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Black Bank Hill 2023 Liberté

Black Bank Hill 2023 Liberté

  • Ontario
  • White Wine
  • New
  • Very Low Stock

¥7,920 (incl. tax)

50% viognier, 25% marsanne and 25% roussanne grown and hand-harvested.  Bright straw colour. Aromas of white peach, preserved lemon, jasmine and lavender.  The palate continues with bosc pear, melon, passion fruit, gardenia, herbs de Provence and anise. A similar creamy mid-palate to the estate viognier bottling, however the marsanne component brings a heightened level of minerality and structure to this wine.  Medium-plus bodied in weight with good acidity, the wine shows great concentration and length of finish.

Details
Country
Canada
Province
Ontario
Region
Niagara Peninsula
Sub-Ava
Beamsville Bench VQA
Producer
Black Bank Hill Winery
Vintage(s)
2023
Color
White Wine
Varietal(s)
50% viognier, 25% marsanne and 25% roussanne
Data
Closure
Cork
Volume
750ml
Alcohol
14.2%
Product Code
bbh11112
Inventory
Very Low Stock (3)
Owning & Enjoying
Tasting notes

Bright straw colour. Aromas of white peach, preserved lemon, jasmine and lavender.  The palate continues with bosc pear, melon, passion fruit, gardenia, herbs de Provence and anise. A similar creamy mid-palate to the estate viognier bottling, however the marsanne component brings a heightened level of minerality and structure to this wine.  Medium-plus bodied in weight with good acidity, the wine shows great concentration and length of finish.

Pairing

Pairs well with grilled chicken, seared scallops, lobster or prawns, rich white fish, creamy mushroom dishes, and mildly spiced Mediterranean or Asian cuisine. Also excellent with Brie or Camembert.

Cellaring

enjoy through 2036

Press
  • 94

    Wines In Niagara

    This is a traditional Northern Rhone blend. Here at Black Bank Hill, it’s 50% Viognier, 25% Marsanne and 25% Roussanne. The latter two varieties were whole cluster pressed directly into neutral French oak barrels for fermentation. Then Viognier was macerated on skins for 24 hours before pressing and racked to 2nd fill oak barrels for fermentation. Malolactic conversion was halted at 60%; some lees stirring helped to build body without overwhelming the wine’s focus. Élevage lasted 19 months, filtered and bottled (but left unfined).

    The wine opens with honeysuckle, apricot, vanilla and marzipan aromas. On the palate this wine truly impresses — round, textured, with orchard fruit and spice.

    Next, McLean revealed that he’s not as passionate about making Pinot Noir as many winemakers in Niagara are. He’s still playing with it, figuring it out.

    “I’m still learning the nuances of the vineyard and this grape, and I’m also still learning the nuances of the clones that we have in this group. We have four different clothes here. I’m really excited to broaden my perspective of the types of clones I work with. Maybe try a different style, who knows. This Pinot Noir, for me, is more New World, more fruit forward, more oak, a little bit more tannic.”

     

  • 93

    WineAlign

    This is a southern Rhone inspired blend of viognier, marsanne and roussanne that was barrel fermented and aged 20 months in neutral oak. It is quite an accomplishment with classic viognier star fruit, melon, nutmeg spice from the oak and tea aromas. It is medium-full bodied with some sweetness, gloss and warmth underpinned by classic Niagara acid and minerality. The length is excellent. By happenstance I was able to taste it next to a famous white Chateauneauf-du-Pape and the resemblance was impressive, with the Niagara version not having quite the same weight or depth. Tasted Vintages March 2026.

Production
Viticulture

Grown and hand-harvested at Black Bank Hill in various picks on October 7, 10 and 12, 2023, with the viognier and roussanne both coming in at 22.0 brix and the marsanne at 23.9.

Vinification

The viognier was a mix of whole cluster pressed and skin contact, whereas the marsanne and roussanne were both whole cluster pressed.  All were racked directly into mainly neutral French oak barrels and fermented using wild/ambient yeasts. Élevage was 20-months on lees in same French oak. The wine was blended and estate-bottled unfined on 25 July 2025

Acidity & pH: TA 6.27 g/L, Malic acid 1.17 g/L, pH 3.33

Sweetness: Dry on the palate containing 3.1 g/L residual sugar

Alcohol by Volume: 14.2%

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Production Amount
1164
Producer
Producer Description

About Black Bank Hill

Founded in 2017 by vintner Taylor Emerson, Black Bank Hill is a small, estate-focused winery in Beamsville, on Ontario’s Niagara Escarpment. The winery concentrates on limited-production, single-vineyard wines that express the character of its site, with an emphasis on careful farming, hand harvesting and restrained winemaking.

In the cellar, many wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts, matured primarily in French oak, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. The range spans classic Niagara varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, alongside Viognier, Syrah and the Rhône-inspired Liberté, a blend of Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne. Production is often tiny, with some cuvées measured in only a few dozen cases.

Black Bank Hill has quickly established itself among Canada’s most exciting small wineries. At the 2026 National Wine Awards of Canada, it was named Best Performing Small Winery, with its 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon receiving Platinum and its Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc all earning Gold medals.

What makes the wines particularly compelling is their combination of concentration and freshness: distinctly Niagara in their acidity and structure, yet with an elegance and restraint that will be familiar to lovers of fine European wines.

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