Hidden Bench Nuit Blanche 2015

This year’s vintage showcases lemongrass, white peach, and orange blossom notes on the nose, supported by wet stone, flinty minerality. The acidity is bright and refreshing with a weighty palate fleshed out by ripe orchard fruit notes, orange pith, green melon and grassy herbaceous hints.

Oysters with mignonette, goat cheese and beet salad, or sweet peas on crème fraiche will pair perfectly.

Enjoy through 2028

• Harvest Dates: October 18, 2019  
• Brix at harvest: 23.5 weighted average.
• Blend and grape source: 100% organically certified Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon from the Rosomel Vineyard  

• Sauvignon Blanc: 92,2%, Semillon: 7.8%
• Alcohol: 13.5% pH: 3.18 Residual Sugar: 1.43g/L T.A. 6.12g/L Oak regime: 100% French oak: 7.7% new and the rest neutral oak, for 7 months Bottling Date: August 23rd, 2016 

The growing season in the lead up to harvest 2015 saw yet another winter characterized by record breaking, brutally cold temperatures with plenty of snow and ice. Persisting lower than average temperatures (to be precise, 8⁰C below TERROIR SERIES normal for February), lead to potentially devastating bud damage on our vines with many days spent worrying about their survival. Spring weather was relatively normal and the first evidence of bud break appeared on the 8th of May. High rainfall in June was followed by a very dry month of July. Mother Nature finally allowed normalcy to return and the summer brought warm and sunny conditions. The beautiful warm weather lingered well into September, giving the vines a chance to slowly ripen fruit and gain phenological maturity. These favourable conditions lasted until the end of October, which allowed for good sugar accumulation and optimal flavours in all varietals. Vintage at Hidden Bench commenced on the 17th of September with Chardonnay and the last of the Bordeaux reds was picked on the 27th of October. Quality of the 2015 vintage is exceptional due to the favourable ripening conditions in both the aromatic whites and wines in barrel show tremendous potential. Varietals adapted to the Bench did particularly well, such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling, while the Bordeaux reds benefitted from the long warm Fall conditions.

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.