At fruit set, bunches were exposed to sunlight with leaf removal on both sides of the canopy to maximize fruit ripening while green harvest was performed at the first sign of veraison. We left only bunches that were well exposed to filtered sunlight to promote ripening, concentration of flavours and the expression of the Beamsville Bench terroir.

At optimal phonological ripeness the clusters were hand picked, sorted and gently whole bunch pressed. The juice was cold settled for 48 to 72 hours and then racked, warmed up and transferred to barrels for fermentation. The wine was fermented with native yeasts, with ferments being allowed to reach 24-26 degrees Celcius. Lees were stirred weekly during ageing. The wine was blended in December 2009 and stored in stainless steel until bottling.

Winemaker's Comments

Butterscotch, caramel and crème brûlée are highlighted on the nose of this generous wine. Candy brittle and nougat show with highlights of ripe apple, sweet spice and vanilla on the palate. A rich, ripe texture brings the wine through to a lingering finish.