Vineland Estates Winery

The Elevation series of wines (all line priced at $25) is a new concept for Vineland Estates. The fruit comes from the highest part of the estate’s vineyard and harvests are kept down to 3.5 tons per acre.

This Riesling comes from the older vines of the original St. Urban Vineyard planted in 1979 by Hermann Weis, the original owner of the property. Weis owns St. Urbans-Hof in the Mosel and used his own clones here (he also owns a nursery in the Mosel). The influence of the Mosel is evident in the style. The alcohol is 8 percent – remarkably low for Ontario – with a residual sugar of 32.5 g/l and a Total Acidity of 9.9 g/l.

The wine is very pale in colour, almost water white. On the nose, a profusion of minerals, struck flint, grapefruit and spring flowers. Light and lacy on the palate, almost Spätlese in style, the wine has a honeyed sweetness balanced with lime acidity. Great tension between the fruit and acidity. Five hundred and sixty-three cases were produced.

Reviewed September 12, 2008 by Tony Aspler.