New Cru

Four single vineyard gamays to discover

New Cru

Bachelder’s upcoming La Violette spring release on April 2 centres on five different expressions of gamay from the 2019 vintage, including four single-vineyard wines from well-established vineyards in Vineland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. The virtual offering also includes the Villages label chardonnay and pinot noir from 2019. bachelderniagara.com

Bachelder Les Villages Chardonnay 2019, $34.95
Niagara Peninsula

Fruit from established and old vine sites, notably Grimsby Narrows, Saunders (Beamsville), Wismer (Vineland), Bai and Willms (Niagara-on-the-Lake) 16 months in mostly neutral Burgundian oak barrels, two to five years old

Nice bright cereal, nutty nose. Broad and rich but not fat fruit, smooth/honeyed character that’s neatly sculpted and contained. Serious depth and intensity for the price. Yellow apple and pear richness, underlying backbone of zesty citrus (orange peel), long finish. Drink now to 2024. (92/100)

Bachelder Les Villages Pinot Noir 2019, $34.95
Niagara Peninsula
Fruit from well-established sites, Saunders, Wismer, Lowrey, 16 months in mostly neutral Burgundian oak barrels, one to five years old

Lifted nose, with abundant ripe and sweet cherry fruit. Palate offers appetising savoury and fruity notes. Fresh and spicy character. Long flavourful finish. Serious. Age-worthy. Drink now to 2029. (93/100)

Bachelder Les Villages Gamay Noir 2019, $24.95
Niagara Peninsula
Fruit from Bai, Wismer and Willms vineyards, 16 months in mostly neutral Burgundian oak barrels, one to five years years old

Peppery fragrant nose. Succulently ripe red fruit across the palate, lightly peppery, concentrated style that’s linear and fresh thanks to its lip-smacking juicy acidity. Lots of pleasure, far from simplistic. Drink now to 2026. (91/100)

Bachelder Wismer-Foxcroft Gamay Noir 22% Whole Cluster Gamay Noir 2019, $27.95
Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Planted circa 1993, 20+ year old vines, 13% abv

Reduced nose, peppery and meaty notes. Palate takes a different course, offering lovely core of dark-red fruit that’s broad, satisfying and fresh. More harmonious and complete than the 52% whole cluster version. Lightly chewy, not tannic in nature. Some grip on finish. Lovely now, but no need to hurry. Drink now to 2028. (93/100)

Bachelder Wismer-Foxcroft Gamay Noir 52% Whole Cluster Gamay Noir 2019, $27.95
Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Planted circa 1993, 20+ year old vines, 13% abv

Fragrant, straightforward ripe and herbal notes on the nose. Ripe fruit, fresh and succulent in nature. Real depth here, loads of flavour on the palate. Nicely structured, but the finish comes on quickly. Firm, hard stop. Drink now to 2026. (92/100)

Bachelder Bai Xu Gamay Noir, $27.95
Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula
Planted 1981, 20% whole cluster, 12% abv

Debut vintage. Peppery, herbal and fresh fruit on nose. Fresh and vibrant with concentrated core of cherry and raspberry fruit that’s nicely balanced by juicy acidity. Lowest alcohol of the four single vineyards yet offers the most depth of fruit and mouth-filling character but isn’t a heavyweight in the slightest. Finishes with a tangy / sweet cherry note that lingers and adds to the appeal. Drink now to 2028. (93/100)

Bachelder Willms Les Naturistes Gamay Noir 2019, $27.95
Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula 
Planted 1983, 55% whole cluster, 12.5% abv The name, Les Naturistes, comes from the fact that Thomas feels there’s no need to add any makeup. “There’s no need to push these old vines to extract more colour and flavour.” 

Ripe and pure fruited on the nose and palate. Generous/round, fresh and lively. Very fine tannins. Fun for current drinking, with stuffing to develop over time. Finish with a clean sweep of acidity and a dusting of tannins. Drink now to 2026. (93/100)

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