The Wine:

Wismer-Parke is a single vineyard in the Twenty Mile Bench subregion of Canada’s Niagara Peninsula. The cool climate and limestone soils of the area are extremely well suited to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, producing rich and fruit-driven wines. The Pinot Noir vines were planted at Wismer-Parke in 1999. They are planted on well-drained silt, clay and limestone soils. According to winemaker, Thomas Bachelder, this plot would qualify as one of Niagara’s ‘Grand Crus’ for Pinot Noir

Further Info:

Thomas Bachelder and his wife Mary Delaney have produced high-quality, cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in three regions – France, Canada and the US – since 2009. They have now returned to their roots and are fully focused on making wine in Niagara and raising the profile of this region.

Years of making Chardonnay – in hallowed areas including Meursault and Corton-Charlemagne – have taught Thomas to be as low intervention as possible in his winemaking. Pressing of the grapes is therefore very gentle and fermentation is carried out with wild yeasts. Malolactic fermentation takes place in specially selected oak barrels, followed by an extended ageing period which makes the wines more integrated and elegant.

Les Villages `Bench` Chardonnay is produced from grapes sourced from the benchlands along the Niagara Escarpment, encompassing the sub-appellations of Short Hills Bench, Twenty Mile Bench and Beamsville Bench. It has a delicate tone fruit perfume and a beautiful textural quality on the palate. The single-vineyard ‘Wismer-Parke’ 20 Mile Bench Pinot Noir is beautifully poised and expressive, with flavours of plush red berry fruit, silky tannins and bright acidity.

As a long-time admirer of Beaujolais, Thomas Bachelder’s latest project is Gamay. The `Wismer-Foxcroft` Gamay 2020 is a single vineyard wine, made with 52% whole-bunch fermentation. Lightly oaked, on the palate there are flavours of bright red fruit, soft acidity, and subtle, elegant tannins.