You may be shocked to know, but Niagara is very good at Rieslings. Well, okay, you may have already known that. With the similarities to Alsace in it’s growing conditions (is it more Burgundy or more Alsace?) it is not surprising that one of it’s best wine products is in fact ‘Rhine’ Riesling. Alsace, for those unfamiliar, is a small region in the mid-north portion of eastern France that produces wines from basically seven grape types, with Riesling being one of the best. I have wanted to make a concerted effort in 2010 to get drink and review some very small houses (or non typical) from Niagara, Cattail Creek is one of these. In only their second year of producing wines (though almost 40 years of grape growing) the LCBO Vintages bought out all of this vintage (as well as their rose 2007 Serendipity), which needless to say is very impressive. Let’s jump into the tasting shall we?
The nose on this is pure tropic, lime and pineapple. A nice golden colour with no visible residue or cloudiness. The first fews sips with continue with the southern white fruits, pineapple fades to grapefruit. The mineral notes are there, but not overwhelming or truly distinctive. The fruit is consistent, maybe even a tad flowery. The finish is a bit weak to an otherwise well balanced wine. This is a nice bottle, pleasant and definitely made with good fruit, but there are enough gaps to leave you wanting more. Enjoyable, good value at $19.95, but not a walk away winner (like the Canadian Hockey Team!). If you get a few for the summer time you will be able to enjoy a good Riesling.
The CWGSR is 85 out of 100.
Sorry for a 2006 photo, but the bottle has gone to recycling before I could get a snap:
