Winemaker's Notes
‘OLD VINES’ RIESLING
Riesling is a versatile grape variety. It can be made in many different styles from dry to semi-dry, sweet and even sparkling. We believe that Riesling grown in cool climate wine regions, like Niagara, produce food-friendly and age-worthy wines. Our ‘Old Vines’ Riesling is an excellent example of this. It has classic old-world aromas of flint with nuances of lemon and lime adding freshness. We made this wine in an unoaked, dry style with a thread of tangy acidity.
GEWÜRZTRAMINER
Gewürztraminer translates to “the spicy grape” and our “Gew” is definitely spicy, but it also has an exotic bouquet of tropical fruits and lychee. It’s smooth and rich with a distinctive and complex finish. There is just a touch of residual sugar, not to add sweetness but to round the mouthfeel.
CHARDONNAY
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.
ROSÉ, CUVÉE D’ANDRÉE
We dedicate this delightful Rosé to Madame Andrée Bosc – wife, mother and winery matriarch. We wanted to make a wine with as much joie de vivre as Madame. The vibrant pink certainly makes a statement. We were able to extract this colour by using only fully ripe grapes and by allowing an overnight cold soak to bleed out the colour from the skins. This is the old-school way to make a crisp, dry Rosé. On the nose, the aromas will remind you of fresh strawberries and cranberries. On the palate, it is fresh and lively.
GAMAY NOIR ‘DROIT’
In the early ’80s, Paul was doing routine inspections in the vineyard and noticed a single Gamay Noir vine growing straight up and taller than the others in the block. He was interested in the potential of this vine so we took cuttings and propagated the vine and eventually made wine from these specific grapes. The wine did have some of the classic Gamay characteristics, cherry flavours and a medium body style, but there was also a layer of complexity that was a pleasant surprise.
Gamay ‘Droit’ also has warm spicy notes and a hint of smokiness that is quite lovely. It is also higher in alcohol making it more mid-weight in style. The wine was different enough from standard Gamay that we thought we actually had a different clone on our hands. Once the genetic testing was done we found out that Canada’s first vinifera vine was born right in our vineyard! We were granted International Plant Breeders’ Rights, a sort of patent, so no one else in the world can grow this vine or make this wine called Gamay Noir ‘Droit’. Because this wine is so interesting in the glass we decided to not oak age it. What you taste is the unique flavours of Gamay ‘Droit’.
PINOT NOIR
Much like Equuleus, the Paul Bosc Pinot Noir is made only in outstanding vintages. Throughout the growing season, we carefully monitor the yield produced by the oldest vines in the Paul Bosc Estate Vineyard to achieve the optimal balance between tannin ripeness, brix and flavour. The wine is aged for 16 months in brand new French oak barrels, imparting an extra layer of complexity on this delicate, nuanced and balanced wine with silky tannins.
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.
Vineyard Manager's Notes
‘OLD VINES’ RIESLING
Riesling was one of the first varieties we planted in 1978 and that original block is still producing very good fruit. Since then the demand for Riesling has increased and so too have our plantings, but this wine is made from just the older, more mature vines. Riesling vines can be quite generous so we have to manage the yield of each vine quite carefully. This starts in the early spring when we prune and continues until late summer when we do the “green harvest”. Since we have practiced sustainable agriculture right from the beginning, these pruned bunches are tilled into the soil to replenish nutrients.
GEWÜRZTRAMINER
Our Gewürztraminer is grown on the West side of the Château on a 1 hectare (2.5 acre) parcel. You can easily spot these vines in the late summer and fall because they have a distinctive rosy-coloured skin, not the typical greenish skin found on white wine grapes. We planted these vines in 1996 and we feel they are just now hitting their peak producing fantastic hand-harvested grapes that are making very interesting wine.
CHARDONNAY
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.
ROSÉ, CUVÉE D’ANDRÉE
We take our Rosé very seriously. We believe that any wine we make must be made from the best grapes we can grow. This Rosé is no exception. We’ve chosen Pinot Noir to make this wine because we love the result. Notice the harvest date — we choose specific bunches in the vineyard that we believe will make the best Rosé. In each Pinot Noir block, bunches for sparkling wine are picked first, then Rosé then the rest are left to hang so they develop the maturity needed for our Estate Grown & Bottled and ‘Old Vines’ Pinot Noirs.
GAMAY NOIR ‘DROIT’
Initially we thought this ‘droit’ or upright vine would ease some of the trellising work done by hand. These vines have particularly strong tendrils and sturdier canes which help the vine grow straighter. All we have to do is make sure they are growing in-between the wires. Gamay ‘Droit’ grapes mature about two weeks later than standard Gamay Noir so we need to be particularly vigilant for signs of break down so we can prevent problems and allow the grapes to fully mature.
PINOT NOIR
Pinot Noir is known the world over as the “heartbreak 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.
Bosc Family Food Pairings
‘OLD VINES’ RIESLING
Riesling can be just as versatile in the kitchen as it is in the cellar, particularly when made in a drier style like this one. It’s often paired with spicy dishes to soften the heat but we like our Riesling with simple baked halibut topped with butter-lemon sauce.
GEWÜRZTRAMINER
Gew is not necessarily the first wine you reach for when pairing with food but this wine is remarkably versatile. Yes, there are exotic flavours that you can try to match but we think it’s the tremendous mouth feel that makes it a real food partner. Try it with beef stir fry over a bed of hearty buckwheat soba noodles.
CHARDONNAY
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.
ROSÉ, CUVÉE D’ANDRÉE
For us, Rosé is the one wine that will pair with anything. If we’re having a tough time finding a match for a particular dish, we know we have our Rosé in our hip pocket. We have enjoyed it with beef satay, with a thick and juicy burger off the grill and even a summer field greens salad topped with a pan-seared sea scallop. When in doubt, Rosé!
GAMAY NOIR ‘DROIT’
This is our “go to” summer BBQ wine. No matter what is on the grill, Gamay ‘Droit’ is a terrific match. One of our favourite rib recipes has a sauce made from olive oil, honey, any fresh herbs you have, garlic, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and minced jalapeño. Chill down the wine for about 10 minutes and voilà, gourmet back deck BBQ! In the winter it works beautifully with a hearty lasagna or a double-cut Ontario pork chop topped with a mushroom & herb sauce.
PINOT NOIR
This is a beautifully structured Pinot Noir making food pairing quite interesting. The classic combination is with lamb, and we’ve certainly enjoyed this wine with an herb-encrusted rack of lamb. But don’t be afraid to think outside the box and try it with cedar-planked salmon with a hoisin glaze.
