So, I’m back today in the UK from spending time at harvest with Norman Hardie in Canada’s Prince Edward County. My sister and brother-in-law ask me where I’ve been. Do you have any of the wines? I find one: the 2013 Niagara Chardonnay. It’s just brilliant. It’s also lovely to be trying this wine in the UK after spending time watching the 2016 version being made. They are white Burgundy fans, and they love this.

Norm’s wines from Prince Edward County rightly get a lot of attention, but his Niagara wines can also be exceptional.

Norman Hardie Chardonnay Unfiltered 2013 Niagara Peninsula VQA, Canada
12.5% alcohol. Lovely mineral nose with a bit of matchstick and some spice, as well as a bit of mealiness. The palate has ripe pear and white peach fruit with a hint of mandarin. There’s also a lovely mineral core: it’s so detailed and precise with richness but also lovely precision. Such a vital, complex, lively wine, that’s right up there with the very best New World Chardonnays. Norm has absolutely nailed this. 95/100

This is available in the UK from the Wine Society cheaper than you can buy it from the winery! (£23)

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