Sauvignon Blanc Vieux Chêne

2020
2017

This is a wonderful seafood and light pasta wine. Made using Old-World techniques from Sancerre that Norm learned on a 10-day intensive trip during the 2017 Sancerre harvest. A beautiful expression of the limestone and clay terroir we have here in Southern Ontario. Think Sancerre, not New Zealand.

This is not a typical Sauvignon Blanc! 8 months ageing on its fine lees in old 500L French Oak barrels have imparted a slight golden hue and a buttery almond perfume to the lively core of gooseberry, lime zest and fresh picked pea pod. The real heart of the wine is its firm, flinty core of minerality. This Sauvignon Blanc calls out for fresh local pickerel or perch!

Reviews

Sara d'Amato , Wine Align

92/100

More Loire Valley than Marlborough, this sauvignon blanc is matured in neutral wood barrels giving the wine some added amplitude. Offering an appealing textural component with notes of lemon oil, mineral, delicate herbal notes and old wood. Very good length. Tasted September 2019.

John Szabo MS , Wine Align

90/100

Made from fruit sourced from the Niagara Bench, including the Wismer-Parke vineyard, this Sauvignon is fermented and aged in old barrels (at least 5 years old) and crafted in an intentionally restrained style. Aromatics fall neither on the green nor tropical fruit spectrum, but rather in a more comfortable middle ground of pear and apple and cherry stone. There's the signature Hardie 'lift' - a touch of acetic acid, but in check, while acids are softer than the mean. The overall impression is one of gentle softness and wide appeal, more of a textural ride than aromatic explosion, a sophisticated expression. Tasted September 2019. Value Rating: **1/2