The St. David's Bench Vineyard combines an excellent microclimate, the finest vitis vinifera grape varieties and advanced viticultural techniques to produce rich wines of concentration and superior varietal character.
Please note: Prices include bottle deposit
 2005 Chardonnay,
St. David's Bench Vineyard
(V.Q.A. Niagara Peninsula)
Château des Charmes Chardonnay, St. David's Bench Vineyard is barrel fermented and aged "sur lie" for one year in new French oak barrels. The resulting wine is full-bodied, combining flavours of tropical fruit and melon in a concentrated, buttery style. This is an age worthy Chardonnay that will continue to develop for a few years in the bottle. 510 cases produced. Harvested September 19, 2005.
Food Pairings
This wine is an exceptional match for any poultry, thick cream pasta, or rich seafood dish.
Sugar Content (0) Retail Price $19.95
2006 Sauvignon Blanc, St. David's Bench Vineyard
(V.Q.A. Niagara Peninsula)
Château des Charmes Sauvignon Blanc, St. David's Bench Vineyard is smooth on the palate, exhibiting flavours of gooseberry and citrus fruit with an herbal note on the finish. A refreshing and easy drinking wine that is exceptional with food or as an aperitif. 3144 cases produced. Harvested September 21, 2006.
“A slightly more full bodied, solid and intense style of sauvignon with pale silver, straw color. Generous green pear, lemon-lime, black pepper, green pepper and fennel on the nose, Quite ripe, soft, almost opulent style (from the warmer St. Davids Bench appellation) with 13.5% alcohol. Very good length.”
- David Lawrason, winerytohome.com, April, 2007
Food Pairings
This wine pairs very well with a number of dishes but makes an excellent match with herb chicken or cream pasta dishes.
Awards
Canadian Wine Awards, 2007 – Bronze
Ontario Wine Awards, 2007 – Bronze
Sugar Content (0) Retail Price $15.95
2006 Gewürztraminer, St. David's Bench Vineyard
(V.Q.A. Niagara Peninsula)
Château des Charmes Gewürztraminer, St. David's Bench Vineyard has a light gold colour with an exotic bouquet of tropical fruits and lychee spice. Smooth and rich with a distinctive and complex finish. This wine is very rare and is produced only in exceptional vintages. 978 cases produced. Harvested October 8, 2006.
“I'm a sucker for the exotic, lush aromas of spicy lychee nut in this Alsatian-style gewurz. The palate reveals ripe, sweetish tropical fruit to go with more lychee. A glorious wine and perfect for spicy Asian food.”
– Rick VanSickle, Toronto Sun, June 2008
“I've tasted a number of very good Niagara Gewürztraminers recently, all from the 2006 vintage, and it reinforces the view that this is a variety that producers there can make a name for themselves with. This is one of the best, a top-notch effort that's both luxurious and opulent, and disciplined and structured. The flavours are rich and complex and the fruit-acid balance is excellent. 4½ / 5 stars.”
– Rod Phillips, Winepointer, May, 2008
"...Gewurzt fans will be thrilled by its typicity, how it stays true to form without diverging from what you know and love about Gewurzt. The smells are reminiscent of a summer afternoon in the park: floral, in particular, rose petal with a very inviting spiciness. The palate is peaches, apricots and floral notes which cut through the mid-palate. The finish is rosy and spicy with a touch of acidic bite. Now you can't bring this to the park, but the backyard is a great place to experience this wine this summer ... better yet, pair with your favourite spicy food while you're out there."
– Michael Pinkus, OntarioWineReview.com, May, 2008
“Also nicely made is Château des Charmes St. David's Bench Gewurztraminer 2006 offering up classically aromatic notes of rose petal and lychee on a round, dry frame.”
– Beppi Crosariol, Globe and Mail, May, 2008
“Medium straw colour. Intense, complex, sweet, spicy, lychee-lemon meringue nose. Complex, fairly intense, well structured, medium-full bodied, very spicy, ripe lemon and lychee flavours with a long, lingering, surprisingly dry finish. Recommended. Best Buy.”
