Tasting Note This riveting sparkling wine was generously poured by Rosehall Run general manager J.J. Syer at the Thursday night opening night reception of the Canadian Culinary Championship, and the gathered chefs, culinary judges and dignitaries loved it, as did I. It poured mature, medium gold colour. The aromas and flavours are actually very rich, but then in came that fine County limestone tension and balance on the palate that lays in such a delicate foundation. The nose shows honey, sponge toffee and peanut brittle with baked apple, lemon and a tinge of earthy oxidation. Light to medium bodied, generous yet delicate in structure. The length is excellent to outstanding. Tasted November 2025 and January 2026.
Backgrounder Rosehall Run is one of the founding Prince Edward County wineries. The first vintage in 2004 was almost exclusively pinot noir and chardonnay. Today there are 25 acres of vines including pinot gris, sauvignon blanc, gewürztraminer, muscat and tempranillo. But sparkling wine has become increasingly important in the last decade, from bright, breezy tank-fermented Charmats, to serious traditional-method wines like Ceremony and this quite incredible Stardust, named for Mr. Bowie. The 2014 Stardust is the third release of this chardonnay/pinot noir cuvée. According to the website, the mild end to September 2014 “blossomed into one of the finest late seasons in over 24 years.” Tasting to determine the potential began in the fall of 2023, a total of nine years from the harvest. It was earmarked as a brut nature, or zero dosage sparkling wine. So, this cuvée spent 110 months in bottle prior to disgorging and finishing in July of 2024. J.J. Syer, shown here, attended every event at the CCC 2026, and the year before that, and the year….
