Posts

Norman Hardie County Gamay VQA Prince Edward County 2014

Norman Hardie County Gamay VQA Prince Edward County 2014 

Norman Hardie County Gamay VQA Prince Edward County 2014 

Light ruby color. To me, this smells typicaly like a County wine with red berries, clay, spices with herbacious and salty notes. Flavors of sour berries with a lively acidity, strawberries, rhubarb, sweet spices and a tart finish that shows an amazing fresh and salty finish. This is a real treat to me. About the same quality of a 2016 Morgon from Marcel Lapierre we had at the same time, even if my heart goes to this wine. Excellent (91)

Made of Gamay. Aged 10 months in French oak barrels. Alcohol level of 10,5% 

Available at the winery for 29,00$

Norman Hardie Winery website: http://www.normanhardie.com

They are represented in Québec by Vin Dame Jeanne: vindamejeanne.com

Duo de gamay

Two Gamay wines – 2016 Marcel Lapierre Morgon and the featured 2014 Norman Hardie County Gamay

Norman Hardie Cuvée des Amis VQA Prince Edward County 2014

Norman Hardie Cuvée des Amis VQA Prince Edward County 2014

Norman Hardie Cuvée des Amis VQA Prince Edward County 2014

A Great Wine generally is the one that is drank at the right moment, with the good people, having long lasting talks holding a glass of that wine, remembering all the good times they had together. Wine is all about sharing, enjoyment, smiles. This particular wine did provided an enjoyment bolder than most wines, met all the item described and this wine have the best name a wine could ever get since “Cuvée des Amis” means “Wine for friends”…

Norman Hardie Cuvée des Amis Unfiltered VQA Prince Edward County 2014

Norman Hardie Cuvée des Amis Unfiltered VQA Prince Edward County 2014

My tasting note for this wine:

Beautiful light golden color. Nose of orchard fruits, lemon with a hint of toasty, oaky notes with a gentle saltiness. Round texture on the palate that doesn’t hide the acidity behind it. Then came the fruit flavors mixed with the oak from ageing, all balanced and leading to the mineral finish of wet stones, clay and saltiness again, all bringing in complexity. The wine had a longer finish that the time it took to empty our glasses, cause it was drinking so nicely and easily. This is a stunning wine, a Grand Cru from Prince Edward County, to be opened with great friends. Superb (93)

Made of  Chardonnay exclusively from Prince Edward County. Barrel fermented and aged and 500L French oak barrels were used. The wine spent an additionnal 4 months on its lees in tank prior to bottling. Alcohol level of 11,4%

Exclusively sold at the winery in magnum bottle size only (1500ml)

Norman Hardie Winery’s website: normanhardie.com

They are represented in Québec by Vin Dame Jeanne: vindamejeanne.com

Norman Hardie County Pinot Noir Prince Edward County 2014

Norman Hardie County Pinot Noir Prince Edward County 2014

Few years have past already since the first time I had a sip of Norman Hardie’s wines. Then came something special that is there everytime I open one of his wine, either from one grape variety of a blend, a red or a white, with a preference for the ones coming from the County over those from Niagara. Since then I follow their activities and I’ve visited the winery a few times already (and ate many of the wood fire oven pizzas they do, the best one I had!). But behind the wines, there are people, a shared passion and that man, Norman Hardie.

Then came that specific County Pinot Noir wine from the 2014 vintage…

Ligh ruby color. Aromas and flavors of red berries where cherries lead the way, spices notes, but that freshness, it’s so pure with a long ineral finish that amaze me. Perfect balance and so tasty. The best Pinot Noir I had from that producer. And the 10,9% is just a bonus, I like that! Excellent (91)

Made of Pinot Noir. Aged 10 months in French oak barrels. Alcohol level of 10,9% 

Available at the winery or at the LCBO for 45,00$

Norman Hardie’s website: normanhardie.com

Norman Hardie’s wines are represented in Québec by Vin Dame Jeanne: vindamejeanne.com

Norman Hardie County Pinot Noir Prince Edward County 2014

Norman Hardie Pinot Noir Niagara Peninsula 2010

Norman Hardie Pinot Noir Niagara Peninsula 2010

Medium dark garnet color. Nose of cherries, cooked berries, spices and oak. On the palate the wine is tender but not sweet with its candied cherries, small red fruit jam, spices, earth and oak notes. More modern than what I’m used to from that producer, but that vintage was so hot and it does show in the wine, and that’s no reason not to like it! Good+ (88)

Made of Pinot Noir from Niagara’s Bench Wismer vineyard. Aged 16 months in oak barrels. ALcohol level of 12,8%

Not availeble anymore, but was sold by the SAQ

Norman Hardie’s website: normanhardie.com

Norman Hardie’s wimes are represented in Québec by Vin Dame Jeanne: vindamejeanne.com

Norman Hardie Pinot Noir Niagara Peninsula 2010