I recently visited the Embrace Ontario event here in Ottawa. There were several Ontario wine producers there, most of them originating in PEC. One wine that stood out for me that night embraced both PEC and Niagara fruit. It was the 2014 Trail Estate Gamay Noir – it was so good we brought a couple of bottles home. Later I realized that Alex Sproul (from Trail) had sent me a bottle that was awaiting tasting, so it only made sense to let you in on this little gem.
2014 Trail Estate Winery Gamay Noir
The nose is smoky, peppery red fruit, embracing raspberry, cherry, and a hit of cranberry, with the slightest sweet spice notes in the background. The palate is juicy, with the right amount of tart and sweet red fruit playing a yin and yang on the tongue. The wine is both smooth and slightly astringent – playing tricks on the palate. Love the complexity. Tannins are present but in check, with a nice streak of acidity running through the mouth. 65% County fruit (from Hillier Creek) and 35% from the Bench (Steve Kocsis). They even drew off some juice to concentrate this beauty.
Lovely, food-friendly wine at $25.95 (and well worth it, IMHO).
Only 98 cases made, and available at the winery, or select events such as Embrace Ontario!
Trail Estate Winery
416 Benway Road, Hillier, ON
K0K 2J0
As noted, these wines were provided free of charge for review. You can see my sample policy here for more details.