Cave Spring Vineyard

2019 Riesling Icewine, Lincoln Lakeshore, Estate Grown

Author: Michael Alberty
Publication: Wine Enthusiast Magazine
Published: 2023
Rating: 96

Sip this brilliant Icewine to know how Winnie the Pooh feels when he discovers a new pot of honey. Imagine raw honeycomb, apricots, ginger marmalade, Meyer lemons and crisp yellow apples rolled into… Read More

A Canadian Terroir Story: Niagara Peninsula

2019 Riesling CSV, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: Sarah Marsh, MW
Publication: The World of Fine Wine
Published: 2023

... This differs from the Bench where the hard dolomitic limestone and heavier clays deliver more structure and tension... This was keenly illustrated in a tasting of Riesling at Cave Spring… Read More

2019 Pinot Noir Estate, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: Bill Zacharkiew
Publication: Montreal Gazette
Published: 2023

Very pretty Pinot Noir. The fruit is crisp and fresh, with notes of cherry and cranberry and a lot of floral lift in the nose. Nice balance between fresh and flesh on the palate. Hard to find a Pinot… Read More

2019 Riesling CSV, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: Carolyn Evans Hammond
Publication: Toronto Star
Published: 2023
Rating: 92

Every swirl… draws the scent of lemon pound cake into the bowl of the glass. Then, it zips in dry, crisp and invigorating. The attack tastes linear and lit, beaming in with precision. Mouth-watering… Read More

2019 Riesling CSV, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: Michael Alberty
Publication: Wine Enthusiast
Published: 2023
Rating: 93

From limestone-laced soils emerges this acid-driven gem of a Riesling. Petrol and honeysuckle dominate on the nose, with lesser ripe melon and slate aromas. The wine's Granny Smith apple and white… Read More

Savvy Shopper... Around the World

2019 Riesling Dry, Niagara Peninsula

Author: Bruce Sanderson
Publication: Wine Spectator
Published: 2023
Rating: 89

A trio of cru Beaujolais, a Spanish red, a Portuguese white and a pair of New World whites (one from Canada, the other from South Africa) caught our attention in the tasting room recently. All are… Read More

2020 Riesling Estate, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: Mark Squires
Publication: Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Published: 2023
Rating: 90

The 2020 Riesling Estate comes in at six grams of residual sugar, 7.8 of total acidity and 12.4% alcohol. Dry but perfectly balanced, this is a little sterner than the regular Riesling, but it never… Read More

2020 Riesling, Niagara Peninsula

Author: Mark Squires
Publication: Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Published: 2023
Rating: 90

The 2020 Riesling comes in with 16 grams of residual sugar, 8.7 of total acidity, 10.7% alcohol and a pH of 2.8. The acidity mostly gobbles up the sugar here, or perhaps it might be equally accurate… Read More

2019 Riesling CSV, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: Mark Squires
Publication: Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Published: 2023
Rating: 91

The 2019 Riesling CSV was partly aged in neutral French oak (about 45%, with another 5% also with skin contact) for 10 months, with the rest in stainless steel. It comes in with four grams of… Read More

2019 Riesling Icewine, Lincoln Lakeshore, Estate Grown

Author: Mark Squires
Publication: Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Published: 2023
Rating: 95

The 2019 Riesling Icewine was harvested frozen on the vine. It is unoaked and comes in with 245 grams of residual sugar, 14.9 of total acidity, 9% alcohol and a pH of 2.73, if you're interested in… Read More

2020 Pinot Noir Dolomite, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: Rod Phillips
Publication: The World of Fine Wine
Published: 2023

Lying somewhere between resolutely dry and mildly astringent, this is a lovely wine that shows a spectrum of cherry flavours accented with spices. The clean seam of acidity sharpens the tone of the… Read More

2020 Pinot Noir, Niagara Peninsula

Author: Michael Alberty
Publication: Wine Enthusiast
Published: 2023

Perhaps it will be time in a bottle or decanting, but this tannic beast requires taming. The wine's aromas of blackberies, lemon peel, pine needles and an earthy petrichor note lead into cherry, dark… Read More

2020 Riesling Estate, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: Michael Alberty
Publication: Wine Enthusiast
Published: 2023

Green apple and Asian pear aromas are joined by ginger, honey and a nice splash of petrol. The palate is more to the citrus, with flavours of lemon, lime, juniper berries, lemon basil, honeycomb and… Read More

2020 Cabernet Franc, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: Michael Alberty
Publication: Wine Enthusiast
Published: 2023

Dark, rich fruit aromas of blackcap raspberries and dark plums are joined by fresh-plucked, licorice-like Julia Child rose petals and a wee bit of garrigue. the wine's fruit flavours are just as… Read More

