2016 2027 Cellars “Edgerock Vineyard Brut Rosé” Twenty Mile Bench VQA, Ontario, Canada (Alcohol 12.5%, Residual Sugar 2 g/L) The Vine Agency $34.95 (750ml bottle)
I really do love a good Ontario sparkler, and this pretty little number from Kevin Panagapka at 2027 Cellars really blew my ginger socks off earlier this week.
This bottling pours a really gorgeous delicate light pink in the glass with an impressively fine mousse, that hangs around for quite some time, even in a wine glass as opposed to a flute (let’s just get rid of flutes already, folks! Please?)
This 100% Pinot Noir is hand harvested and whole bunch pressed, with stainless steel fermentation and four months on gross lees. The wine is then, post-tirage, aged on lees for 30 months before disgorgement, leading to a wonderfully exuberant example of a exclusively Pinot bubbly.
The nose has a delicate red berry fruit nuance to it, as well as toasted brioche, alongside a subtle but alluring autolytic character. On the palate the wine is certainly dry, and I’m reminded of tart rhubarb, but there’s a fair amount of really attractive red apple fruit in here too. I suppose that structurally it’s quite linear, but in an most exceptional manner, leading one to go back for that next glass. Lipsmacking.
This is a sparkling wine of an admirable quality, and worth every penny.
(Four and a half apples out of a possible five)
Edinburgh-born/Toronto-based Sommelier, consultant, writer, judge, and educator Jamie Drummond is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution… And if only his wife hadn’t thrown the last glass down the sink!
