The Frugal Oenophile visits Cilento Wines


	*Wine Appreciation Through Education*

Harbour Estates Winery
4362 Jordan Road
Jordan Station, Ontario

Their love of Jordan Harbour and its beauty persuaded Fraser and Darlene Mowat not to pull up stakes in 1997. Instead they began replacing the fruit trees on their 30-acre fruit farm with vinifera grapes, and released their first estate-grown wine in the summer of 2000.

Under the guidance of recently-recruited winemaker Jeff Innes, the winery produces a number of fruit wines in addition to "approachable" table wines and premium red wines.

While I have not yet had a chance to visit Harbour Estates, I have had the opportunity to chat with Jeff Innes and to sample his wonderful wines. Here are my notes from a tasting we did in preparation for Fiesta Buckhorn.

Harbour Estate Wines Chardonnay Reserve 1999 - $22.95
Deep honey-gold with a hint of green. Sweet up-front oak, melon, citrus, vanilla, burnt caramel, and black olive aromas. Slightly sweet with loads of oak and apple. Quite juicy. Very full bodied with a long finish, fading to oak, and a pleasing tartness. Oak driven. Very nice.

Harbour Estate Wines Cabernet 2000 - $14.95
Full black cherry colour. Massive green oak, tobacco, slightly gamey - a full, awesome nose. Sweet fruits and firm tannins on the palate, rich oak on the back palate, caramel, and fruity acidity. Full bodied with good length. Well balanced with lots of fruit on the finish. Very rich. A vin de garde that tastes young right now. Well worth cellaring a few.

Harbour Estate Wines Chardonnay Reserve 1999 - $22.95
Deep honey-gold with a hint of green.Sweet up-front oak, melon, citrus, vanilla, burnt caramel, and black olive aromas.Slightly sweet with loads of oak and apple.Quite juicy.Very full bodied with a long finish, fading to oak and pleasing tartness.Oak driven.Very nice.

Harbour Estate Wines Chardonnay VQA 2000 - $12.95
Brilliant, pale, creamy golden-yellow with a touch of green. Nuances of lychee, spices, orange, lime, apricot, tropical fruits, and subtle oak in the background. Buttery with firm acidity on the back palette. Young, sweet fruit flavours, somewhat mouth filling. Oak shows on back palette. Full-ish bodied and quite long with a pronounced pleasantly tart finish. Grows nicely in the glass. Tasted from a tank sample: Needs age. A natural match for roast pork or beef.

Harbour Estate Wines Gewürztraminer 2000 - $10.95
Deep pinky gold, very bright. Lovely, delicate nose of perfume, honey, dried apricot and maraschino cherries. Good acidity, silky on the palate with luscious fruits and a touch of sweetness. Quite full bodied with a good, balanced finish. Colour and intense extract come form 24 hours of skin contact. An easy-going, everyday wine that is food friendly.

Harbour Estate Wines Meritage 2000 - $27.95
Black cherry colour. Oak and barnyard, blackberry, a touch of plums and green pepper, with almonds and chocolate bringing up the rear. Medium-full bodied with good length that slowly reveals the tannins. An excellent effort.

Harbour Estate Wines Premier Vintage 1999 - $26.00
Deep purple-garnet. Curious nose of vanilla beans and pickle juice. Downright sweet and chock full of berries. Good body, medium length. My first impression was one of disapproval, but it grew on me. Who would have thought a sweet, full-bodied red could be so yummy?

Harbour Estate Wines Riesling 2000 - $10.95
Pale lime colour. Intense aromas of pine needles and lime with a touch of rubber cement. Very racy acidity. Oodles of nippy fruits, smooth, bracingly fresh. Quite full bodied, long, tart and juicy with excellent balance. Although quite young, it's terrific now and would be tremendous in 4-5 years. Try with any type of pork.

Harbour Estate Wines Sauvignon Blanc VQA 2000 - ($15)
Brilliant very pale greeny lemon in the glass. Aromas include herbs and grass, gooseberry: intriguing. Sweet-tart, slightly gamey on back palate. Subtle fruits, quite friendly. Medium-light body and a bit short, but still good. Some oak in the mix. A nice surprise - sauvignon blanc for riesling lovers. Try as an aperitif or with light fish.

Tasting Date: March 4, 2002