Elite US Wine Publication Lauds Cave Spring Rieslings

2017 Riesling Select Late Harvest, Lincoln Lakeshore, Estate Grown

Author: Mark Squires
Publication: Robert Parker Wine Advocate
Published: 2023

The 2017 Riesling Select Late Harvest is unoaked and sourced from partly frozen grapes on the vine. It comes in with 100 grams of residual sugar, 7.8 of total acidity and 13.1% alcohol. This has a… Read More

NV Blanc de Blancs, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: Robert K. Stephen
Publication: Set The Bar
Published: 2023

Cave Spring certainly exhibited its strength in 2022 for both red and white wines. How does the Blanc de Blancs Brut fare? Aromatics: Peach, pineapple, pear, guava, lime, butterscotch and almond… Read More

2019 Cabernet Franc, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: Robert K. Stephen
Publication: Set The Bar
Published: 2022

As for aromatics dense black cherry, cherry cola, blackberries interlaced with chocolate covered cherries. On the palate tannins are on the light side and the acids are well integrated into the wine.… Read More

2020 Cabernet Franc, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: David Lawrason
Publication: WineAlign
Published: 2022

This is a very well made if not highly demonstrative Cab Franc with perfectly ripened raspberry fruit and subtle herbal, celery seed and oak spice notes. It is medium bodied, fairly dense and… Read More

2020 Cabernet Franc, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: Michael Vaughan
Publication: Vintage Assessments
Published: 2022

This very tasty, still youthful, nicely structured 100% Cabernet Franc has a hefty 14.5% alcohol and 2 g/L residual sugar. A great match for tomato-based Italian recipes, it has a bright very deep… Read More

2019 Chardonnay Estate, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: John Szabo
Publication: WineAlign
Published: 2022

Really attractive nose here off the top from Cave Spring's Estate Chardonnay, showing a great mix of green and white fruit, minimal oak influence, well-defined acids, and very good length. I must… Read More

Celebrating Ontario's Top 20 Wineries of 2022

Author: Editors
Publication: Vine Routes
Published: 2022

Sustainably focused with a consistent quality track record, their Rieslings are some of the best you’ll come across in the country, but that’s not all they’re known for. You’ll find that they also… Read More

2020 Cabernet Franc, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: André Proulx and Michael Pinkus
Publication: Toronto Life
Published: 2022

There’s something going on at Cave Spring right now, and we’re here for it… This bottle brings fresh raspberry with subtle herbal notes buried under a torrent of dark fruit.

2019 Chardonnay Estate, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: André Proulx and Michael Pinkus
Publication: Toronto Life
Published: 2022

This is a simply stunning wine that delivers a bit of spice along with some richness that’s paired with nice acidity to keep it light on the palate. Thanks to a cool growing season, 2019 was a… Read More

Is Gamay on the Comeback Trail in Ontario?

2020 Gamay Estate, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: Robert K. Stephen
Publication: Set The Bar
Published: 2022

This was a Gamay with depth and many steps above a fruity and friendly moderately priced Gamay. On the nose raspberry coulis, Washington black cherry and milk chocolate predominate with a minuscule… Read More

Cave Spring 2020 Pinot Noir Dolomite: A Psychiatric Analysis

2020 Pinot Noir Dolomite, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: Robert K. Stephen
Publication: Set The Bar
Published: 2022

While in beautiful Beamsville last week I managed to stop in at Cave Spring’s new tasting facility. Very bright with lots of light steaming in and a marvelous view of vineyards through a wall of glass. It was quiet so there were no distractions except of course the blazing gold on the vines. Pinot Noir can have brilliant moments in Ontario, but they are rare and few. I have suffered through many tasteless attempts. Yes, there are a few winners in Niagara and Prince Edward County. So, I wonder what Cave Spring can do with its 2020 Pinot Noir Dolomite. Dolomite is named after the layer of dolostone that forms the cap rock of the Niagara Escarpment. The aromas clearly denote a Pinot Noir bloodline but very tight if not austere. Tightly wound strawberry, raspberry, Vermont North Hero Tudhope black licorice, Obidos cherry liqueur and a whiff of Mocha. On the palate the tannins are lurking but not pouncing. The fruit is tight as a nervous psychiatrist holding his copy of Jungian analysis behind his back. You have to lay the bottle on the couch and tell it to breathe deeply and relax i.e., decant! Once the subject is relaxed, we detect some high-toned and jittery cherry and repressed raspberry. Internalized rage of strawberry perhaps because mama clone ignored the grapes when they were tender buds? The diagnosis according to the DSM Psychiatric Manual indicates shyosis which in lay terms the wine is excessively shy afraid to admit its beauty relying on a further bit of ageing to bring out its full potential. Even more, simply put two or three more years in the bottle to meditate into adolescence and perhaps until 2030 to show its brilliance. And in this time frame expect a momentous Pinot Noir that will make mommy and daddy clone very proud of these grapes! The wine is a baby and thank goodness a pediatric psychiatrist is involved. This is a wine that deserves a case purchase and two bottles a year to observe its evolution. This is not a disappointing Ontario Pinot Noir. Read Less

