Beamsville Bench, Niagara

Martin Malivoire spent thirty years directing special effects for film and television. Then he bought a vineyard on the Beamsville Bench in 1995 and decided to grow wine instead. The switch stuck. Malivoire has made cool-climate Niagara wine on that same escarpment slope since 1996. It was the first winery in Niagara built to move wine from grape to bottle by gravity instead of pumps.

The winery runs on what it calls Planet, People, Prosperity, backed by certification under Ontario's Sustainable Winemaking Program. In 2021, WineAlign named it Winery of the Year, the same year it became the first winery in National Wine Awards of Canada history to win three Platinum medals in a single year. Malivoire has since earned a repeat spot in our lineup.

This box included six wines: Mottiar Chardonnay 2019, Courtney Gamay 2019, Pinot Gris 2020, Small Lot Gamay 2020, Old Vines Foch 2019, and a Melon de Bourgogne that only exists at Malivoire because of a case of mistaken identity. The vines were meant to be something else. Whatever arrived instead turned out to be the grape behind Muscadet, and the winery calls the original planting a happy accident, made every spring since. Pour it cold with a dozen East Coast oysters and the accident makes sense.

Malivoire Wine Company 2022 Subscription wines included in the monthly subscription

April 2022

MOTTIAR CHARDONNAY, 2019
COURTNEY GAMAY, 2019
PINOT GRIS, 2020
SMALL LOT GAMAY, 2020
MELON, 2021
OLD VINES FOCH, 2019

MOTTIAR CHARDONNAY, 2019

Tasting notes written by Tony Aspler.

Geographical Indication: VQA Beamsville Bench
Varietal: Chardonnay
Vineyard: Mottiar Vineyard
Alcohol: 12.5%
Residual Sugar: 0 g/L
Volume: 750mL
Cases Produced: 125

Appearance: White gold in colour.
Nose: Spicy nose of green pineapple, Granny Smith apple, and a hint of oak.
Palate: Medium-bodied, dry, beautifully balanced flavours of green apple and lemon with well-integrated oak. Lovely mouth-feel with a long, fresh finish.
Quality: Outstanding. Drinking beautifully now, but can be kept for four to five years.
Critic Rating: 91 points - Tony Aspler

Awards:
Silver - 2021 National Wine Awards of Canada


Food Pairing: Lobster mac and cheese, fried chicken and waffles with spicy maple syrup, old school fish and chips, salmon with lemon-dill sauce, and spicy peanut tofu with coconut rice.

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COURTNEY GAMAY, 2019

Tasting notes written by Tony Aspler.

Geographical Indication: VQA Beamsville Bench
Varietal: Gamay
Vineyard: Malivoire Estate Vineyard, Courtney Block
Alcohol: 13%
Residual Sugar: 2 g/L
Volume: 750mL
Cases Produced: 300

Appearance: Dense purple-ruby in colour.
Nose: Toasty, lightly peppery, black cherry nose with a floral note and cedary nuances from the large format oak fermentation cuves.
Palate: Medium-bodied, dry, beautifully balanced and fresh on the palate with cherry and raspberry flavours.
Quality: Outstanding. Drink now, but will hold for five years. A more sophisticated version of the Small Lot Gamay.
Critic Rating: 90 points - Tony Aspler

Food Pairing: Mushroom and shallot risotto, roasted butternut squash with butter and sea salt, vegan pasta primavera with creamy garlic cashew sauce, steak tartare, and spicy tuna handrolls.

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PINOT GRIS, 2020

Geographical Indication: VQA Beamsville Bench
Varietal: Pinot Gris
Vineyard: Malivoire Estate Vineyard
Alcohol: 12.5%
Residual Sugar: 1 g/L
Volume: 750mL
Cases Produced: 600

Appearance: Clear, bright. Very pale gold colour.
Nose: Green apple, lemon zest, peach, honey, hint of minerality.
Palate: Medium acid, medium body. Tropical fruit, mandarin orange, peach, green apple, honeyed note.
Quality: 89 points. Very Good+.

Food Pairing: Lemon and garlic butter-baked cod, crab ravioli with a white wine cream sauce, kale Caesar salad with chicken, coq au vin blanc, and spicy black bean and caramelized onion tacos.

