Varietals & Wines
Varietals & Wines
At Keint-he Winery & Vineyards we specialize in appellation based winemaking, with a focus on Pinot Noir & Chardonnay. We also produce small amounts of Riesling, Vidal, Pinot Meunier, St. Laurent, Gamay and Syrah.
Wine Pricing & Availability:
White:
2011 Hillier Blanc – $28 Click here to order
Our unique white assemblage is back after a two year absence from the shelves. A blend of the white juice of the red Pinot Meunier grape and Chardonnay, this wine spent 12 Months in a combination of new and seasoned French oak. Oak shows through boldly on the nose, with butterscotch and vanilla aromas the most dominant. Beneath the oak, fruit derived aromas such as rhubarb, pineapple and lemon blossom also shine through. These fruit characters also greet you on the palate, and the natural acidity of Pinot Meunier is the perfect foil for the richness of the Chardonnay. Hints of smoke add complexity to the long finish. Enjoy with antipasti, smoked meats or roasted pork.
2012 Voyageur Chardonnay – $16 Click here to order
Winemaking Note:
The Voyageur Chardonnay fruit in 2012 was grown from two premium vineyards on the Niagara Escarpment. These two portions were both hand harvested, whole bunch pressed, and then fermented individually in new and used French oak barrels. After almost twelve months undisturbed in barrel, the barrels for the blend were chosen and the wine was bottled in September of 2013.
Tasting Note:
Green fruits and white flowers show through on the nose, with baked apple, pear and honeydew leading the way. Baking spice and meringue aromas and flavours are evidence of the wines time in oak, and time sitting on its yeast lees. The palate is the perfect balance of rich oak spice and refreshing citrus-like acidity.
Winemaking Note:
Our first ever Portage Chardonnay is sourced solely from premium Prince Edward County vineyards. Harvested in late September, the grapes were whole bunch pressed and cold settled before being fermented in French oak barrels and puncheons. Fermentation was competed with both natural and cultured yeasts, and the wine underwent partial malolactic fermentation. The wine was blended, filtered and then bottled in September of 2013.
Tasting Note:
The 2012 Portage Chardonnay has a citrus dominated fruit profile, with lemon drop and lemon blossom aromas to the fore. Wood spice and butterscotch are also present, and honeysuckle adds another floral aspect. The palate has the same array of flavours, with typical Prince Edward County minerality and acidity. This is well balanced by the wines richness, developed during oak and sur-lie ageing.
Winemaking Note:
Our first single vineyard Niagara Chardonnay is from the renowned Fox Croft Vineyard on the Twenty Mile Bench near Vineland. The fruit was hand harvested in early September, and then whole bunch pressed on arrival at the winery. Following two days of cold settling, the juice was then gravity flowed to barrels, where it underwent fermentation. Fermentation took between two and six months, with a combination of natural and cultured yeasts. Partial Malolactic fermentation was employed to retain natural acidity in the wine. Following fermentation the yeast were stirred from the bottom of the barrel periodically to impart more flavour and texture to the wine. In July of 2013, the best individual barrels were chosen to make the final blend, which was then bottled in September.
Tasting Note:
The 2012 Fox Croft Chardonnay is a liquid representation of the warm season, with ripe pineapple, white peach and green apple aromas and flavours. Oak derived sweet spices such as cinnamon nutmeg add another layer to this, and the vineyard soil influence also shows through with notes of chalkiness and salinity.
Rosé:
2011 Voyageur Rosé – $15 Click here to order
A serious twist on Rosé, this is a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and St Laurent, all sourced from our Foxtail Vineyard. Aged in French oak barrels for 10 months, the individual portions were then blended and bottled in the winter of 2012. The nose has a complex blend of red fruits, rhubarb and dried herb aromas. Raspberry, sour cherries, rhubarb and earth shape the palate, and a subtle hint of oak derived smokiness appears in the background. Perfect for the patio, this wine is also a great match for white sauce pizza, and any mushroom focused dish.
Red:
2010 Pinot² – $20 Click here to order
The follow up to our popular first bottling of this proprietary blend has all the aromas and flavours you would expect from a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The red fruit dominated nose shows aromas of sour cherry, raspberry and rhubarb. The palate expands on this with beet and earthy flavours joining the red fruits. A cranberry tartness focuses and finishes the palate with impressive length. Try it with any tomato based pasta dish, or any red meat from the BBQ.
2011 Portage Pinot Noir – $25 Click here to order
Our 2011 Portage Pinot Noir is made from a blend of grapes from three of our estate vineyards – Closson, Benway and Foxtail. Each portion aged separately in French oak for 12 months before the final blend was decided upon. A mix of fresh berries and dried fruits greet you on the nose. There are raspberry and cherry aromas from the fresh category, and raisin and date from the dried. The palate is silky and smooth, with very light tannins. The previously mentioned fruits and berries are joined by rhubarb, earth and mushroom flavours, and hints of molasses and brown sugar make themselves known in the background. Pair with terrine, any game bird, or soft and earthy cheeses.
Winemaking Note:
The grapes for the 2012 Voyageur Pinot Noir were grown in 3 premium vineyards on the Niagara Escarpment. Each block was hand harvested and processed individually, and then aged in French Oak barrels for ten months. The final blend was assembled in late July of 2013, and the wine bottled in September.
Tasting Note:
The 2012 Voyageur Pinot Noir has a nice blend of primary fruit and oak derived aromas. Typical Pinot Noir sour cherry, raspberry and strawberry fruit are well complimented by cola, dark chocolate and spice. The palate shows cherry, earth and cocoa powder, with a medium body and a blanket of fine tannin.
Dessert:
2008 Pineaux Sauvage (Botrytis affected Pinot Noir – 375ml) – $25 Click here to order
Usually, grape growers do everything in their power to avoid getting mould on their fruit. So, you might be surprised to learn that in select wine regions, a type of mould known as Botrytis cinerea, when fortuitously paired with damp, misty mornings and warm, dry afternoons, yields a wine with beautifully concentrated sugars and acids. The result: a sweet mixture of flavours including dried apricot, orange marmalade, Earl Grey tea, and a trifle of truffle. Known to wine aficionados as “Noble Rot,” this phenomenon is rare and doesn’t happen every year. Once thought to occur only in Bordeaux and parts of Hungary and Germany, it can now be found at Keint-he Winery & Vineyards in Prince Edward County. An excellent match for fois gras, fine nuts and some rare cheeses, this nectar is sure to impress. Zoltan Szabo referred to this vintage as a “wicked wine” in his Globe & Mail write-up. David Lawrason scored it 93% in Grapevine magazine.
Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most
natural things of the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection,
and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than,
possibly, any other purely sensory thing.
~Ernest Hemingway, Death in the Afternoon