Aging and Assemblage: A Look at Stratus Over the Years

Fall is absolutely beautiful in wine country, so it doesn’t take much of a reason for us to head out on the highway looking for wine adventure. However, if you need any added inspiration to get to Niagara, consider this: Stratus is offering a promotion on its latest releases of the flagship Red and White blends.

The 2010s, which will be featured in Vintages in November, will be selling for $44 a bottle. For the rest of October, the winery is featuring these bottles for $38. Run, don’t walk, and stock up on as many as you can.

Recently Erin attended a superb tasting & lunch looking at Stratus Red and White from 2005 to the most recent release of 2010, to see how these premium wines can age.

“We are pleased to make wines that will age years, but we know most people will drink it within two years,” said winemaker JL Groux taking a small group of media through the flight. But for JL, creating a wine for now and then offers the intrigue and challenge. “It’s easy to say, ‘oh, it tastes good now; but how will it taste in two or 1o years?'”

And that’s where the assemblage comes in. JL – who was educated as a winemaker in his native France – is, not surprisingly, a big believer in blends, à la Bordelaise.  “Terroir is more important than the varietal,” he insists, saying that his wines are blended through blind tasting. The 2009 Stratus Red contains 1% Merlot, and when asked what that 1% offers the final product, he admits  in his characteristically joyful way, “I don’t know; I just know it’s there.”

While the assemblage over the years has changed – the White, for example, started as predominately Chardonnay (as much as 59% in 2005), but by 2010 winemaker JL Groux had reduced the Chardonnay contribution to only 13%. Now, he says, “We believe it’s time to bring in more Chardonnay – reduce the Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. We don’t want to be known as aromatic, we want to be known as serious.”

While consistency is key to building consumer trust, JL says consistency is in the quality, not necessarily the taste profile. In a climate like Ontario, and with a winery that concentrates its efforts on sustainable, hand harvested wines, the art is in the assemblage, or blend, and depending on the vintage, varietals will vary. “Cabernet Sauvignon is superb in a warm year, but not consistent,” he says of the late-ripening grape which made up 42% of the 2010 blend but only 22% in 2009 . “We need consistency.”

Certainly each vintage has subtle, and not-so subtle differences in both Red and White. But as JL notes, their ability to age is most impressive. Here are Erin’s notes from the tasting – with the exception of 2005 Stratus Red, these wines should all still be available, though in varying quantities.

White

2010
32% Sémillon, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 25% Viognier,13% Chardonnay
A rich, fragrant and complex nose of peach, almond, popcorn butter, rose, bubble bath and coconut sunscreen followed by a round, creamy and floral palate that’s slightly bitter on the back with a warm finish. This could easily go until 2020 if you have the patience. 90 points.

2009
33% Sémillon, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, 18% Chardonnay, 16% Viognier, 4% Gewurtztraminer
The coolest and rainiest vintage since 1996, this pours deep gold with aromas of crunchy white fruit, floral, peach and clove and ginger spice. Full bodied and oily on the palate with rich flavours of mango and tropical fruits, rose water and bitter almond skin. Great concentration and depth of flavours that are sewn together with a lively backbone of acidity, this promises to evolve for the next few years. Don’t wait to long to pick this up, JL says it will be gone by the end of the year. 91 points.

2008
37% Chardonnay, 28% Sémillon, 23% Sauvignon Blanc, 6% Gewurtztraminer, 6% Viognier
Starting to show it’s age (“but in a proper way,” says JL) with tertiary aromas of butter, toasted nuts, creamed corn and an exotic floral bubble bath note the palate is creamy and elegant with spicy ginger, coconut and toasty notes. Orange oil, beeswax and lanolin flavours with a lingering finish. Quite enjoyable and a personal favourite of the flight. 92 points.

2007
46% Sauvignon Blanc, 28% Chardonnay, 11% Sémillon, 11% Gewurtztraminer, 4% Riesling
Subtle and not as expressive as the rest of the flight, it seems like 2007 is starting to fade a bit. Earthy. nutty aromas on the otherwise subtle nose with a weighty, full, oily palate. Flavours are starting to oxidize a touch, with roast nuts, field flowers, chamomile notes but holding onto a nice structural balance. 87 points.

2006
43% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Chardonnay, 16% Gewurtztraminer, 4.5% Viognier, 4% Sémillon, 2.5% Riesling
Pouring deep gold with lovely aromas of floral, lemon curd, hazelnuts and beeswax, this is rich and waxy on the palate with buttery, tropical fruit notes with lively, fresh acidity and fantastic weight. Showing real substance, complexity and class. 89 points.

2005
59% Chardonnay, 17.5% Sauvignon Blanc, 13% Gewurtxtraminer, 8.5% Sémillon, 2% Riesling
At nearly 10 years old, the nose is still surprisingly fresh with earthy minerality, faint citrus and a slightly cheesy funkiness.  There’s a great weight and creaminess to the palate, flavours stay in the nutty, tertiary flavours of dried apricot and orange peel, but quite impressive. 88 points.

Red

2010
42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 15% Petit Verdot
An elegant and vibrant red that shows the character and charm of the Old World with a nose of dusty herbs, cassis, spice box and macerated cherry. The palate is very Bordeaux-esque, with dried herb, cassis, freshly sharpened pencil, walnut and bitter chocolate. Firm tannins and bright acidity with a lengthy finish, this is drinking well now but will reward aging for another seven years. 91 points.

2009
42% Cabernet Franc, 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Syrah, 13% Petit Verdot, 4% Tannat, 1% Merlot
A beautiful nose of spice, cigar, dark fruit and peppercorn, this is certainly a cool climate red of elegance and class. Rich and plush on the palate with angular tannins and savoury flavours of soy sauce/beef bouillon, sandalwood, bitter chocolate and black currant flavours. Powerful and masculine yet still refined, it will be interesting to see how it develops over the next five years or so. 90 points.

2008
40% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
2008 must agree with Erin’s palate, because this is another top-scorer of the flight. Attractive aromas of red fruit, plum, black pepper spice and a mineral, saline edge, the palate is dense and plush with cassis, spice box, cedar, pencil led, red cherry and dried herbs. Elegant and enjoyable with fine tannin and fresh acidity, this has terrific length and can likely hold on past 2016 though it’s drinking really well now, so why wait? 92 points.

2007
40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, 25% Merlot, 5% Gamay
Aromas of subtle fruit leather: red cherry and currant, dried leaves and dusty herbs. Aromas follow through to the palate, which is soft and plush with bright acidity and a lengthy, savoury finish.  88 points.

2006
41% Cabernet Franc, 31% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 6% Syrah, 4% Malbec
2006 seems to be falling off, with oxidized aromas of black olive, sundried tomato and blood mixing with faint red cherry and herbal notes. The palate offers fine tannin and vibrant acidity with flavours of macerated cherry, red berries and spice notes. 87 points.

2005
48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot, 2.6% Gamay, 1.7% Petit Verdot, 1.3% Syrah, 0.4% Malbec
A fantastic wine that’s still drinking incredibly well at eight years of age, JL says he’s confident in the long term ageability of this wine. Deep aromas of rich, dark fruit, chocolate, and bramble berry pie, the palate has great concentration and complexity with bright fruit, mixed red and black berries and a savoury mineral edge. Soft, sticky tannin and a nice core of acidity with terrific length. 90 points.