I’ve written about the wines of Domaine Queylus before. This winery, headed up by Thomas Bachelder, is making some of the most distinctive wines in the Niagara wine region. I met with Thomas and winemaker Kelly Mason to taste through the 2014s and the soon to be released 2015s. These are really impressive wines, and it’s always great to spend time with Thomas, who is a real thinker and has great insight into making terroir-expressive wines. ‘We try to render the vineyard into the glass,’ he says. And he means it. In 2015 Thomas and Kelly used less extraction, in response to shorter crops and more concentrated flavours in the grapes because of the very cold 14/15 winter. The 2014s are lovely wines, but the 2015s are potentially stunning.

Domaine Queylus Pinot Noir Tradition 2014 Niagara, Canada
This is fine, supple and savoury with nice cedar spiciness under the fresh red cherry and plum fruit. Has nice structure and a bit of grip, with good acidity and nice elegance. Fine spices here. 92/100

Domaine Queylus Noir Réserve du Domaine 2014 Niagara, Canada
There’s some supple sweetness here with fine red cherry and plum fruit. It’s quite mineral with good acidity and nice structure under the fruit. Has some elegance, and fine savoury detail. Grown-up Pinot Noir. 94/100

Domaine Queylus Noir Le Grande Reserve 2014 Niagara, Canada
‘This has a coiled spring in it,’ says Thomas Bachelder. ‘You want to cellar it.’ Has the two eastern blocks of the home vineyard and a big slice of Neudorf. So fine. Has some raspberry and red cherry fruit with good acidity. This is all about elegance, with lovely precision and weight. There’s a lovely acidity here, with a juicy freshness to the red fruits. This needs time but it’s really fine. 95/100

Domaine Queylus Pinot Noir Tradition 2015 Niagara, Canada
Very fine aromas of red cherries, herbs and spice. The palate has lovely freshness with a density to the cherry and raspberry fruit. There’s real concentration here with dense fruit but also some elegance. Has good acidity and some structure. This is a big wine that’s lovely, but will need time to come round. 94/100

Domaine Queylus Pinot Noir Réserve du Domaine 2015 Niagara, Canada
There’s some real elegance here with fine red cherries and plums. Supple and elegant with lovely focus, some fine sappiness and lovely integrated acid and tannic structure. This is really linear and focused with a lovely purity and potential for development. 95/100

Domaine Queylus Pinot Noir La Grande Réserve 2015 Niagara, Canada
This is beautifully focused and sweetly fruited with taut, compact, yet elegant red cherries and a fine silky texture. Everything is in focus, and there’s a real elegance. Such purity and focus here with a very fine structure. Massive potential. So elegant. 95/100

Domaine Queylus 7 Terroirs 2014 Niagara, Canada
A blend of all four grapes, just one barrel made, never marketed. Has some Chardonnay even! This is for the partners from Montreal, who wanted all the terroirs represented in it. Started with Pinot and added the other grapes. Spicy, cedary and dense with some warmth. Fresh with red fruits and some spiciness. Sappy and a bit herby. Grippy with some tannins. 92/100

Domaine Queylus 7 Terroirs 2015 Niagara, Canada
Lovely density with raspberries and plums and nice structure from the tannins and the acidity. Very lively and expressive. Lovely concentration weight and freshness with lots of everything. This is fun. A decadent wine. 93/100

Domaine Queylus Cabernet Franc Tradition 2014 Niagara, Canada
The Cabernet Francs all have some Merlot in them. This is really fresh and supple with nice sweet cherries and plums. Nice acidity and some fine-grained structure. Has some raspberry and some sappy herb notes. Very juicy and lively, with real elegance. 92/100

Domaine Queylus Cabernet Franc Réserve du Domaine 2014 Niagara, Canada
Juicy, fine, supple and elegant with fine red cherries and blackcurrant notes, with lovely juiciness and a hint of greenness that’s perfectly integrated. Nice raspberry freshness. Young but elegant. 94/100

Domaine Queylus Cabernet Franc Tradition 2015 Niagara, Canada
Very fresh and fine with supple red fruits and a bit of blackcurrant. Very expressive and supple with some raspberry. Very expressive and elegant with purity and a hint of meatiness. Lovely fruit here. So fine and pure. 94/100

Domaine Queylus Cabernet Franc Réserve du Domaine 2015 Niagara, Canada
Lovely juicy, bright blackberry and blackcurrant fruit with some raspberry freshness. Pure and quite elegant with nice brightness but also substantial concentration and weight. A hint of meatiness. Lovely. 95/100

Domaine Queylus Merlot La Grande Réserve 2015 Niagara, Canada
Such finesse here: bold and structured with lovely cherry and raspberry, plus some blackcurrant freshness. Has grip and good acidity with very fine structure and keen acidity. Substantial but elegant with real purity. 95/100

Domaine Queylus Chardonnay Tradition 2015 Niagara, Canada
Lovely freshness and purity with lemons, pears and fine spiciness. The oak (just 10% new) is well integrated and pure with lovely stony freshness and lemony precision. 92/100

Domaine Queylus Chardonnay Réserve du Domaine 2015 Niagara, Canada
Fresh, nutty and pure with transparent lemon and pear fruit. Has a nice mouthfeel with hints of wax, spice and fennel in the background. Nice purity and density here. Bright finish. 93/100

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