“Single vineyard estate wines has always been the dream.”
Mason Vineyard Estate Wines
“The Mason Vineyard Estate wines are from my personal vineyard. They represent the answer to my question - what would happen if I could make all the decisions and bottle what I think is best off of this site?
In the early days, I made partial decisions and only took care of parts of the process – sometimes the growing only, other times the growing and the winemaking. These small lots are crafted from thousands of decisions that I made in the vineyard, in the cellar and when I could not sleep at night.
I hope you enjoy the attention that was given to the wine in your glass. Creating it was rewarding and fun.” — Kelly Mason, Winemaker & Owner
The Mission
Our mission is to create exceptional wines of site. Our winery purpose lives and breathes making wine to push our limits and show just how far Canadian wines can go.
The Difference
We believe that truly extraordinary wines result from applying all of a winery’s resources and attention towards making great wine while avoiding the distractions of conventional wineries.
This is an important differentiator between Mason Vineyard and other winery models which might focus on hospitality or tourism-centric activities and revenues. We believe that what it takes to produce beautiful and distinct wines is nothing short of fanaticism and relentless focus.
For a winery to pursue making beautiful, complex and highly expressive wines, it can only focus on one thing — growing and making great wine. All other activities are a distraction and detract from the outcome that we strive for.
The result is a strategically performance-driven winery designed to make great wine which sells out completely online and through reserved allocation, to the exclusive and passionate audience we have cultivated.
Mason Wines
From the start of this dream a decade ago, our goal has been to focus primarily on low intervention and wild ferment Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc wines.
Low intervention — is a philosophy where the winemaker works hard to avoid manipulating the wine during the winemaking process. Manipulations might include adding commercial products or high levels of sulphur that are typical of more volume, mass market wines. We don’t manipulate.
Wild fermentation — is the basis of natural wine; where the winemaker allows the wild yeasts from the vineyard site to ferment the grapes into wine, thereby avoiding the “unnatural” process of overriding the native yeasts with commercial yeasts. We wild ferment.
We believe that our site and other vineyards in Niagara are especially ideal for making the best wines in the world. It’s that simple. