News & Reviews - SUMMER 2007

Summer 2007

"No fancy resto at this old barn. Very backwoods, very rustic, very small, and very good. Calamus 06 white $12 - fresh ‘n fun, and Calamus 05 Red $15 - earthy, rustic, are two of the best buys in Niagara. The 06 Pinot Gris $15 could pass for something fancy from France. And there's yummy 06 non-oaked Chardonnay too. Bravo Calamus."

July/August 2007

2006 Calamus White
Appearance: Light green gold.
Nose: Apple/peach/pear aromatics with a light honeyed character and a light spiciness as well.
Palate: Off dry with moderate to good acidity, midweight. Palate nicely follows the nose, with rich mouthfeel and silkiness midpalate, nicely balanced alcohol/sugar/acid and a good clean finish.
Conclusions: Easy to love blended white with a three year future at most.

2006 Unoaked Chardonnay
Nose: Melon, pear/apple, light spices, some minerality.
Palate: Dry with good acidity, midweight. Much bigger on the palate than the nose suggests, adding some almost tropical fruit. Some richness and big mouthfeel midpalate, and a long dry clean finish.
Conclusions: Good general purpose white wine with elegance. Should age well for up to five or six years, developing complexity with age. Best now with simple white-wine meals, will become interesting enough to drink alone by 2010. "If it tastes great right now so why wait? A chameleon at the table."

2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Appearance: Purple.
Nose: Cedar, cassis, raspberry, licorice and sweet oak with a nice herbal undertone.
Palate: Dry with good acidity, midweight plus. Palate follows the nose with aggressive but ripe tannins on the midpalate and through the very long clean dry finish.
Conclusions: Youthful big wine with a ten year future. Great now with a rare good quality cut of ber, great alone in five years when it mellows and comes together. In style it is midway between old world and new.

July/August 2007

Calamus Estate Winery Meritage 2006, Niagara - 88 Points
"This new winery in Jordan has come out of the gate strong with it first releases. This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (54%)/Cabernet Franc(40%)/Merlot(6%) is a medium to full bodied offering with aromas of toasty oak, cassis, cocoa and bell pepper on the nose as well as a ripe core of blackberries, spice, cassis and vanilla on the palate. Very good length with grip on the finish. From 2008 to 2013 (ES)"

Calamus Estate Winery Red 2005, Niagara - 88 Points
"This is an incredible value in home grown produce and a definite cash purchase. More approachable than the Calamus Meritage, this is a blend of Cabernet Franc (60%)/Cabernet Sauvignon(40%). It serves up a nose of cassis, vanilla, spice, raspberry and tobacco. The palate is ripe with notes of cocoa as well as very good length. Now to 2011. (ES)"

Calamus Estate Winery Riesling 2005, Niagara - 86 Points
"Made from young vines, the wine displays a white-gold colour as well as a bouquest of petrol, lime, slate, honey, peach and citrus. Medium length, off-dry and a good dose of alcohol on the finish (ES)"

August 2007

Calamus Estate Winery 2005 Red
"An attractive blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, this ripe and approachable red is a terrific house wine candidate particularly during the barbeque season. There's a lot to like about the berry and spicy character and the wine's gripping tannins that make it an ideal companion for burgers or grilled meats. (CW)"

Summer 2007

Calamus Estate Winery Unoaked Chardonnay 2006, Niagara
"A crisp expression of the Chardonnay grape that is unadulterated by any wood. Pear, apple, citrus, peach and a tinge of honey are all present in this refreshing wine. Try with smoked salmon drizzled with olive oil and lemon. (ES) 85 points"

July 2007

"In a recent discussion with a member of the Ontario Wine Society, we found ourselves chatting about the new wineries opening up in the Niagara region. The member lamented, "it seems, with the exception of Calamus, that the newcomers are high end and expensive." This was said to me on the heels of opening day at Niagara's newest winery, Hidden Bench (June 2) where policies for visiting and tasting were set out thusly: "due to the size of the tasting room we do not do groups of more than 8 persons ... require an appointment for groups larger than 4 ... tastings are $10.00 for our flight of four estate wines." Prices for wines started at $18 (for a rosé); $22 (for Riesling); $30 (Chardonnay) and $40 (white meritage).

What my OWS friend is referring to are the Tawses, the Hidden Benches, the Stratus ,the Ice House, the Alventoes, and the soon to be, new Southbrook that all seem to be a opening up with wine prices that seem to be priced out of this world; a world that's more California-centric then Niagara-based. In a recent interview I read in the North York Mirror, Brian Kroeker, of the Niagara Grape and Wine Festival, was quoted as saying (jokingly I think), "we're Napa-North, or as we like to say Canapa." It would seem that some are taking this to heart.

To date, the best values for VQA-Ontario wines have been at the wineries - and the excitement about the region has been getting out there and finding those finds. But now a day in Niagara wine country is not just about the gas, the time, and the money for a case or two of your favourites ... it's about the tasting fees that will be levied, purchase or not, and as a writer about, and consumer of, Ontario wines, this concerns me."

July 2007

Calamus 2006 Calamus Vidal, VQA, $10
"With a non-traditional lychee essence playing on a fruity aroma, this simple Vidal takes on a magnificent palate of crisp apply pear flavours mixed with mineral notes that turns to a pie crust pastry across the finish. A brilliant wine for summer sipping and your guests will never believe the price."

June 2007

"Calamus Estate Winery in Jordan, Ontario, has been racking up gold medals in wine competitions after only a couple of years of operation. At this year's Ontario wine awards they walked away with gold medals for their Pinot Gris 2006 and their Estate Riesling 2005. But you won't find these wines at the LCBO. You'll have to drive to the winery"

Monday, June 4, 2007

Calamus is now on both the Wineries of Ontario and the Twenty Valley Map, we won't be quite so hard to find.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

"Calamus Estate Winery 2006 Sagitta (Gewurztraminer) - $13
I am of two minds about this wine, don't get me wrong I think it's lovely, drinkable, pleasant, but what's with the name. Let's start with what's in the bottle. Gewurztraminer is a great aromatic white and the team at Calamus has captured the best parts of it. Floral notes, orange peel, mango and lychee ... the palate has a touch of sweetness along with typical spicy Gewurzt characteristics, also there's some pineapple, mango, white peach softness along with some citrus tang ... good fruitiness all the way through. This is another winner for Calamus, they're starting to hit their stride and find their wine-legs, so to speak, in just their second vintage. As for what's on the bottle, I understand Sagitta to be a constellation shaped like an arrowhead, very fitting with the winery's image, but why on a bottle of Gewurztraminer. Sure it's a tough name to pronounce, but when you have a tasty wine like this, that'll help put Gewurztraminer on the map in Ontario,..."

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