Pillitteri Estates Vidal Icewine 2017

Cellar for up to 10 years. Serve chilled.

The story of Pillitteri Estates begins in Sicily where the namesake family tended vines and made wine. In the 1940s 12-year old Gary Pilltteri and his father emigrated to the Niagara region of Canada where they later bought a small fruit farm. Despite the cool climate the Niagara region slowly started to become known for its wines, and the family planted their own wines and began experimenting with Icewine in the 1980s.

Today three generations of the family are involved in the running of the estate which has over 100 acres of vineyards in Niagara-on-the-Lake planted with both hybrid and classic cool climate grapes like Riesling and Gewurztraminer. This Icewine is made with fruit from the family’s oldest vineyards, with the fruit carefully assessed for sugar, acidity, and alcohol balance before it is deemed high enough quality.

The wine is made by allowing the grapes to freeze and then pressing them quickly to extract a juice that is high in sugar. The result is an opulent and intensely sweet dessert wine with a gorgeous light golden hue and enticing notes of candied citrus, ripe pear, lychees, and honey. On the palate there’s a rich, unctuous texture, smooth mouthfeel, and long finish with plenty of tropical fruit and spiced notes.