairing of Pinot Noir and locally raised lamb can certainly apply in Ontario with many farmers raising lamb. Try this Pinot Noir with a lamb burger fresh off the grill topped with caramelized onions.
CABERNET-MERLOT ESTATE
This is an easy pick for an everyday red. It pairs well with spaghetti and meatballs, pizza and BBQ hamburgers.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON ESTATE
Your favourite steak has met its match!
Technical Notes
ALIGOTÉ, CUVÉE MICHÈLE
| Harvest Date |
Alcohol |
Brix at Harvest |
PH |
Total Acidity |
Cases Produced |
Residual Sugar |
| September 19 |
13% |
22.5˚ |
3.47 |
5.2 |
2005 |
1 g/L |
SAUVIGNON BLANC
| Harvest Date |
Alcohol |
Brix at Harvest |
PH |
Total Acidity |
Cases Produced |
Residual Sugar |
| September 7 |
12.9% |
21˚ |
3.34 |
5.3 |
2677 |
5.7 g/L |
BARREL FERMENTED CHARDONNAY
| Harvest Date |
Alcohol |
Brix at Harvest |
PH |
Total Acidity |
Cases Produced |
Residual Sugar |
| October 10 |
12.6% |
21.6˚ |
3.54 |
4.7 |
2132 |
1.5 g/L |
PINOT NOIR, CUVÉE MICHÈLE
| Harvest Date |
Alcohol |
Brix at Harvest |
PH |
Total Acidity |
Cases Produced |
Residual Sugar |
| September 22 |
12.1% |
23˚ |
3.65 |
4.5 |
4415 |
1 g/L |
CABERNET-MERLOT ESTATE
| Harvest Date |
Alcohol |
Brix at Harvest |
PH |
Total Acidity |
Cases Produced |
Residual Sugar |
| November 1-9 |
12.5% |
23˚ |
3.54 |
5.15 |
5000 |
2 g/L |
CABERNET SAUVIGNON ESTATE
| Harvest Date |
Alcohol |
Brix at Harvest |
PH |
Total Acidity |
Cases Produced |
Residual Sugar |
| October 7 |
12.5% |
22.8˚ |
3.44 |
6 |
4797 |
0.8 g/L |
