2024 Mio Chardonnay

Our 2024 vintage will go down as one of the most challenging—yet most innovative—in our winery’s 20-year history. Faced with the crop loss at our home estate, like so many producers in our region, we had to rethink the season. Rather than seeing it as a setback, we dove in to the opportunity to explore and collaborate with our winegrowing colleagues in two exceptional cool-climate regions.

The wines from 2024 reflect not only the quality of the vineyards we worked with but also the camaraderie between our team and the industry peers we leaned on for support in a difficult situation.

We turned to Ontario for our Chardonnay, choosing a region that naturally aligns with the fresh, tense style we champion. This wine was sourced from the Mio Vineyard, farmed by Corey Mio and planted to twelve unique Chardonnay clones, offering both aromatic nuance and structural precision. The site’s cool-climate character and clonal diversity made it an exciting partner for our approach to Chardonnay.

WINEMAKER'S NOTES

In the glass, it shows a pale sun-gold, yellow-apple hue. The nose opens with gun flint and white florals, layered with lemon curd, pie crust, and Golden Delicious apple. Subtle notes of white raspberry, cream, and roasted pineapple add depth, while a whisper of buttered popcorn emerges with time in the glass.

The palate is lean at first, then broadens, balancing freshness and texture. Flavours of Gala apple, lemon zest curd lead the way, supported by a gentle touch of oak, a hint of butter, and a fine mineral thread. With its clean structure and long finish, this Chardonnay is delicious now and will reward 5–10 years of thoughtful cellaring.

TECHNICAL INFO

100% Chardonnay
Alcohol: 13.1%
Residual Sweetness: 1.6 g/L
pH: 3.48
Total Acidity: 5.7 g/L

• VINTAGE NOTES

  The growing season in Ontario started with a mild winter and no spring frost events. Spring was warmer than usual, prompting budbreak to occur a week ahead of normal. Ontario’s Summer and the bulk of the growing season was marked by above-average temperatures, with warm days and warmer-than-usual
  evenings. The region experienced a reduced diurnal temperature range, but this resulted in intense flavours and colour development in the grapes.
  
  The harvest season was favorable, with warm September temperatures and some humidity linked to extreme weather events. Despite some disease risk, especially for white varieties, growers who waited for their red varieties saw exceptional ripeness and good acid balance, reminiscent of the excellent 2020 vintage. October brought three days of rain, but overall, the season was dry. The 2024 vintage is expected
  to produce exceptional white wines marked by vibrant acidity and intense fruit character.