Gaspereau Vineyards

Ok, I was suitably impressed with the first release of Gaspereau Vineyards’ Riesling, made by young winemaker Gina Haverstock. That 2006 wine took an admirable Silver Medal at the All-Canadian Wine Championships last year. The publicity that ensued was impressive with features in national publications, and the wine sold out immediately. I thought the wine was good, but really?

Well, last week, when a bottle of that same wine appeared at an informal gathering with some friends and colleagues, it more than reaffirmed that Riesling has a very promising future in Nova Scotia, especially in the able hands of Ms. Haverstock. The extra year in bottle had brought on additional layers of nuance and complexity to what was already a very nice wine. Present to share this bottle was Appellation America Editor-at-Large, Dan Berger, who is as much an authority on the variety as anybody in the busines. Upon nosing the wine, Dan looked over his glasses at me and stated, “THIS is serious wine”.

Now I can’t wait to stick this new vintage in front of him. As good as that wine is (was), this one takes it to a new level. I had the opportunity to try a tank sample of the 2007 Gaspereau Riesling in early January as part of an extensive Riesling tasting with top flight samples from all the best Riesling producing regions of the world. The young Nova Scotian wine – just out of fermentation – showed very well. Four months down the road, with time to settle into itself, the wine is just brilliant. It took a Gold Medal at last week’s All-Canadian Wine Championships (where I was on the judging panel), quite an achievement considering the caliber of the competition – ALL the wines were good.

The wine still displays signs of its youth – a fine petillance in the glass which adds liveliness on the palate, and pleasant aromas of fermentation – mildly leesy with appealing bread dough aromas. The fruit is well developed on the nose and palate, with peach, apricot, and lime all vying for attention. The acidity is zingingly refreshing and complemented with a perfect dose of balancing residual sugar. Where this wine really ups the ante over last vintage is in the body and mouthfeel, which - despite the liveliness - is rich and viscous and carries through to a long and very satisfying finish where a light minerality adds to the enjoyment. Now THIS is serious wine! I look forward to cracking a bottle a year or two down the road to see where it has gone – it certainly has the legs to go far!

Reviewed May 19, 2008 by Adam Dial.

Other Awards & Accolades

Gold Medal - 2008 All-Canadian Wine Championships