Fielding Estates is one of the first Niagara wineries to which I was introduced and one which I immediately gravitated towards. I first visited it soon after it opened, almost a decade ago, and their wines have been trusted friends ever since. I was first served tastings by Heidi in their start up Quonset … and a few seasons later, well, she was married to the owner’s son, Curtis, who together now run the winery along with the wine maker Richie Roberts.
Riesling, a more sturdy grape, is one of those vines that grows very well in Canada. But for as common as it might be, it is also a wine that runs the gamut of dry and more acidic to one which can be very fruit forward with a lot of sugar. That is the case with Fielding’s 2012 offering which is candied fruit from beginning to end. Indeed, I was a bit startled when I took the first sip, but I carried on as my palette adjusted to the sugar.
Once you get past the sweetness and the candied lime peel, there are some concentrated flavours of peach, golden delicious apple. What surprised me was when I paired it with a bit of bread and olive oil because some fennel and a bit of black pepper (spiciness) emerged at the end. Fieldling claims a nice acidic balance and while I won’t disagree, I think it would be more fair to say that there is some supporting acidity to balance out the fruit and sugars, but I wouldn’t say they were in actual balance.
Still, if a sweeter Riesling is your thing — Brent, are you listening? — then you’ll love this wine which comes at an excellent price point. Sipping on its own, it’s a bit much for me, but when truly balanced with the right foods, this wine quickly becomes very luscious and you won’t stop drinking until your glass is empty.
Stats:
- Price: $15.95
- Alcohol: 10.5%
- Appellation/Origin: Beamsville (Niagara Peninsula), Ontario, Canada
- Sweetness: medium
- Where to buy: LCBO
- Food Pairing: Exceptional with breads like focaccia and with with rich cheeses. Great with a fondu as a result, grilled cheese, or a roasted tomato soup with parmesan croutons or anything with roasted garlic predominating.
Rating: 87/100
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