Hidden Bench Winery may be difficult to find (as its name suggests) but its wines are easy to recognize – just follow the paper trail of critical acclaim. This new, ultra-premium artisanal winery opened its doors in June of 2007 to critical raves and enormous demand for its wines. By the end of that first year alone, its Nuit Blanche 2005 had been named 'White Wine of the Year' and its 2005 Estate Riesling deemed best in its class at the 2007 Canadian Wine Awards.
The brainchild of proprietor Harald Thiel, Hidden Bench is dedicated to producing top-notch wines made exclusively with grapes from its three estate vineyards. Its Locust Lane, Rosomel and Felseck vineyards all lie within the Beamsville Bench sub-appellation. Each contributes distinct characteristics to the finished wines and all three are farmed under a code of sustainable agriculture. Guided by a non-interventionist and terroir-driven philosophy, Thiel and winemaker Jean-Martin Bouchard are focused on crafting top-quality Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling but also produce limited quantities of a few other varieties. In high demand and short supply, most of Hidden Bench’s wines are already on limited allocations.
Thiel and Bouchard’s dedication to quality runs deep. The two decided to postpone the winery’s launch by a whole vintage rather than release wines they felt did not merit the Hidden Bench name. The entire 2004 production was declassified and the unfinished wines were sold off, an expensive gamble that has paid off handsomely.
This uncompromising approach to quality has included the construction of a state-of-the-art winery which allows Bouchard to craft small-batch wines with the gentlest possible handling techniques. The winery was constructed with a green conscience, which is not surprising given Hidden Bench’s eco-friendly approach to winemaking. It uses geothermal energy for heating and cooling and it was one of the first customers to use Bullfrog Power, Ontario’s first green electricity company. Hidden Bench also contributes one percent of its gross revenues to environmental causes by way of a global environmental network called 1% for the Planet .
What can they deliver for an encore? VINTAGES is thrilled to present three wines from Hidden Bench’s 2006 vintage and one from the esteemed 2005. The Locust Lane Rosé, Estate Fumé Blanc and Estate Riesling 2006 carry the momentum that was started with Hidden Bench’s first vintage. The Estate Chardonnay 2005 is a great opportunity to experience its monumental debut vintage.
