A while back I visited and wrote up a number of Hidden Bench wines. I was impressed. I’ve since run into them at a few Ontario events and been suitably impressed. So I needed to do a wine run to Niagara for gifts and Hidden Bench was on the list, specifically for this wine. I was interested to see if I was impressed enough to plop down cash this time. I’m a real value kinda guy. There’s always more wine to buy than money to buy it with. I have been heard to utter the phrase I don’t know what enough is … but I sure know what not enough is 🙂 Very appropriate for money, horsepower and well, one or two other items that come to mind. Deposit a dime into my account any time you choose to use that phrase. I’ve copyrighted it 🙂 I do digress … Hidden Bench wines while delicious are pricey. So I didn’t buy any last time. But this time … it’s for gifts. Nothing says great gift quite like something you wouldn’t buy for yourself. A treat! Yes believe it or not this is a wine review. If your still reading … bonus points for you!
Pale to golden in color with a lovely varietal nose of candied fruits with some sugar. On the mid pallet this wine is not as “thick” in texture as some chards can be. The wine shows some lovely vanilla and some butterscotch coming through beautifully in the mouth. The wine is medium in length on the finish with the vanilla lingering nicely. Oak and alcohol are well under control. It’s slightly buttery, slightly creamy. This is one big glass of yum. Pair it with scallops, or cod. I would give this wine a 90-91. For me this is the best chard coming out of Niagara (with price removed). You will have to go to the winery to get this one. A different chard from Hidden Bench has been in the LCBO but it was no where near as good. I was thoroughly disappointed in that one, not because it was bad, but because it was not as good as this one. $38 a bottle. Did I mention yum, and pricey? 🙂 Enjoy.
