Tasted today after lunch at "Inn on the Twenty" in Jordan, Ontario. (05-16-05)

Gorgeous. 270 grams of sugar per L, 9% alcohol.
Golden, not quite browning with nice density. Synthesized apricot (dried and fresh, I can't tell which is stronger), caramel and honey. Touches of juicy Bartlett pear and candied fruit in the background. Despite all the sugar, its high/bracing acidity balances everything perfectly. Aforementioned acids give the welcome illusion of three dashes of nutmeg. There are very pure flavours here; it's thick, full and soul-warming. The finish was well past a minute, I lost track of time while raving about it.

A few bottles were unearthed at the winery after their renovations... 5 or so bottles remained after I convinced my father to pay $60 for one. Their Chenin Blanc vines died after the 2002/2003 cold shock, so this is the last vintage they will produce. I'm hoping we'll save it til 2015 or later, but chances are it'll be consumed within 3 years. Ontario LCBO/Vintages outlets have a few bottles left dotting store shelves, but not many. Pick some up if you can.

SJU, I've been to the winery 5 or 6 times and never tried a Chenin Blanc ice wine, even when tasting through the line-up with Brian Kelly. I did have the Vidal and Riesling, but it's been a couple of years since we've been there. How would you compare it to their Riesling? I didn't care ofr the Vidal at all.

Never tried their Vidal Icewine; I actually think they've stopped making it.

I tried the '02 Riesling last year around this time... never took any notes but I remember not thinking well enough of it to part with $50. That's the drag though, when you have such a saturated market and a budget, you have to be picky. Don't get me wrong, it was very tasty: all your classic dried fruit, moving in a peach/raisin direction, honeyed quality was emerging, very good acid for aging, but it just didn't strike me the same way the Chenin did. The CB had a much more professional touch to it; almost reminded me of a Sauternes or Tokaji - though considerably sweeter of course.

Mind you, a year for Niagara Icewines tends to do a world of difference. It was a pale yellow moving toward gold last time, I'm sure a lot of the richness has fleshed itself out by now.

Best Riesling Icewine I've had in Niagara comes out of a tiny place called Thirty Bench. Can't afford that stuff either... but then I won't be buying any more dessert wines though til I finish my Sparkling Riesling Icewine from Pillitteri Estates.

Been to Thirty bench many times. I liked their Riesling ice wine, but felt Hillebrand and Cave Springs did it a little better. Best ice wine I've ever had from Canada was the Vineland Estates Cab Franc.

Funny you mention Hillebrand - there's a new place that just opened called "Stratus". Their winemaker is JL Groux, stolen as you probably know from Hillebrand.

They've got a Riesling Icewine, but when I stopped in to taste they didn't have a bottle chilled and didn't feel like opening a warm one for me. They did charge 10 dollars for a flight of three table wines though.