Bachelder revisited: tasting through the 2023s from this important Canadian producer, who is mapping Niagara one vineyard at a time
It was great to take the opportunity to taste once again with Thomas Bachelder, one of Canada’s top winemakers. Geoffrey Moss, Rhys Pender, Jeremy Bonia and I had been judging at the WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada, and Thomas had lent us a couple of guitars for the week. When we returned them on the way to the airport, we stopped at the Bat Cave for a tasting, focusing on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but also bringing Gamay into play.
I’ve covered Thomas’ wines before in detail:
He originally made wine in three locations: Niagara, Burgundy and Oregon, which is quite a stretch. But in time, he began to see his mission as focusing on his home patch, in Niagara, and going deeper into terroir than perhaps anyone else has done before.
‘We were considered a Chardonnay producer rather than a Pinot producer,’ says Thomas, but he explained that if you have five hectares of each, you’ll be making much more Chardonnay than Pinot. This is because of the larger yields of Chardonnay, and the bigger yield in litres of wine per tonne of grapes (650 versus 550). And often to get the Pinot Noir, you have to take the Chardonnay, too.
We focused on 2023, when he made 9 Chardonnays and 10 Pinots. Thomas likes to taste across the Peninsula, starting off near the Niagara River (the border with the USA) and then heading west. Along the way, lots of factors influence the wines. Proximity to the lake is a big factor, and whether you are on the flats or on the bench. And soil type plays a role. ‘We are the new monks,’ says Thomas. ‘We have to figure out Niagara in real time.’ It’s exciting work diving into the sort of parcellation of site that is then reflected in the wines. And scale is an issue. For some of Thomas’ vineyard sources, he might separate out a few rows that are different, and bottle them separately.
For Pinot Noir he doesn’t use any whole bunch (he does with Gamay, extensively). Wild yeast ferments, no sulfites until after malolactic fermentation. And he only uses Burgundian barrels from Burgundian producers. Most of the wines have 20% new oak, but some have none.
What is remarkable about these wines is just how different they are. They are genuinely shaped by site.
PINOT NOIR
Bachelder Bator Pinot Noir 2023 Four Mile Creek, Niagara, Canada
12.5% alcohol. Sadly the Bator vineyard was ripped out in 2024, and so Thomas lost a classic Four Mile Creek source of Pinot, Gamay and Chardonnay. Fine clay ranging to sandy loam soils. No new oak. Aromatic, floral, raspberry, strawberry, showing some richness and intensity. Spicy, herbal, with nice precision. Has some warmth and spice. Lovely. 94/100
Bachelder Lowrey Pinot Noir Vieilles Vignes 2023 Saint David’s Bench, Niagara, Canada
12% alcohol. 1984, 1988, 1993, 1997 and 1999 plantings, nestled in the foot of the escarpment up against St David’s Bench. 20 months in new and used oak. Floral, fresh, silky and finely spiced. Lovely elegance here with sweet strawberry and cherry fruit. Supple, chalky and fine with redcurrant and cherry. So expressive with nice tensile tannins and acid. 95/100
Bachelder Old Eastern Block of Lowrey Pinot Noir 2023 Saint David’ Bench, Niagara, Canada
12% alcohol. Only the 1984 and 1988 plantings in this. 20 months in new and used oak. Floral and taut on the nose with redcurrant and strawberry notes. The palate is silky and fine with nice tension, showing sweet fruit with a bit of spicy tension. So layered and expansive. 95/100
Bachelder Wismer-Parke Pinot Noir 2023 Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara, Canada
13% alcohol. Planted 1999. 10 barrels. Red soils here: magnesium oxide and dolomitic limestone-influenced clay soils.. Supple and floral on the nose with red cherries and redcurrants. There’s some concentration here with bold black and red cherries, with a bit of grunt. Quite mineral and intense, but the fruit stays silky and layered. 95/100
Bachelder Wild West End of Wismer Parke Pinot Noir 2023 Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara, Canada
13% alcohol. Planted 1999. Four or five barrels. Very fine and floral on the nose with delicate, pretty, green-tinged cherry fruit. The palate is beautifully textured with delicacy and finesse. This has a beautiful purity and delicacy, and an amazing tapered finish. Such a lovely mouthfeel, with some chalkiness. There’s a finesse to this wine. 96/100
Bachelder Hanck Pinot Noir 2023 Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara, Canada