– Michael Vaughan, Vintage Assessments, May, 2008
“Always in the top echelon of Ontario’s Gewürzes! Alsatian in style and hugely aromatic, with lychee nut, rose water, honey, pineapple and grapefruit/citrus. It is full-bodied and semi-sweet with a honey/grapefruit-tinged finish. Perfectly suited for pad Thai or moderately spiced curries. 90 pts.”
– Tidings, July/August, 2008
“The Bosc family has always made one of the better, more Alsatian-styled gewurz's in Niagara. This sports huge aromas of musk, lychee, licorice and grapefruit/tangerine citrus. It’s full bodied (13% alcohol), notably sweet and almost honeyed on the palate. A bit soft, but has excellent fruit focus and length. Try curried dishes.”
– David Lawrason, winerytohome.com, July, 2007
Awards
Canadian Wine Awards, 2007 – Bronze
Food Pairings
Gewürztraminer is a perfect match with spicy stir fry and Asian food or on its own as an aperitif.
Sugar Content (1) Retail Price $19.95
2006 Viognier, St. David's Bench Vineyard
(V.Q.A. Niagara Peninsula)
Château des Charmes Viognier, St. David's Bench Vineyard is a rare vitis vinifera variety that originated in the Rhone region of France. It is a smooth, medium bodied aromatic wine with complex melon and citrus flavours on the palate with peach and almond aromatics. 790 cases produced. Harvested September 22, 2006.
“A mouthful of juicy peach, nectarine and quince, enlivened by bright acidity. Floral and spice notes weave through the wine, leading to the mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2009. 88 pts. Very good; a wine with special qualities.”
– Wine Spectator, May 15, 2008
“With the warm weather and a thirst for fresh, intriguing white wines, you could confidently start with this intriguing Rhône varietal with its subtle melon, citrus, dried apricot and white peach aromatics and fine racy acidity for food friendliness. Recommended. 90 pts.”
– Frank Baldock, Wine Express, Summer, 2008
"Melon aromas with some tropical fruit and a lot of swirling citrus. Nice mouth feel and tangy-fruity on the palate. A delightful white with grip and vibrancy."
– Rick VanSickle, Toronto Sun, July, 2008
“Highly aromatic and redolent of peach, marzipan, apricot blossom all in a restrained and elegant bouquet. The palate is bold and full-bodied with generous alcohol (13.5 percent), fine-tuned acidity and a long finish with no detectable oak. This makes a nice alternative to Chardonnay able to stand up to rich winter fare. 4 stars.”
– John Szabo, Vines, January/February, 2008
“This 2006 edition has a wonderfully ripe nose of green apple and peach. The taste follows the nose, but adds traces of citrus and tart pineapple core to this delicate unoaked wine. Best described as steely with a good mouthfilling finish….you could trek down to the winery and pick yourself up some for summer.”
– Michael Pinkus, Grape Guy, www.ontariowinereview.com, April, 2008
Food Pairings
Perfect as an aperitif or matched with seafood pasta, sushi, grilled fish or chicken.
Sugar Content (0) Retail Price $25.95
2006 Gamay Droit, St. David's Bench Vineyard
(V.Q.A. Niagara Peninsula)
In 1982, Château des Charmes' founder Paul-Michel Bosc, while conducting pioneering clonal selection research at his vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake, noticed a single Gamay Noir vine that exhibited some interesting and unique characteristics. Most noticeably, the vine shoots grew in an upright ("droit") position. Propagation of this single vine began immediately and culminated almost two decades later in the granting of international Plant Breeder's Rights to Château des Charmes. "Canada's first vinifera" was born. Gamay Droit produces grapes that ripen on average about ten days later than Gamay Noir with higher sugar levels and greater colouring matters. The result is a red wine with more body, alcohol and flavour concentration. 2156 cases produced. Harvested October 8, 2006.
