Huff Estates

We arrived at Huff Estates - the largest and best established winery in the appellation - a little later than planned (damn you Google maps!), but happily so, because the brief, hourly, tour had just begun. We caught up to find the group looking at a room full of French oak barriques, filled mostly with the 2007 Pinot Noir and 2007 Chardonnay. A series of racks to one side held bottles of sparkling wine with their funny pop-bottle caps - these will be removed following the riddling stage, when the real corks will be introduced. The sparkler is expected to be Huff's future claim to fame: our tour guide told us that samples had been sent to a wine tester in France, who was unable, based on bubble count (!), chemical analysis and taste, to tell the Huff product from Champagne. A tale worth telling, as long the product doesn't let the story down...

We were led upstairs to the primary fermentation area, the made-in-Quebec stainless steel tanks carefully controlling pressure and temperature. Then, back to the tasting room - my favourite part of any tour. (As an aside, I'd be willing to visit a lot more museums if they ended the tour at a tasting room. Curators, take note!)

Here's what we found:

Huff Estates VQA Pinot Gris 2007
Light bodied, with aromas of melon, tropical fruit and grapefruit, if has a tart, mouthwatering crispness that's balanced with that tropical fruit coming back in the second taste. That citrus finish doesn't let go, and that's a good thing. The wine is made from 100% Huff Estate grapes. And we liked it, so much, that we bought a case to serve to our diners in the future.Huff Estates

VQA Lighthall Chardonnay 2006
This is an interesting blend of oaked and unoaked Chardonnays. There's still a hint of vanilla and menthol from the French barrels, along with some sweet spice. The taste is of butter, citrus and green apple. It's light bodied, dry and highly acidic. A nice summer patio wine, especially for those who like the Chards a little less oaky.

Huff Estates VQA Merlot 2007
The dark ruby colour gives a hint of the expected aromas, and they're certainly present: dark cherries, tobacco, black pepper and cassis. But the wine is let down by its taste - overwhelming sour cherry and a long sour finish. Give this baby a couple of years to grow up, and it may round out nicely.

Huff Estates South Bay Chardonnay 2006
This typical Chardonnay is oaked and the aromas and taste match exactly, with lots of vanilla and apple. It has a long, slightly tart apple finish, which nicely balances the oak.

Huff Estates VQA Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
This well-aged Cab smells great - tobacco, dark cherries and even plum. On the palette, its VERY tannic and has a lot of acidity, with a mix of dark and sour cherries and even a hint of chocolate. Extra dry, it has a long tannic finish. It's rich and challenging even for a lover of full-bodied reds.