The Shortcut 2025 Chardonnay & Pinot Noir

The Shortcut is a vibrant blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir made from select vineyards with minimal intervention, whole bunch pressed, barrel fermented and aged for 8 months in neutral French oak.

TASTING NOTES

Appearance: Pale, golden straw
Nose: Floral, Nectarine, Lime, Strawberry, Lemon zest
Palate: Textured, Stone Fruit, Citrus zest, Strawberry, Raspberry, Fresh acidity
Finish: Fruit forward, Creamy mid-palate, Layered, Crisp, Lingering finish

Food Pairing:
Cheese Pairing: Goats cheese, Camembert, Brie

VINTAGE CONDITIONS

The 2025 growing season began with a cold winter, marked by persistent freezing temperatures and abundant sunshine. A few unseasonably warm days in March concerned growers about early bud break, but spring only arrived steadily by late April. After a cool start to May, the summer was exceptionally hot and dry, with a welcome cool spell at the end of August that allowed vines to recover from heat stress and achieve optimal ripeness. Dry conditions throughout September enabled harvest at ideal maturity without the threat of disease or rain dilution. Although yields were slightly lower, the vintage produced highly concentrated wines with excellent structure, while the Niagara Peninsula's signature cool-climate preserved freshness, balance, and elegance.

ABOUT THE SHORTCUT

On wilderness canoe trips, a portage is a land crossing that links one waterway to the next. Resembling a shortcut, its passage is often an ordeal that demands great humour as you drag canoes and gear across terrain better suited to mountain goats, to be rewarded with sublime lake paddling. It only qualifies as a shortcut when viewed on a map. This wine follows a similar philosophy: the most direct path from grape to bottle, crafted with intention and minimal intervention and stripped of the unnecessary. Aged on fine lees, it is crisp, refreshing, and perfectly suited to sunsets, campfires, and long stories about short cuts.
– Marlize Beyers, Winemaker

WHY CHARDONNAY AND PINOT NOIR?

Each variety was harvested at its ideal ripeness and vinified separately, following the same careful approach used for traditional‑method sparkling base wines. The only step left out is the second fermentation in bottle — the “shortcut” that gives this wine its name and its crisp, fruit‑driven style. Gentle whole‑bunch pressing of the Pinot Noir ensures minimal colour extraction, preserving delicacy while contributing subtle red‑berry aromatics without tannin. The final blend brings together Chardonnay’s bright stone‑fruit and citrus zest while the Pinot Noir brings juicy red‑berry notes and floral accents. Crisp, expressive, and wonderfully versatile, The Shortcut is a refreshing, fruit‑forward wine that pairs effortlessly with a wide range of dishes.

Sub-Appellation: VQA Niagara Peninsula VQA
Cases: 235 Cases