2021 Estate Grown Chardonnay

95 points, Vic Harradine, Winecurrent.com
90 points, Tony Aspler, TonyAspler.com

John Szabo – Such sharp value! How Malivoire manages to turn out this quality from all-estate fruit in the Beamsville Bench at $22 is a marvel. This should be a house wine for many houses – and that it’s a Vintages Essential and hence always available at the LCBO (though the vintage will change) is just a bonus, and also explains the sharp pricing that must make Martin Malivoire’s accountants cringe.

Winemaker's Notes:

Briskly fruity aromas combine pear cobbler, citrus rind and glazed ginger. It’s smooth, creamy and tangy in the mouth, tasting of baked apple, lemon and mandarin orange, leaving a fresh, mineral sensation.

This vintage was made 85% of Chardonnay from our Moira site, with contributions of 8% from the Mottiar site and 7% from the winery Estate vineyard.  Average age of vines was 23 years.

Grapes were picked by hand on all three vineyards between September 8th and 22nd as grape sugars reached average 21.1° Brix.

For pressing, 44% of the Moira Vineyard fruit was destemmed.  The remaining 56%, along with all the Mottiar and Estate fruit, was pressed in whole clusters.  The juice from the destemmed Moira grapes, along with all the Mottiar grapes, comprising 45% of the total wine, fermented in neutral (average six years old) oak hogsheads.  Juice from the whole-cluster-pressed Moira and Estate grapes, comprising 55% of the total wine, diverted to stainless steel for primary fermentation without malolactic conversion.  The barrel portion competed both primary and malo-fermentation and rested on the lees for nine months.  The two portions were combined and bottled in August 2021.

Dry: 0.9 g/L residual sugar

When bottled, alcohol measured 12.5%, residual sugar 0.9 grams per litre, titratable acidity 6.7 grams per litre and pH 3.28.

Vegan friendly.           

Companion Foods:

An excellent companion for a wide variety of foods including with grilled salmon or pork chops.  Serve near 10° C.

95 points, Vic Harradine, Winecurrent.com
Alluring aromas of rosewater, green apple, poached pear and peel marmalade meld nicely with mineral notes, citrus and notions of short-term, neutral oak barrels. A creamy-smooth river of nicely textured fruit persists to and through the balanced finish and aftertaste. Look for baked apple flavour, adorned by lemon pastille and hints of salinity. Drink now to and through 2026. The price-quality balance tips wildly in your favour—95 points and only $21.95—pick up an armful and serve with panko-crusted, pan-seared, pork cutlets and a variety of other delicious dishes that you favour at any time of the year.

90 points, Tony Aspler, TonyAspler.com
Bright straw in colour; toasty, spicy apple bouquet with a thread of minerality; medium-bodied, dry, elegant, apple flavour with a saline note on the finish. Well-integrated oak.

LCBO Vintages Essential