Leaning Post Wines 2015 The Fifty Chardonnay

Leaning Post Wines 2015 The Fifty Chardonnay

Ontario

ON $22

The Fifty is a reference to the original name of the town of Winona, which is home to Leaning Post Wines. Located 50 miles from Niagara Falls, it was established as the Fifty Road Settlement. As it happens the Fifty also serves as a mile maker for winemaker Ilya Senchuk’s style. It’s a Chardonnay designed to reflect vintage and variety, without the crutch of obvious oak influence or other winemaking techniques. The process in 2015 saw the juice fermented in oak barrels before spending nearly one year in a stainless steel tank aging on the lees (the dead yeast cells from fermentation.) It’s a blend of fruit from Wismer Foxcroft and another vineyard, which when combined didn’t meet the ripeness threshold to be marketed under the Niagara Peninsula appellation. The resulting fresh, focused and direct character, however, make it a  winner.