Ziraldo Riesling Icewine Tasting

In September, as part the Senhora Do Convento wine tasting, I had the pleasure of meeting Donald Ziraldo and his wife Victoria to taste their latest Riesling Icewine. Mr. Ziraldo and his business partner/winemaker Karl Kaiser were the founders of Inniskillin Winery in the spring of 1974, the first new winery in Canada since prohibition. Together, Donald and Karl helped put Canada on the international wine map with Canadian Icewine. They also had an interesting book that I was introduced to titled "Icewine: Extreme Winemaking".

The 2014 vintage of the Ziraldo Riesling Icewine is the first Icewine produced from the Victoria Vineyard which was planted in 2007. This site was an original Inniskillin Winery site in Niagara-on-the-Lake. There are 5 Riesling clones planted on this site, and all are used in the production of the 2014 Riesling Icewine.

Tasting Notes:

ZIRALDO RIESLING ICEWINE 2014 - Estate Bottled, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (S) (375 mL) - $89
Lovely apricot, peach, and some tart lemon aromas which replay nicely on the full-bodied and slightly syrupy palate. A luxurious, rich Icewine made in a fleshy, plush style that has balanced acids and a long finish. Score: 90 pts

ZIRALDO RIESLING ICEWINE 2012 - Estate Bottled, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (S) (375 mL) - Sold Out
Sweet lemon, white and citrus aromas along with a mature hint of petrol. On the palate, it's light on its feet with citrus and orange flavours with finely tuned acids. The finish is medium-to-long in length. Score: 88 pts