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Anthony Gismondi on Wine
Bachelder Bai Xu Gamay Noirtext
91POINTS
16¾/20

Bachelder Bai Xu Gamay Noir 2019

Four Mile Creek, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, CanadaThe Bai Xu Vineyard is owned by Jackson Bai and family, and sits close to two main bodies of water, five kilometres from Lake Ontario and about four kilometres from the Niagara River. The vines, chardonnay and gamay, are considered old for grapevines, given they were planted almost 40 years ago. The soil is a mixture of loamy clay with some silt, sand and limestone, typical of the Four Mile Creek appellation. A lot is going on here, beginning with an outstanding freshness that lifts all the flavours along its linear path. The nose is savoury, and the fruit is led by intense, Bing cherry. Pretty, elegant, with some understated power and a complex deliciousness, and it is just a baby. This will only improve through 2029. Thomas and Mary Bachelder have been making chardonnay and pinot noir for others since the mid-’90s, initially for several domains in Burgundy and others in Oregon, Coastal Chile, and Niagara. The journey has taken them full circle to a point where they have decided to focus on Niagara wines as the region begins to get its footing in the real wine world.Tasted: 22 May 2021Tasted by: Prices:
ON$27.95750mlwinery online/direct
Producer: Mary et Thomas Delaney-Bachelder et FillesDistributors: Winery Direct
Grape: Gamay NoirUPC: 185729000811