The Enigmas Archives | Norman Hardie WinesNorman Hardie Winery and Vineyard

Black fruit, licorice root and crunchy red berries come together beautifully in this Cuvée developed as the perfect accompaniment to our wood-fired thin-crust pizza. Exuberant acidity keeps the palate fresh and lively. A quaffable delight!

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In 2016, our first vintage of "Tornado" Pinot Gris was a result of an unexpected Tornado warning just after we had loaded the press and started pressing. We rolled the press drum so it would hold the juice and skins, shut the power off, covered it with a tarp and rode out the storm. Once the storm had passed the next morning, we pressed the must and out came this beautiful, highly aromatic, slightly pink juice. The juice was racked and put in old barrels to ferment and age. Each year we follow the tradition of making this wine, fortunately not under the duress of a potential tornado.

This attractive slightly pink skin contact wine has a beautiful nose of fresh all spice and citrus. On the palate there is a delicate spicy, viscous quality without the wine being cloying. The wine is unfiltered and was bottled with minimal sulphur additions. Delicious anytime after 11am.

In 2016, our first vintage of "Tornado" Pinot Gris was a result of an unexpected Tornado warning just after we had loaded the press and started pressing. We rolled the press drum so it would hold the juice and skins, shut the power off, covered it with a tarp and rode out the storm. Once the storm had passed the next morning, we pressed the must and out came this beautiful, highly aromatic, slightly pink juice. The juice was racked and put to old barrels to ferment and age. Each year we follow the tradition of making this wine, fortunately not under the duress of a potential tornado. The wine is unfiltered, unfined and was bottled with minimal sulphur additions.

This attractive slightly pink skin contact wine has a beautiful nose of fresh all spice and citrus. On the palate there is a delicate spicy, viscous quality without the wine being cloying. Delicious on the patio watching the sun go down or with light summer fare.

Black fruit, licorice root and crunchy red berries come together beautifully in this cuvee developed as the perfect accompaniment to our wood-fired thin crust pizza. Exuberant acidity keeps the palate fresh and lively. A quaffable delight!

Hand harvested, hand sorted blend of 70% Cabernet Franc and 30% Syrah. Free run juice pumped back over skins and cold soaked overnight. Whole bunch gentle press. Fermented by wild yeasts in neutral oak barrel undergoing partial malolactic fermentation. Blend aged gracefully on fine lees in barrel, then spent an additional 6 months in stainless steel before bottling with minimal sulphur dosage.

A beautiful, dry wine in the style of fresh Loire Valley rose. Berry fruit, watermelon and lightly peppery nose, with an exhilarating palate of stony mineral notes, bright nervy acidity and refined texture. An excellent rose to drink by itself on a patio, or easy pairing with food.

A beautiful, dry wine in the style of fresh Loire Valley rose. Berry fruit and lightly floral nose, with an exhilarating palate of mineral notes, bright acid and texture. An excellent rose to drink by itself on a patio, or easy pairing with food.

Black fruit, licorice root and crunchy red berries come together beautifully in this cuvee developed as the perfect accompaniment to our wood-fired thin crust pizza. Exuberant acidity keeps the palate fresh and lively. A quaffable delight!

These grapes were the last pick of County Pinot Noir from the 2016 harvest. Norman Hardie decided to let the juice macerate for 48 hours on the skins prior to a gentle basket press, mitigating any green tannins. Fermented with natural yeasts in horizontal tanks; the wine was additionally aged in wide based steel tanks on fine lees for 18 months prior to bottling. It has been given an additional 12 months of bottle ageing prior to release. Each year we choose a cuvee where we push the viticulture and winemaking boundaries. Pushing limits is not always successful; our 1st Coteaux Hillier experiment has been a resounding success. Only 50 cases produced.

The pale peach colour is very enticing. Strong mineral notes on the palate with apricot and peeled orange on the nose. A White Wine that drinks like a light red wine!

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2016 was an exceptionally hot and dry year in the Niagara Peninsula, resulting in early ripening. Grapes were picked earlier than usual, as early as late September (early by Ontario Cab Franc standards!). Fruit was hand-picked and a portion was carefully destemmed into small one-ton fermenters, with about one third fermented whole cluster. Fermented with indigenous yeasts. 18-20 days on the skin in total: 6-8 day cold soak with 2 pump overs a day, followed by 7 day fermentation with maximum of 2 punch downs a day, remaining days gentle turning of cap once a day. The wine was pressed in small batches in a traditional basket press before being put to French oak barriques for 10 months. The new oak component being 30%, the rest being 2nd, 3rd and 4th fill. Natural malolactic fermentation, bottled unfined and unfiltered, with minimal sulphur dose before bottling.

An elegantly perfumed nose of classic cool-climate Cab Franc characteristics: deep red fruit, jalapeño, stony gravel and a touch of meatiness. On the palate an exceptional balance of firm tannin and bright acid, rich berry notes and a long, lingering finish. This is a versatile food-pairing wine.

2015 was a challenging year in Prince Edward County. After an unusually warm spring, and promising start to the season, we experienced a crippling frost at the end of May. Sadly, about 85% of our production was lost in a single night. Despite this cold event, the rest of the season saw warm, dry weather and the buds that survived produced beautiful, clean fruit. This Cab Franc was 100% destemmed into small fermentation totes and fermented using natural yeasts. Post ferment pressing in our basket press and put into 225L barriques for 10 months ageing. 30% new oak, 70% older fill.

This vintage shows the hallmarks of cool climate County Cab Franc: bright fruit aromas and flavours, vibrant acidity and firm tannin. Classic Cab franc notes of dark berries, subtle spice and a chalky characteristics reminiscent of the great Cab Francs from the Loire Valley.

Fruit was hand-picked and carefully destemmed into small one-ton fermenters. Fermentation by indigenous yeast and pressed in small batches in an old basket press. Aged in French oak barriques for 10 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with no sulphur addition.

This is a special bottling of our Cab Franc with zero sulphur addition. On the nose, violets, fresh black fruits and subtle bell pepper undertones. Juicy, crunchy palate with dark fruits and fine tannins. A beautiful, fresh, cool-climate Cab Franc.

Fruit was hand-picked and carefully destemmed into small one-ton fermenters. Fermentation by indigenous yeast and pressed in small batches in an old basket press. Aged in French oak barriques for 10 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with a very low sulphur addition right before bottling.

An elegantly perfumed nose of classic cool-climate Cab Franc characteristics: deep red fruit, jalapeno, stony gravel and a touch of meatiness. On the palate an exceptional balance of firm tannin and bright acid, rich berry notes and a long, lingering finish. This is a versatile food-pairing wine.

This County Gamay was picked mid October of the cooler vintage of 2014. The cool summer, but warm, dry fall produced fruit with wonderful phenolic complexity, while retaining lively acidity and freshness that are hallmarks of the County. The fruit was fully destemmed and fermented in small lots with indigenous yeasts. Pressed in our basket press post fermentation and aged in French Oak barriques for 10 months.

From a cooler vintage, this County Gamay shows aromas of bright red fruit, elegant floral notes and subtle spice. On the palate darker fruit notes, lively acidity and soft tannins; all followed by a long, lingering finish. A beautiful, fresh, county Gamay.

With its deep colour and rich flavours, this full bodied Cabernet Franc offers aromas of dark berry and a lingering finish. Don't be fooled by its rich palate, this wine comes in at a low 12.2% alcohol. Truly a wine that expresses both the soil and climate in the glass.

Not a wine for a first date! The darkest, inkiest wine we have produced to date, however don't be fooled by the rich colouring, the 2013 Zweigelt has a wonderful, youthful red berry nose. This is echoed by the palate with vibrant acidity and lively fruit notes.

Grown in a cooler year, this single vineyard Cab Franc displays the fresh acidity and bright fruit for which the County’s limestone soils are renowned. Hand-picked and carefully destemmed, this Cab Franc was fermented in small 1-ton batches using only indigenous yeast. Pressed in an old basket press and put into French oak for 10 months. This wine completed malolactic fermentation in the spring of 2014 and put to bottle with a very low sulphur addition right before bottling.

Wonderfully low 11.9% alcohol belies richness and vibrancy of this 2013 Cab Franc. The desirable cooler vintage has allowed us to craft a wine that has fresh acidity, lovely vibrancy and dark fruit; reminiscent of the delicious Cab Franc from Chinon in the Loire Valley, France. Truly a wine that expresses both the soil and climate in the glass.

100% Prince Edward County Pinot Noir. Destemmed into bins with 6 hours of skin maceration. Pressed into stainless steel. Fermented cold in stainless steel and transferred to older 500 l barrels for 3 months. No malolactic fermentation to preserve freshness and acidity.

With a subtle salmon colour this refreshing wine has aromas of fresh red fruit balanced with crisp acidity. Made in a classic French style, the palate offers great texture while retaining bright acidity on the finish. Suggested Drinkability Window: Now through 2014.

The grapes were harvested in mid-October, 2 weeks earlier than normal due to an early spring and wonderfully dry and warm fall. Hand picked at a welcoming 22 brix and a stable ph of 3.25. As the stems were beautifully ripe and brown, 35% were used in whole cluster fermentations. All ferments were 100% indigenous yeast, which explains the low alcohol (10.8%). Fermented on the skins for 21 days. While Cabernet Franc is often seen as a leafy and green wine, phenolic ripeness was achieved in the vineyard, which allowed us to make a rich and velvety wine.

The addition of a whole cluster component in the 2012 fermentation added a dimension of tension and old world Chinon structure. This wine shows lovely bright fruit on the nose that continues through to the palate. Suggested drinkability window: now to 2016.

Our soils most closely resemble those of the Loire Valley and Burgundy. It is natural that we grow and ferment our Cabernet Franc in a similar style to the great Chinon and Bourgueils. More so than with other varieties, we restrict the yields greatly in the vineyard so as to get full phenolic ripeness with no bell pepper greenness. Our Cabernet Franc is a County wine made from fruit grown next door to our estate vineyard. Harvested towards the end of October and wild yeast fermentation.

A wild fermentation contributed superb concentration and seamless texture. The bright acid plays with the limestone giving body and finesse. It combines the wonderful richness and texture of the 2010 and the elegant minerality of the 2009 vintage. Suggested Drinkability Window: Now through 2016.

Reviews

Tony Aspler

90/100

Deep ruby colour; on the nose, cedar and currants; dry, Chinon style with a sour cherry flavour and pliant tannins. Medium-bodied, firmly structured, unlike any Ontario Cabernet Franc I have tasted (no green vegetal notes here).