2020 Cabernet Franc Dolomite, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: Robert K. Stephen
Publication: Set The Bar
Published: 2022

The last of the Cave Spring wine tasted on my recent trip to St. Davids Ontario was at their airy newly opened tasting room in Beamsville, Ontario. Apparently it is where the more serious wine crowd shows up including wine writers. It is bright and airy with lots of glass and great vistas of vineyards. Cave Spring 2020 Cabernet Franc Dolomite presents with a warm creaminess perhaps the result of the new 15% French oak. Absolutely hopping with black cherry and blackberry with some vanilla and Lowney’s chocolate covered cherry. Interesting as you don’t often encounter blackberry with Ontario Cabernet Franc. On the palate there is more tannin than one might expect with a Cabernet Franc and I say this without a frown. Again a slight difference as most Ontario Cabernet Francs while well made are not heavy hitters. This Cabernet Franc is big boned for sure but not massively so. We can label this a medium bodied wine. There is raspberry, strawberry and red cherry as well and with a little torrent of sour cherry tinged with pepper. The finish is broad and long. The wine should be decanted to loosen up its tight leg muscles. It needs a couple of years to reach its stride and will coast after that until 2007 nicely. The winery suggests food matches of roast fowl, mild sausages, roast duck, grilled steak, beef short ribs, vegetable lasagna and grilled portobello mushrooms. I won’t quibble with that although I am not so sure about duck and fowl but again it depends on how those dishes are prepared! For example Greek roasted chicken with potatoes in a lemon oregano sauce would kill this wine but a roast chicken with a beer, paprika and cinnamon rub might work very well. “Dolomite” refers to the type of limestone that forms the crest of the Niagara Escarpment. Overall more complicated than most Lake Erie North Shore and Niagara Cabernet Francs. It sells for $27.95 either at the winery/tasting room or online. It can be purchased in Europe and the United States through certain distributors. Check the website for distribution details at https://cavespring.ca. Read Less

2019 Chardonnay Estate, Beamsville Bench, Estate Grown

Author: Robert K. Stephen
Publication: Set The Bar
Published: 2022

When it comes to readily available white table wine from Niagara, Riesling and Chardonnay rule the roost. I have a challenging time with Ontario Rieslings for a multitude of reasons but not so with Chardonnay. Cave Spring was kind enough to send me a bottle of their 2019 Estate Chardonnay for review just before a wintery blast socked Toronto and Niagara in the face. The wine is from Beamsville Bench and I was just in their Beamsville tasting room a couple of weeks ago in 25-degree (Celsius) temperature with fall ending blazing gold everywhere. Now that wonderful image and equally wonderful Cave Spring Gamay, Cabernet Franc and Pinot Noir tried at the tasting room are but a very good memory. So what about the Cave Spring Estate 2019 Chardonnay that just missed travelling in a nasty snowstorm? Moderately gold in colour. On the nose pineapple, mango, South African tangerine, marzipan and peach with moderate oak notes. On the palate Greaves apricot jam, Sweet Israeli grapefruit, Niagara pear Galette, butterscotch and guava with a peppery finish. Beautifully integrated acids so important to sippable white wines. The oak influence in the wine is moderately high. Yes I could mention chicken in a tarragon cream sauce or a vongole pasta as a food pairing but you may find this matching well with Oka, Camembert and Canadian aged cheddar. As Christmas is creeping up if you are having turkey (with minimal cranberry sauce) this might be your choice. The winery suggests crispy shrimp, crab stuffed ravioli, grilled tempeh with roasted cauliflower, pan seared halibut and roast capon and I will not debate that. While the wine is sippable due to the oak influence after a glass it seems to call for food. Isn’t that what wine was invented for? $19.95 is more than a fair price for the wine. And given the jack up at The LCBO for California wine $19.95 may just be compelling. Ontario residents or those close to an LCBO in Quebec and Manitoba this Chardonnay is now just available in your Vintages section or you may order directly from the winery. European and American readers there may be a distributor in your country than can make this available to you. Check their website at https:cavespring.ca/ The wine is from the Cave Spring Vineyard on the Niagara Escarpment known as the Beamsville Bench. Limestone and clay soil. Chardonnay does particularly well in limestone soils. The average age of the vines is 31 years. 70% of the juice fermented in French oak and 30% in stainless steel with 10% of the oak new. Drink until 2030. Read Less