Vintages Selection: Flat Rock Cellars Chardonnay 2006

Despite my best intentions, I neglected to add other selections from the Dec. 8th release before that date. But being the last release before Christmas, the following post should remain relevant for slightly longer than normal. That is, of course, if the items remain in stock! With holiday booze shopping building to a typical frenzy, it is quite important to act quickly on wines that one is interested in. To change things up a bit, I'd like to shift the focus from my beloved French wines to a local wine that offers excellent quality.

















Vintages Selection: Flat Rock Cellars Chardonnay 2006 16.95 (#681247)

Although Le Clos Jordanne is all the rage in Ontario right now,* one of its neighbours also makes some stellar Burgundian varietals at significantly lower costs. And, perhaps more importantly, the wine is actually available at many Vintages locations across the GTA. Founded in 1999, Flat Rock Cellars devotion to the Niagara Escarpment's terroir makes it one of the regions leading estates. Set on an excellent plot of land overlooking Lake Ontario (with Toronto in the distance), Flat Rock has plantings of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Riesling, the three varietals best suited to our climate and soil composition.

Having recently visited Flat Rock in the fall, I was impressed with all of their wines. Having said that, I was particularly taken with this Chardonnay. Not only is it a great value, its flavour profile is virtually identical to the more expensive "Rusty Shed" reserve version (24.95 at the winery). Despite the fact that I was not sampling the 2006 vintage, my fellow taster and I were hard-pressed to isolate many differences between the respective wines. Now this could have been because we had tasted a great deal of wine that day, but I'd like to think it also indicates that both versions are of superior quality.
















Flat Rock uses a gravity flow system to vinify all their wines, which sounds more complex than it is. Gravity flow wine making eschews the rougher suction of powered pumps for the use of gravity to move the wine throughout the vinification process. Quite simple in theory, but one would do well to recall that the entire winery has to be built to accommodate this practice. Although this is primarily an advantage for the thin-skinned pinot noir grape, I think it demonstrates the commitment to natural and terroir-driven wines, which is always a good thing.

Characterized by rich notes of apple and butter, there is also a toasty aspect to this wine. Unlike many Chardonnays in this price range, however, the oak is not overpowering. Indeed, there is more than ample body to support oak aging here, and it offers balance on the palate. Quite naturally, this Chardonnay pairs well with meaty fish, and salmon in particular. But it will also hold up well to something like pork tenderloin with an apple based reduction/sauce. One could let this cellar for a while, but I'm not sure that the reward would be worth the wait. While there may be slight improvement, I like this as an early drinker. When consumed early, one can take advantage of the wine's freshness and tart characteristics.

* See David Lawrason's article in Toronto Life: http://www.torontolife.com/features/grapes-progress