Henry of Pelham Cuvée Catharine Carte Blanche Estate Blanc de Blancs 2017

Description

I recall when this was first released into the world many years ago. It was (to my knowledge) the first sparkling wine made in Ontario that spent 54 months on its lees. It was radical at the time and thrilling to taste such a beautiful sparkling wine from Ontario. Henry of Pelham is not alone any longer in that arena, but it continues to turn heads. The 2017 vintage of Carte Blanche is easily among the best sparkling wines made in Ontario that I have tasted. Such an intriguing nose of brioche/autolytic notes, lemon cream, apple/quince fruit, an elegant bead in the glass and citrus zest. The crackling bubbles on the palate are invigorating with notes of baked bread/biscuit notes, lemon tart, pear, fresh salinity, and mouth-watering acidity keeping it clean and fresh through the lifted finish. Wow, just beautiful! [A wine that will continue to delight for another 6+ years.] Score - 95. (Rick VanSickle, winesinniagara.com, Dec. 26, 2022)