“Very different from most Niagara or French interpretations of gamay — more depth, colour and, in this vintage, terrific balance. Paul Bosc’s best gamay ever. Very lifted nose of white pepper, twiggy-forest notes, cinnamon and florality. Medium-bodied, dense for gamay and well-balanced, with very spicy dill and rosemary flavours. Best 2008 to 2012. 90 pts.”
– David Lawrason, Wine Access, February/March, 2008
“This distinctive clone of Gamay (discovered at Niagara Peninsula's Château des Charmes) delivers bright flavours and has refreshing, food friendly balance. Medium-bodied and dry, it's great with roast chicken or turkey. 13 percent alcohol.”
– Rod Phillips, The Ottawa Citizen, March, 2008
Food Pairings
Pairs well with tomato sauce pasta dishes, red meats and barbecued foods.
Sugar Content (0) Retail Price $16.95.
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon, St. David's Bench Vineyard
(V.Q.A. Niagara Peninsula)
Château des Charmes Cabernet Sauvignon, St. David's Bench Vineyard undergoes temperature controlled fermentation and is aged for one year in French oak barrels. The resulting wine has a deep ruby colour and a bouquet of cassis and bell pepper. It is full bodied and complex, possessing classic varietal flavours. This wine is ready to drink now, but will continue to develop in the bottle for 5-10 years. 491 cases produced. Harveted September 29, 2005.
“BBQ-ready with an attractive dark chocolate, spicy raspberry and cassis flavour profile, medium weight and with a lovely fresh berry core. Midweight and food friendly at 13% alcohol and only 491 cases produced, like all the Bosc wines, using sustainable agricultural methods “to let the wines shine through in the glass”, as they say. Recommended. 92 pts.”
– Frank Baldock, Wine Express, Summer, 2008
“This is deeply coloured, powerful, chunky cabernet sauvignon. Very ripe smoky, charry, chocolate barrel induced flavours with earthy, dried straw notes. Very full bodied, dense and youthfully tannic. Very good to excellent length.”
- David Lawrason, winerytohome.com, July, 2007
Food Pairing
This wine is an excellent match for any red meat or pasta dish.
Sugar Content (0) Retail Price $25.95.
2005 Merlot, St. David's Bench Vineyard (SOLD OUT)
(V.Q.A. Niagara Peninsula)
Château des Charmes Merlot, St. David's Bench Vineyard undergoes temperature-controlled fermentation and is aged for one year in French oak barrels. It has a purplish ruby colour and a bouquet of black cherry and dark chocolate. It is a rich, full-bodied wine tasting of cherry and cassis with a silky finish. This wine is very ageworthy and will continue to develop for 5-10 years after bottling. 359 cases produced. Harvested September 23, 2005.
Food Pairings
This wine is an excellent match for any red meat or pasta dish.
Sugar Content (0) Retail Price $27.95.
2005 Cabernet Franc, St. David's Bench Vineyard
(V.Q.A. Niagara Peninsula)
Château des Charmes Cabernet Franc, St. David's Bench Vineyard undergoes temperature controlled fermentation and is aged for one year in French oak barrels. It is a ruby coloured, complex wine with flavours of raspberry and pipe tobacco. Although this wine is ready to drink, it will continue to develop in the bottle for five to 10 years. 750 cases produced. Harvested September 30, 2005.
“Look for a tightly wound nose with intriguing clay-mineral notes mixed with light herbs, fresh violet, vanilla bean and abundant fresh black fruit. Dry, firm, highly concentrated, full-bodied red with complexity — this is built to last. Give this solid mouthful of wine at least 3 to 5 years to come around and hold another decade. 92 pts.”
– John Szabo, Wine Access, June/July, 2008
Food Pairings
This wine is an excellent match for any red meat or pasta dish.
Sugar Content (0) Retail Price $25.95.
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