2016 Mountainview Syrah VQA

Although the tradition of making sparkling wine is more than 500 years old, it has recently experienced a sort of renaissance amongst wine drinkers. These curious drinkers are recognizing that some of the highest quality sparkling wines come from non-traditional places and are in fact excellent everyday wines, not just for celebratory events.

Our sparkling wine history dates back to 2007, when we experimented with a small bottling of Pinot Noir Rosé. We were so pleased with the results that we moved on to create a blanc de blancs (white wine made from white grapes).

All of our Archangel sparkling wines are vinified using the traditional method, which means that the wine was aged on lees in the bottle that is available on the shelf. A pure and elegant way of crafting sparkling wine, this method allows the wine to develop a great amount of complexity, while maintaining its delicate character. We believe that wine should be a reflection of the local terroir and the nuances of each vintage, therefore our sparkling wines are vintage dated.

A new edition to the sparkling family is our 2017 Blanc de Noir.  A true brut style and traditional blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.  This wine is very limited in production.

 

Varietal:	Pinot Noir 95%, Chardonnay 5%
Vineyard:	Angels Gate Estate
Aging Process:	Bottle Fermented (Traditional Method)
Alcohol:	12.5%
Cases:	100

 

Our Mountainview series of wines are a dedication to place, as great terroir is a key ingredient in winemaking. Our location on the Beamsville Bench is a place like no other, with history millions of years in the making. Once the shoreline of Lake Ontario, this region is abound with minerals and heavy soils. The heavy clay forces the vines to work harder and dig deeper for food and water, at times pushing to more than 30 feet deep. With such deep rootstocks, these vines typically produce better fruit.

All of our Mountainview wines are limited in production and vinified using the best fruit of a given vintage. Viognier is an uncommon varietal in Niagara, but tends to grow quite well. This grape varietal is more full bodied than most white wines, yet generally likened to a Chardonnay.

Our Mountainview Viognier displays apple, pear and tropical fruit on the nose. The palate is quite complex from its French oak barrel aging. The impact of the barrel  adds roundness and a creamy texture, but doesn’t eclipse the stone fruit that brightens up the mouth feel.

Although the tradition of making sparkling wine is more than 500 years old, it has recently experienced a sort of renaissance amongst wine drinkers. These curious drinkers are recognizing that some of the highest quality sparkling wines come from non-traditional places and are in fact excellent everyday wines, not just for celebratory events.

Our sparkling wine history dates back to 2007, when we experimented with a small bottling of Pinot Noir Rosé. We were so pleased with the results that we moved on to create a blanc de blancs (white wine made from white grapes).

All of our Archangel sparkling wines are vinified using the traditional method, which means that the wine was aged on lees in the bottle that is available on the shelf. A pure and elegant way of crafting sparkling wine, this method allows the wine to develop a great amount of complexity, while maintaining its delicate character. We believe that wine should be a reflection of the local terroir and the nuances of each vintage, therefore our sparkling wines are vintage dated.

In the end, the wine speaks for itself with notes of green apple, pear and bread on the nose. The bubbles on the palate explode, creating a clean and fresh feeling, assisted further by a touch of tart acidity. Tree fruits such as citrus, apple, peach and pear are the immediate flavours. The finish is both long and dry.

 

Varietal:	Chardonnay
Vineyard:	Angels Gate Estate
Aging Process:	Bottle Fermented (Traditional Method)
Alcohol:	12%
Cases:	6000