Canadian Wine Insider – October 2022
Quebec Shining Brighter at the National Wine Awards of Canada
By David Lawrason
In recent years I have been watching the growing presence of Quebec wine and its success at the National Wine Awards of Canada. At this year’s NWAC in Niagara Falls, a dozen Quebec wineries entered almost 50 wines. This is not a lot within the context of almost 1900 entries overall but it is very encouraging to see more Quebec wineries showing up each year. And encouraging to see one gold medal, six silver medals and 12 bronze medals handed out for Quebec table wines (non-fruit, non-cider), which will be the focus of this article.
There have been important advancements in the viticulture, winemaking and organization within the Quebec industry in recent years, including the creation of a loose-fitting regional appellation system. Two of our National Wine Awards judges have been following all this closely, including Nadia Fournier who lives in Magog in the heart of Quebec wine country and writes about the local industry in French. And from her perch nearby in Ottawa, Janet Dorozynski has visited often, and is working on an article for this space that will provide a broader and deeper perspective in the weeks ahead.
I would like to simply introduce you to some of wineries and wines that caught my attention during the Awards. I took the opportunity to gather about 20 samples at the Awards and brought them back to WineAlign World HQ in Etobicoke. I tasted them last week along with Sara d’Amato. There are certainly other wineries that deserve recognition — including Domaine St. Jacques and Vignoble Ste Petronille — but they were not entered in the Awards this year and not recently tasted.
Before getting to the wineries, three overall comments. One, the winemaking is for the most part very competent and in some cases creative. Two, the lower alcohol and higher acid structure created by Quebec’s cool climate is on full display, and recalls the style of northern France, especially among the whites. Three, there are several new Minnesota-bred hybrids involved — st. pepin for example — that are making quite intriguing wines. Therein lies a future article, as many are hybrids also being used throughout eastern Canada.
So here are a handful of wineries with selected wines that you can click on to read full reviews, in most cases. We begin with two properties owned by Daniel Lalande, which, combined, took nine medals at the National Wine Awards of Canada. The location following the winery name is usually a town, the second location is a region within the new appellation structure.
Vignoble La Cantina, Valle d’Oka, Laurentides
The impressive 20-hectare hillside vineyard was planted in 2015–16 in the Oka Valley northwest of Montreal — famed for its cheese, of course, and the tense 1990 land dispute with indigenous residents. It is owned by Daniel Lalande, who also owns Rivière du Chêne (below) where the vinification takes place, for now. Vinifera is the focus here with pinot noir, chardonnay and riesling going into the top-tier wines. Hybrids like petite perle, marquette, l’acadie, frontenac and vidal are used in less expensive blends.
La Cantina La Cantina Vallée D’Oka Riesling 2021
La Cantina Vallée D’oka Chardonnay 2021, Vin Du Quebec
Rivière Du Chêne La Cantina Vallée D’oka Pinot Noir 2020
Vignoble Riviere du Chenes, St. Eustache, Laurentides
This property in the lower Laurentians just 35 minutes northwest of Montreal is the site of the winery and a popular bistro. Like its sister property above (La Cantina, both owned by Daniel Lalande) it is planted to chardonnay, pinot noir and a variety of red and white hybrids. The modestly priced “William” series are hybrid blends, the somewhat more expensive and well done Phénix wines are blends of hybrids and vinifera.
Vignoble De La Rivière Du Chêne Cuvée William Blanc 2020
Vignoble Rivière Du Chêne Phénix Blanc 2020
Vignoble Rivière Du Chêne William Rouge 2020
Vignoble de l’Orpailleur, Dunham, Monteregie
This is the most famous estate winery in Quebec because it is also the oldest, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. It was planted in 1982 by four wine enthusiasts: Hervé Durand, Charles-Henri de Coussergues (both from the south of France), Frank Furtado and Pierre Rodrigue. The vineyard is a mix of gravel and limestone from the bed of the ancient Champlain Sea, planted to mix of vinifera — chardonnay, gewurztraminer and cabernet franc — plus several hybrids. Sustainable viticulture practices were undertaken in 1996. The Corkscrew Restaurant houses a thriving hospitality program, and this year Vignoble de l’Oprailleur purchased the 70-hectare Union Libre winery.
Vignoble De L’orpailleur Cuvée Natashquan 2020
Vignoble De L’orpailleur Cuvée Signature Gewurztraminer 2021
Vignoble De L’orpailleur L’orpailleur Cuvée Signature Chardonnay 2020
Vignoble Camy, St. Bernard-de-Lacolle, Monteregie
in 2010, after 15 years of wine self-education, Fred Tremblay Camy and Isabelle Leveau purchased land near the American border, in Quebec’s warmest region. Planting in the limestone-based gravel soils once covered by the Champlain Sea began in 2012 with a focus on vinifera — chardonnay, pinot gris, then pinot noir. The notion is to create refined wines similar to those of northern France and to this end they have hired pinot and chardonnay specialist Kelly Mason of Niagara (The Farm, Domaine Queylus) as consulting oenologist. Although not certified organic, eco-responsible methods are used in the vineyard and winery.
Vignoble Camy Pinot Gris De Macération 2021
Vignoble Camy Pinot Noir Réserve 2019
Vignoble Le Chat Botte, Hemmingford, Monteregie
This is from a six-hectare site not far from Lake Champlain in the southernmost reaches of the province. It was first planted in 2004 by Isabelle Ricard (an accomplished choralist and cat breeder) and her husband Normand Guénette, formerly a landscape architect. In 2009 they began construction of the winery and retail boutique. Planting continued over the years to include 18 winter hardy hybrid varieties, and more recently organic chardonnay and riesling. There offer a wide range of white, red, pink, orange and sweet wines.
Vignoble Le Chat Botté Petite Perle 2021
Le Mas de Patriotes, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Monteregie
France Cliche bought her first vines as a gift for her father back in 2003. She quickly absorbed the passion, purchasing an abandoned farm in the Richelieu Valley just south of Montreal and planting an organic vineyard. The five-hectare site grows vinifera — chardonnay, pinot gris and merlot — along with hybrids like frontenac, st. pepin, petite perle and Lucy Kuhlman.
Le Mas Des Patriotes Le Chaume 2021
Le Mas Des Patriotes Le Clos De France 2021
Vignoble 1292, Saint-Blaise-sur-Richelieu, Monteregie
This vineyard was planted in 2009–10 in the Richelieu Valley about halfway between Montreal and the U.S. border. The focus of this sustainable site is on seven winter hardy hybrids — frontenac noir, marquette, st. croix, radisson, st. pepin, swenson blanc and frontenac gris. By the way, 1292 is the winery’s street address and also the site of a popular event space.
Vignoble 1292 St Pepin Swenson 2021
Vignoble 1292 Swenson Frontenac Gris 2020
In closing, it should be fairly obvious to non-Quebecers that these wines are not being sold on shelves in retail stores in your province, and that ordering directly from the wineries is the only way to buy them. There are many unfortunate reasons for this related to pitiful, archaic regulations around wine distribution in this country, and I fully expect Janet Dorozynski will discuss. But there is very much to look forward to — and reason to plan a trip to the vineyards of Quebec.