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SMALL LOT GAMAY, 2020

Tasting notes written by Tony Aspler.

Geographical Indication: VQA Beamsville Bench
Varietal: Gamay
Vineyard: Malivoire Estate Vineyard
Alcohol: 12%
Residual Sugar: 0.6 g/L
Volume: 750mL
Cases Produced: 1,000

Appearance: Deep purple-ruby colour.
Nose: Spicy, lightly peppery, cherry bouquet with the merest suggestion of oak.
Palate: Light- to medium-bodied, dry, fruity, red plum and cranberry flavours carried on lively acidity and ending in a floral flourish of violets.
Quality: Very Good+. Drink now and through 2024. Malivoire is a Gamay specialist. Consistently, year after year the winery sweeps the medals in the Ontario Wine Awards in the Gamay category.
Critic Rating: 89 points - Tony Aspler

Awards:
Silver - 2021 National Wine Awards of Canada


Food Pairing: Cheese and onion-stuffed potato skins, bruschetta dusted with prosciutto, tangy barbequed chicken, pan seared duck with blackberry pan sauce, and fried calamari with lemon aioli.

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MELON, 2021

Tasting notes written by Tony Aspler.

Geographical Indication: VQA Beamsville Bench
Varietal: Melon de Bourgogne
Vineyard: Malivoire Estate Vineyard and Mottiar Vineyard
Alcohol: 12%
Residual Sugar: 0.6 g/L
Volume: 750mL
Cases Produced: 500

Appearance: Pale straw with a lime tint.
Nose: Citrus nose of green apple.
Palate: Medium-bodied, crisply dry, green apple and quince flavours with a light floral note on the finish.
Quality: Outstanding. An elegant wine for oysters.
Critic Rating: 90 points - Tony Aspler

Food Pairing: Fish tacos with lime-cilantro crema, seafood fried rice, kale salad with pecan vinaigrette, oysters on the halfshell with a dash of garlic, and pan-roasted chicken with French green beans.

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OLD VINES FOCH, 2019

Tasting notes written by Tony Aspler.

Geographical Indication: VQA Ontario
Varietal: Marechal Foch
Vineyard: Quarry Ridge Vineyard
Alcohol: 12.5%
Residual Sugar: 3 g/L
Volume: 750mL
Cases Produced: 740

Appearance: Dense purple in colour.
Nose: Spicy, cedary, blackberry bouquet.
Palate: Medium-bodied, dry, vanilla, blackberry, blueberry, and coconut flavours balanced with fresh acidity — and just a hint of tannin on the finish to give the wine structure.
Quality: Very Good+. Drink now or will hold for 5 – 6 years.
Critic Rating: 89 points - Tony Aspler

Food Pairing: Grilled salmon with dill, lamb burgers with tzatziki, roasted beetroot and broccoli salad, venison steak with red wine jus, and white pizza with garlic, potato, and gorgonzola.

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BISOUS BRUT, NV

Tasting notes written by Tony Aspler.

Geographical Indication: VQA Beamsville Bench
Varietal: Chardonnay (60%), Pinot Noir (40%)
Vineyard: Various Beamsville Bench vineyards
Alcohol: 12%
Residual Sugar: 4 g/L
Volume: 750mL
Cases Produced: 249 six-bottle cases

Appearance: Pale straw in colour with an active mousse of tiny bubbles.
Nose: Lightly toasty brioche nose of yellow apple and lemon.
Palate: Medium-bodied, dry, elegant, creamy, lemony flavour.
Quality: Outstanding. A delicious sparkling wine in Champagne style and a more affordable price. Drink now or can be held for several years (or the next family wedding!)
Critic Rating: 90 points - Tony Aspler

Awards:
Silver - 2021 National Wine Awards of Canada
Gold - 2019 National Wine Awards of Canada


Food Pairing: Prosciutto and brie crostinis, crispy fried potato pancakes with a dab of sour cream and caviar, toasted brown rice with mushrooms and thyme, alfredo pasta with grilled chicken and herbs, and crème fraiche ice cream.

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It was featured in April 2022.

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