Bachelder - Wismer-Foxcroft Vyd "Nord" Chardonnay 2019
Quickly becoming a reference vineyard for Niagara, with several different versions from local high-end producers available in any given year, the Wismer-Foxcroft Chardonnay vineyard is a steep, stony-silty clay and limestone site that is 5.4 km from Lake Ontario, at an altitude of 110 metres. For the first several years, Fox was but a component of our restaurant ‘glass-pour’ wines, however in 2013 I isolated the SV from the ‘Nord’ lower mid-slope. While briefly passing through Niagara, British wine cult journalist Andrew Jefford (Decanter and others) saw both northern and southern wines during fermentation that I had pressed and barreled separately. Incredibly, though the wines weren’t yet finished fermenting – Andrew first pointed out the stony ‘salinity.’ Since, we ‘trip’ on the heavenly marine smells of crushed oyster shells, the savoury texture and lemon oil finish that only the northern slope of this vineyard imbues to the wines produced thereof! Unforgettable.
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Province | Ontario |
| Region | Niagara Peninsula |
| Sub-Ava | Twenty Mile Bench VQA |
| Producer | Bachelder Wines |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Color | White Wine |
| Varietal(s) | Chardonnay |
Quickly becoming a reference vineyard for Niagara, with several different versions from local high-end producers available in any given year, the Wismer-Foxcroft Chardonnay vineyard is a steep, stony-silty clay and limestone site that is 5.4 km from Lake Ontario, at an altitude of 110 metres. For the first several years, Fox was but a component of our restaurant ‘glass-pour’ wines, however in 2013 I isolated the SV from the ‘Nord’ lower mid-slope. While briefly passing through Niagara, British wine cult journalist Andrew Jefford (Decanter and others) saw both northern and southern wines during fermentation that I had pressed and barreled separately. Incredibly, though the wines weren’t yet finished fermenting – Andrew first pointed out the stony ‘salinity.’ Since, we ‘trip’ on the heavenly marine smells of crushed oyster shells, the savoury texture and lemon oil finish that only the northern slope of this vineyard imbues to the wines produced thereof! Unforgettable.
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Province | Ontario |
| Region | Niagara Peninsula |
| Sub-Ava | Twenty Mile Bench VQA |
| Producer | Bachelder Wines |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Color | White Wine |
| Varietal(s) | Chardonnay |
| Closure | Cork |
|---|---|
| Volume | 750ml |
| Alcohol | 14% |
| Product Code | A017W00319 |
| UPC | 185729000422 |
| Inventory | In Stock (40) |
Tasting notes
Such a gorgeous nose of saline and crushed oyster shells with pure pear/apple notes, flint, elegant spice and perfume with citrus zest. It has depth and concentration on the palate with rich pear/quince fruits, dry extract, subtle savoury notes, wet stones, flint and a long, finessed and zesty citrus finish. Very fine Chardonnay with cellaring potential of 5+ years.
The Terroir: The Wismer family has been farming grapes across 300 acres on the Vineland and Jordan Benches for over 25 years. Bachelder is a huge fan of Wismer fruit and isolated two distinct blocks he uses for two distinct wines, which usually vie for the top two spots in the lineup every vintage. Foxcroft North, with its steep slope, stony-clay and limestone soil, is chosen for the distinct minerally attributes it imparts.
Cellaring
Enjoy through 2032
Appellation
VQA Twenty Mile Bench
Producer Description
In just over a decade, Thomas Bachelder has made a name for himself as a producer of world class, terroir-based, organic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in Burgundy, Oregon and Niagara. With their two young daughters in tow, Thomas and his wife Mary Delaney have unwittingly become wine gypsies, following their passion to produce terroirrevealing wines from these two most noble Burgundian grapes.
Made with intention
They make wines from local terroirs using ‘wild’ (indigenous) yeasts, using organic vineyards wherever possible. Everything goes to barrel for long ageing. The intent is to make pure, suavely-textured wines that sing lightly and clearly of their vineyard origins with as little makeup as possible – wines that are finely-perfumed and tightly-wound, offering the classic refined fruit and textured minerality of the delicate silt, clay and dolomitic limestone-laced ancient lakebed terroirs of Niagara.
A little note from Thomas and Mary
We’re inspired by the love of our spiritual home – Burgundy – where the grapes we love originally evolved, where even the tiniest of vineyards are put separately into a bottle. Our aim is to help discover, quantify and name the Terroirs of Niagara, one-by-one, from west (just outside Hamilton) to east (just outside the “Old Town” of Niagara-on-the-Lake) – and to deliver their energy and their purity of spirit to your glass! Pull the cork and dream of the vineyard from which it comes!
Santé! Cheers!
