Featherstone Canadian Oak Chardonnay 2023 (Niagara) - Wine Review

Tonight's white wine review is a delicious, sustainable, and vegan-friendly Chardonnay that screams local as it was barrel-fermented and aged in Canadian oak barrels. This white wine returned to the LCBO as part of last month's October 11th LCBO VINTAGES New Release Collection and is widely available across Ontario, including at the winery in Niagara.

It is produced by Featherstone Estate Winery, an eco-friendly winery situated on 23 acres of rolling hills in the prestigious Twenty Mile Bench sub-appellation of the Niagara Escarpment. The winery was founded in 1999 by Louise Engel and her winemaker husband, Dave Johnson, and prides itself on their use of eco-friendly practices in the vineyard and cellar since the beginning. In 2024, after 25 successful years, Featherstone changed hands and began a new chapter under the ownership of philanthropist Rayla Myhal and businessman George Myhal.

The vision at Featherstone is to build on the successes of the past and continue to produce distinctive, small-batch Niagara wines that are cultivated in soils that reflect the biodiversity of the Niagara Escarpment. The philosophy at Featherstone has always been based on respect for the land which is at the heart of making wine that is true to its soil and site. Through biodiversity and reduced chemical intervention, Featherstone encourages an environment that is healthy and unique, as they believe that this individuality translates into their wines. As nutrients and minerals are exchanged and transformed in a give-and-take relationship between living soil organisms and plants, there is a mutually beneficial circle where the soil nourishes the vine, while farming practices nurture the soil. Since its founding, Featherstone has always prided itself on farming without the use of insecticides, and in 2023 they achieved their Sustainable Winegrowing Ontario (SWO) certification.

This white wine is crafted with 100% Chardonnay that was harvested on October 26, 2023. The grapes were machine harvested, crushed, de-stemmed, and then pressed into barrels made from Canadian oak that was grown nearby. It underwent alcoholic fermentation in barrels using wild, indigenous yeast, followed by 100% complete malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged for 10 months in 100% Canadian oak barrels, with lees stirring taking place on a monthly basis.

In 2023, rhe growing season was wet, dreary, and featured a smoke-filled summer, but was remarkably saved by a dry and warm fall. While the harvest was pushed back by as much as three weeks, most varieties that were harvested were in good shape, with a bountiful crop. Chardonnay was one of the star varieties of the vintage as it benefited from warm days and cool nights prior to harvest and developed vibrant fruit and juicy acidity. From a very good vintage, let's see how this 2023 Chardonnay from Niagara is tasting tonight...

Tasting Note:

FEATHERSTONE CANADIAN OAK CHARDONNAY 2023 - Sustainable, Vegan, VQA Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, Canada (#149302) (XD) - $24.95
Enclosed by Stelvin screw cap, the fragrant, medium-high intensity nose offers caramel, banana, and vanilla aromas surrounding a core of ripe tropical fruits, yellow apples, and creamed peaches. On the dry, full-ish bodied palate it has caramel, vanilla, buttery, yellow apple, and peach flavours joined by some toasty oak spice notes. It's well-structured with crisp and juicy acidity, while the spice notes give way to leesy minerals on the long, juicy finish. Recommended buy. Score: 89 pts

Many other delicious wines by Featherstone are available at the LCBO, while the entire portfolio can be ordered direct from the winery in Niagara.