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Hidden Bench La Brunante 2016

Canada, Ontario
Organic
Biodynamic
93 WA 93 Points (WineAlign)
94 WA 94 Points (WineAlign)

La Brunante, our iconic Bordeaux-styled red blend, is only made in the best vintage years. The warm, dry growing season in 2016, ensured our Bordeaux varietals matured completely and with great intensity of flavours.  

Country Canada
Province Ontario
Region Niagara Peninsula
Sub-Ava Beamsville Bench VQA
Producer Hidden Bench Estate Winery
Vintage 2016
Color Red Wine
Varietal(s) Merlot 53%, Malbec 28%, Cabernet Franc 19%
¥14,300  (incl. tax)

La Brunante, our iconic Bordeaux-styled red blend, is only made in the best vintage years. The warm, dry growing season in 2016, ensured our Bordeaux varietals matured completely and with great intensity of flavours.  

Country Canada
Province Ontario
Region Niagara Peninsula
Sub-Ava Beamsville Bench VQA
Producer Hidden Bench Estate Winery
Vintage 2016
Color Red Wine
Varietal(s) Merlot 53%, Malbec 28%, Cabernet Franc 19%
Data
Closure Cork
Volume 750ml
Alcohol 13.5%
Product Code A020R00616
UPC No JAN
Inventory In Stock (16)
Owning & Enjoying

Tasting notes

Rich, concentrated and  dark plum in colour, this intense wine has bold aromatics of blackcherry and cassis. It moves into a rich palate of smoked charcuterie, spices and plum. Very youthful with fine, persistent tannins, this wine has many, many years of aging potential ahead of it. 

Pairing

Enjoy with yoru favourite steak or lamb.

Cellaring

Enjoy through 2032

Press
93WineAlign
John Szabo, MS  A rich and concentrated, highly accomplished wine from this banner Niagara vintage for reds; the price tag may raise some eyebrows, but at a similar price from Bordeaux or Tuscany or California finding similar quality, depth and structure would be no mean feat. This Bordeaux blend incorporates all of the dark fruit and herbal spice of the family of varieties, while structure, depth, complexity and balance are more than in line with the price. Top notch; best after 2022. Tasted May 2020.
94WineAlign
Michael Godel From a La Brunante year to speak of truths and there is no doubt the team was excited about the prospects of this formidable Beamsville Bench blend. The triad is merlot (43 per cent), malbec (35) and cabernet franc (22). I’d say it was the warm climate and long season that lead to then winemaker Marlize Beyer’s decisions of assemblage. You could pour this blind with red blends from Bordeaux and Australia with nary a taster being able to truly separate one from many others. And yet there is a singularity about these aromatics that are so hard to define, like spices in their simmering infancy ahead of what brand of togetherness they will assign. As for texture and length, balance is exemplary and longevity guaranteed. Drink 2022-2030. Tasted May 2020.
Production

Vintage Notes

Considered a perfect vintage in Niagara for Bordeaux varietals.

Vinification

Harvest Date: 19th to 26 th of October, 2016 Brix at Harvest: 22.8 – 24.1 100% estate grown certified organic fruit. 43% Merlot, 35% Malbec, 22% Cabernet Franc Alcohol: 13.5% pH: 3.46 Residual Sugar: 0.2g/L T.A. 6.35 g/L Bottling Date: August 30th, 2018 Oak regime: 100% French Oak: 50% new, 12% second fill, with balance neutral. Time in barrel: 20 months Un-fined and Unfiltered. Certified Organic by Pro-Cert.

Producer

Producer Description

About Hidden Bench Estate Winery Owner

Harald Thiel's uncompromising attention to detail has landed Hidden Bench in the Canadian Wine Awards' top 10 every year since the winery opened in 2007 - with Nuit Blanche named Canadian White Wine of the Year. This small, yet modern and sophisticated, estate winery is tucked away on Locust Lane in the Beamsville Bench appellation, essentially hidden by vines. HB's primary focus is to showcase the terroir of the Beamsville Bench through their award-winning Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling offerings.

Each and every wine at Hidden Bench is made under strict conditions:

  • Sustainable practices, which means 100% organically certified fruit from only estate vineyards.
  • Individually bunch sorted white wine varietals and bunch sorted and then individual berry sort all of the red wine varietals.
  • Non-interventionist, minimalist winemaking approach with gentle handling of the wine throughout the winemaking process.
  • All wines are made with wild yeast and anything that doesn’t ferment naturally is inoculated and declassified into the winery’s bistro label.

VINICULTURE

All grapes are handpicked from their estate vineyards into 10kg baskets and then carefully sorted at the winery by their “triage team” so as to ensure that only the cleanest and best fruit is used to make their wines. All white wine grapes receive a single “triage” and then are whole punch pressed to assure the gentlest extraction of juice. All red grapes, particularly Pinot Noir, are bunch sorted and destemmed and then receive a secondary individual berry “triage” prior to being placed in their oak and stainless steel fermenters.

The winemaking team benefits from all the latest technology, such as geothermal cooling and heating with precise temperature control installed in all tanks to permit extended natural settling and natural yeast ferments of whites and appropriate pre-natural ferment, cold maceration of the reds.

As estate winegrowers their goal is to have ther wines reflect the unique individual terroir of the Beamsville Bench sub-appellation parcels that they call home. Accordingly, they eschew non-organic additives and commercially selected yeasts and strive to bottle their wines un-fined and unfiltered whenever possible. All wines are bottled with minimal sulphur dioxide (SO2) to preserve their freshness and quality and to permit them to age gracefully. This approach has permitted the vast majority of theri wines to be vegan friendly and to be certified organic by Procert as of 2015/16.

We believe that real “Natural Wine” has its origin in certified organic and/or biodynamic estate fruit and a non-interventionist approach in the cellar with an acute and precise attention to detail from vineyard to bottle.

Jay Johnston - Winemaker

Following an inspiring food and wine trip to Canada’s west coast in 2002, Jay returned to Toronto with one thing in mind: Leave the software industry behind for a life in vines and wines. Since then Jay received his formal wine education through Niagara College’s Viticulture & Winemaking program, graduating in 2005. Jay was a part of the Hidden Bench team previously, and we are thrilled to welcome him back as our winemaker. Passionate about cool-climate varietals, with their finesse and their delicacy, Jay feels back at home to be focused on Pinot Noir, Riesling, and Chardonnay in the HB estate vineyards. With a deep passion for terroir, a desire to farm our vineyards to their greatest potential and a profound respect for cellarwork, Jay is extremely excited to be returning to the Hidden Bench family. 

 

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