WTN: Flat Rock Cellars Chardonnay 2004

Niagara Penninsula.

Light golden yellow in the glass.

Spicy and oaky nose. With time and warming, the nose became dominated by a very off-putting sulphury note.

Pear, green apple, a bit of lemon, spicy, peppery, honeyed, very tangy acidity, rich and complex, toasty, with obvious but well-balanced oak. Clean and refreshing.

Peppery and tangy mouthwatering finish.

Screwcap closure.

Purchased at $16.95 (Canadian).

This is my second purchase of a lot of the 2004 and the wine continues to impress.

I visited earlier this summer, and thought their wines were very consistent and approachable. One of the best views from the cellar door in the region as well!

Niagara Penninsula.

Light golden yellow in the glass.

Spicy and oaky nose. With time and warming, the nose became dominated by a very off-putting sulphury note.

Bruce, I am trying to understand how you found the wine to have a very off putting sulfur note, yet you seem to rather have liked the wine. Did this sulfur aroma blow off? This would of course be the norm, but since you did not report that, I am just curious.

Hi Bruce,

Have you tried any Flat Rock Cellars pinot yet? I just purchased the recent release of their 2005 twenty mile bench pinot noir and was wondering if it is as good as the tasting notes suggest that it is?

Tom, I have a bottle of the '03 Pinot in my cellar. I guess I'm waiting for an excuse to open it. I must have liked it at the winery, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it. Great winery to visit! I'd like to include them in next year's NiagaraCOOL winery tour.

Niagara Penninsula.

Light golden yellow in the glass.

Spicy and oaky nose. With time and warming, the nose became dominated by a very off-putting sulphury note.

Bruce, I am trying to understand how you found the wine to have a very off putting sulfur note, yet you seem to rather have liked the wine. Did this sulfur aroma blow off? This would of course be the norm, but since you did not report that, I am just curious.

Sorry Bob. Yes, the sulphur did blow off and did follow through on the taste.

Thanks for the clarification Bruce. I wish we got more of the wines from that area.. We do get 1 or two New York State wines but nothing from Ontario at all.

Thanks for the clarification Bruce. I wish we got more of the wines from that area.. We do get 1 or two New York State wines but nothing from Ontario at all.

Weeellll, you will just have to take up a trip "up here" one day, won't you!!??

Bruce, we found out last month that coming back from your lovely land is not much different now than coming coming back from Europe or other "foreign" lands. I'm talking about things on this side of the border.

There is no more wink and nod when coming back from Canada. My advice to all is to have a detailed list of all you are bringing back and declare it. I'm pretty sure that a case or two of wine will be waved through just as they are at other customs points as they don't want to fill out all the paperwork; so long as you declare it and THEY don't find it.

Last month we had a friend with us who turned out to be addicted to shopping. She had most of it mailed home, but filled our vehicle with over $1500 worth of stuff. We made her make a detailed list as we didn't want to spend the day at the border and/or have our vehicle torn apart. She showed them her list, and they waved us through.

just had the 2006 'unplugged' version last night. the group loved it. fresh, clean, correct. have to get more this weekend when i return there.

Tom, I have a bottle of the '03 Pinot in my cellar. I guess I'm waiting for an excuse to open it. I must have liked it at the winery, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it. Great winery to visit! I'd like to include them in next year's NiagaraCOOL winery tour.

Hi Howie,

Let me know when the occasion occurs and what you think. A tasting note would be nice, if you are in the mood. I may have to try to make Niagra Cool next year.

Thanks for the clarification Bruce. I wish we got more of the wines from that area.. We do get 1 or two New York State wines but nothing from Ontario at all.

Weeellll, you will just have to take up a trip "up here" one day, won't you!!??

Bob,

You are welcome to come and visit the Soo anytime. We can have an Ontario wine orgy!

Tom, I have a bottle of the '03 Pinot in my cellar. I guess I'm waiting for an excuse to open it. I must have liked it at the winery, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it. Great winery to visit! I'd like to include them in next year's NiagaraCOOL winery tour.

Hi Howie,

Let me know when the occasion occurs and what you think. A tasting note would be nice, if you are in the mood. I may have to try to make Niagra Cool next year.

Tom - will do and looking forward to both the wine and next year's NiagaraCOOL.

Visited Flat Rock earlier this year and left fairly impressed. I'm sure I taste a chardonnay but it didn't leave an impression (OTOH, the Malivoire Reserve bottling was one of the best Niagara wines I have ever tasted, and I'm not a big fan of that grape). But they had an interesting, but severe, riesling and a variety of worthwhile pinot noirs. When I visited they had a series of 2004 wines each made from a different clone (e.g. 115, 667, etc.) and then a bottling called 'Gravity' which was a blend of all the indivdual clone wines. Well made wines, and an interesting experience (hard to discern the difference in some of the clones, actually). I have a bottle of the '04 Gravity which I'm holding for awhile before trying.

They have built an impressive gravity fed facility with great views over the surrounding vineyards. Also visited some other places that have built even more elaborate showcase gravity fed facilities: Tawse, Stratus. Some major $$$ being sunk into these places, but so far the pricing of their wines can be out of line with the quality.

Hi Bruce,

Have you tried any Flat Rock Cellars pinot yet? I just purchased the recent release of their 2005 twenty mile bench pinot noir and was wondering if it is as good as the tasting notes suggest that it is?

Tom: I assume you are aware that on Sept. 29 the LCBO will release the 2004 Gravity Pinot Noir at $29.95? Any thoughts?

Hi Bruce,

I am just making out my order for that release. The $30 price range is a bit steep for my pocketbook, so I will pass. I sometimes splurge for that price point, but I am reluctant without tasting it first. Although Natalie Maclean gives it a good review and her palate and mine seem to be similar (she is a big rieslling and pinot fan too).

The '04 Gravity Pinot was around $30 at the winery earlier this year, IIRC. It was good enough that I bought a bottle, even though that is pushing the limits of what I will normally spend for NA wines. There were lots of bottles approaching $50 at places like Tawse and Stratus, but I will leave them for someone else to purchase.

I do wonder what the aging curve of a wine like the Gravity (under screwcap) will be: will if follow the usual shutdown period that one sees with Burgundy, etc. ? It certainly has more structure than your typical California PN. When one buys a wine like this for $30 or more it usually is something that can be cellared, with the expectation that it may improve or gain complexity. These places have no track record and young vines, yet we are being ask to pay 1er cru Burgundy-like prices! This is not a Niagara specific rant, BTW: the same probelm is worse in CA, OR, etc....