Thomas & Mary Delaney-Bachelder
“…Bachelder is evidently on a monk’s errand to map out the escarpment with Burgundian-like precision.” - John Szabo, MS
Be the first to review this wine!
You may also like...
Quickly becoming a reference vineyard for Niagara, with several different versions from local high-end producers available in any given year, the Wismer-Foxcroft Chardonnay vineyard is a steep, stony-silty clay and limestone site that is 5.4 km from Lake Ontario, at an altitude of 110 metres. For the first several years, Fox was but a component of our restaurant ‘glass-pour’ wines, however in 2013 I isolated the SV from the ‘Nord’ lower mid-slope. While briefly passing through Niagara, British wine cult journalist Andrew Jefford (Decanter and others) saw both northern and southern wines during fermentation that I had pressed and barreled separately. Incredibly, though the wines weren’t yet finished fermenting – Andrew first pointed out the stony ‘salinity.’ Since, we ‘trip’ on the heavenly marine smells of crushed oyster shells, the savoury texture and lemon oil finish that only the northern slope of this vineyard imbues to the wines produced thereof! Unforgettable.
Quickly becoming a reference vineyard for Niagara, with several different versions from local high-end producers available in any given year, the Wismer-Foxcroft Chardonnay vineyard is a steep, stony-silty clay and limestone site that is 5.4 km from Lake Ontario, at an altitude of 110 metres. For the first several years, Fox was but a component of our restaurant ‘glass-pour’ wines, however in 2013 I isolated the SV from the ‘Nord’ lower mid-slope. While briefly passing through Niagara, British wine cult journalist Andrew Jefford (Decanter and others) saw both northern and southern wines during fermentation that I had pressed and barreled separately. Incredibly, though the wines weren’t yet finished fermenting – Andrew first pointed out the stony ‘salinity.’ Since, we ‘trip’ on the heavenly marine smells of crushed oyster shells, the savoury texture and lemon oil finish that only the northern slope of this vineyard imbues to the wines produced thereof! Unforgettable.
Quickly becoming a reference vineyard for Niagara, with several different versions from local high-end producers available in any given year, the Wismer-Foxcroft Chardonnay vineyard is a steep, stony-silty clay and limestone site that is 5.4 km from Lake Ontario, at an altitude of 110 metres. For the first several years, Fox was but a component of our restaurant ‘glass-pour’ wines, however in 2013 I isolated the SV from the ‘Nord’ lower mid-slope. While briefly passing through Niagara, British wine cult journalist Andrew Jefford (Decanter and others) saw both northern and southern wines during fermentation that I had pressed and barreled separately. Incredibly, though the wines weren’t yet finished fermenting – Andrew first pointed out the stony ‘salinity.’ Since, we ‘trip’ on the heavenly marine smells of crushed oyster shells, the savoury texture and lemon oil finish that only the northern slope of this vineyard imbues to the wines produced thereof! Unforgettable.
Quickly becoming a reference vineyard for Niagara, with several different versions from local high-end producers available in any given year, the Wismer-Foxcroft Chardonnay vineyard is a steep, stony-silty clay and limestone site that is 5.4 km from Lake Ontario, at an altitude of 110 metres. For the first several years, Fox was but a component of our restaurant ‘glass-pour’ wines, however in 2013 I isolated the SV from the ‘Nord’ lower mid-slope. While briefly passing through Niagara, British wine cult journalist Andrew Jefford (Decanter and others) saw both northern and southern wines during fermentation that I had pressed and barreled separately. Incredibly, though the wines weren’t yet finished fermenting – Andrew first pointed out the stony ‘salinity.’ Since, we ‘trip’ on the heavenly marine smells of crushed oyster shells, the savoury texture and lemon oil finish that only the northern slope of this vineyard imbues to the wines produced thereof! Unforgettable.
Quickly becoming a reference vineyard for Niagara, with several different versions from local high-end producers available in any given year, the Wismer-Foxcroft Chardonnay vineyard is a steep, stony-silty clay and limestone site that is 5.4 km from Lake Ontario, at an altitude of 110 metres. For the first several years, Fox was but a component of our restaurant ‘glass-pour’ wines, however in 2013 I isolated the SV from the ‘Nord’ lower mid-slope. While briefly passing through Niagara, British wine cult journalist Andrew Jefford (Decanter and others) saw both northern and southern wines during fermentation that I had pressed and barreled separately. Incredibly, though the wines weren’t yet finished fermenting – Andrew first pointed out the stony ‘salinity.’ Since, we ‘trip’ on the heavenly marine smells of crushed oyster shells, the savoury texture and lemon oil finish that only the northern slope of this vineyard imbues to the wines produced thereof! Unforgettable.