This is POP or FLOP, where we taste test sparkling wines so you don’t have to! (Tough job, we know! 😜) This week we’re sipping 2027 Cellars 2013 Blanc de Blancs, a single vineyard Ontario sparkler that’s all about terroir. So, is this a bottle of bubbles you should POP? 💁 Or is it a FLOP? 🙅 Let’s see…
2027 Cellars is a virtual winery. Now you’re probably thinking “what the heck is a virtual winery?!” Well, by definition a winery is a building or property where wine is produced, so a virtual winery is a term for winemakers who don’t have their own winemaking facilities, and instead use someone else’s facilities to make wine under their own label.
2027 Cellars was founded in 2007 by Kevin Panagapka (the winemaker) and his wife Jodie. Their goal? To produce artisanal, terrior-driven, single vineyard wines from prime vineyard locations across the Niagara Peninsula. These small-batch wines come from 5 specific vineyard sites (this one comes from the Queenston Road Vineyard in the St. David’s Bench sub-appellation), and Kevin meticulously manages all the vines that are the source of his fruit. Grapes are hand harvested and fermentations take place using indigenous yeasts to allow for the most authentic expression of each vineyard’s terroir. We’ve heard tons of great things about this wine (thanks for the recco André! 🙌) and had the pleasure of meeting winemaker Kevin last week who amped up our excitement even further. So did 2027 Cellars Blanc de Blancs live up to the hype? Read on and find out…
Appearance
- Gold in colour, with a very delicate perlage (that’s a fancy French word for “effervescence” – or the stream of tiny bubbles)! 😜
Aroma
- Fruit forward, with a citrus focus on the nose. Very lemony with a touch of breadiness – almost like a fresh lemon pastry. Crisp yellow apple, bosc pear, and a mineral finish expressive of the St. David’s Bench soils.
Flavour
- Quite similar to the nose, we found the fruit forward nature of this wine made it incredibly approachable. But don’t mistake that for “simple”… it’s anything but! It’s a very focused (and delicious!) traditional method sparkling wine with a wonderful balance. The “bready” autolytic character that you associate with Champagne and other traditional method sparkling wines is definitely there, but acts as a backbone to the crisp and refreshing fruity character.
Food Pairing
- This wine is definitely a crowd pleaser! Serve it as an aperitif and we bet your guests will be asking for a second glass before the meal! Since it’s crisp and citrus forward serve it with seafood based appetizers or mains. And then crack open a second bottle for dessert. 😉
The Verdict?
- It’s … a POP! We struggle to imagine a person or situation where this wine wouldn’t work. It’s approachable, delicious on its own, fabulous with food, and a fantastic expression of the amazing cool climate sparkling wines crafted in Ontario. Grab a bottle… while you still can!
2027 Cellars Blanc de Blancs
$29.95
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