Hanck, which is just 20 metres north of Wismer-Parke Wild West End, is more regal, says Thomas. Planted in 2005, and owned by King and Victoria winery. There’s some warmth here with fine spiciness and some herbal hints. It’s warm, rich and has some stewed strawberry notes, finishing a bit spicy. Very likeable with sweet, rich fruit. 93/100
Bachelder Spencer-Morgan La Côte Nord Pinot Noir 2023 Vineland, Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara, Canada
At 175 m (this is as high as it gets in Niagara, in Vineland, this is Megalomaniac Winery’s best block. Lovely vibrant raspberry and cherry fruit with fine spices and some silkiness, framed with a bit of grunt and iron. So expressive, showing some mid-palate richness, but also a bright finish. Nice grainy detail, but the focus is on the sweet fruit. 94/100
Bachelder Ivy and Warren Saunders Parcelle ‘Haut’ 2023 Beamsville Bench, Niagara, Canada
12.5% alcohol. Organically farmed. Peppery and bright on the nose with some redcurrant and herb. It’s distinctive. Bright and peppery with tart redcurrant fruit and some cured meat savouriness, and even some blood and iron. Orange peel. 95/100
Bachelder Les Villages Bench Pinot Noir 2024
Fruity, direct, nice acidity, nice silky redcurrant and cherry fruit, with some salty notes, a touch of liqourice, and enough structure to frame the fruit. Such great balance to this wine. 94/100
CHARDONNAY
Bachelder Bator Chardonnay 2023 Four Mile Creek Niagara, Canada
No new oak. No limestone. Lovely weight and texture here. Pear, citrus, even a touch of peach. Nice layers of fruit with some ample pear and fig, but also some freshness. Stylish and quite broad. 93/100
Bachelder Cuesta Far East Man Chardonnay 2023 Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara, Canada
Lots of gritty dolomitic limestone. Fine and tensile with lemon and white peach, and a bit of grip. Nice acidity here. Tensile and refined with a grainy minerality. This is lovely and expressive with the limestone signature present. 95/100
Bachelder Wismer-Foxcroft Parcelle Nord 2023 Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara, Canada
So refined. Beautiful crystalline citrus aromatics with some honey and nut character alongside lemon and pear. A touch of oak, but also some lovely mineral character. Beautiful fruit expression here. Complete with some richness. 95/100
Bachelder Wismer-Wingfield Chardonnay 2023 Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara, Canada
Fresh and supple with nice tension to the pear and citrus. Has nice aniseed hints, with some fine herbs. Lovely acidity. Fine and pure. 95/100
Bachelder Hill of Wingfield Wismer Wingfield Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 Twenty Mile Bench Niagara, Canada
Focused and taut on the nose with lovely aromatics. Nice citrus and pear fruit as well as some white peach. Lovely fruit expression here. Good impact and weight. 94/100
Bachelder Ivy and Warren Saunders Parcelle Haut Chardonnay 2023 Beamsville Bench Niagara, Canada
Focused, fresh grapefruit and lemon on the nose. Some nice green hints. The palate has a slight saltiness, some sweet pear fruit too. Really distinctive. Finishes saline. 94/100
Bachelder Red Clay Barn Block of Grimsby Hillside Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara, Canada
Floral, fruit-driven and expressive. Bold and rich with bold, viscous pear, citrus and pear. Rich and textural with a touch of aniseed and sweet peachy notes. Lovely weight here. 94/100
Bachelder Frontier Block of Grimsby Hillside Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara, Canada
High limestone site, close to lake. Taut, refined aromatics. Lovely tension from the limestone. Beautiful citrus and white peach with real density. Real finesse and focus with tension as well as depth. Slightly salty on the finish. 96/100
GAMAY
Bachelder Baixu Gamay 2024 Four Mile Creek, Niagara, Canada
1981 plantings. 10% whole cluster. Little limestone. Supple and fresh with lovely red cherry and redcurrant fruit, showing lovely tension and directness to the fruit. This is really beautiful and expressive, finishing with a lovely tapering minerality. 95/100
Bachelder Haynes Street Gamay 2024 Creek Shores, Niagara, Canada
22% whole bunch. A vineyard near Jordan. Young vines, some limestone. Bench-adjacent. Lovely direct raspberry and cherry fruit. Nice density and fruit purity. Very fine. Lovely forward fruit here with volume and intensity. 94/100
Bachelder Wismer-Foxcroft Gamay 2024 Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara, Canada
25% whole bunch. Older vines. Fresh, aromatic, floral red currant and raspberry nose. Peppery and pungent. Fine, expressive and lovely. Juicy and expressive, with some iron and blood and lovely tension and complexity. Grainy but such finesse. 95/100
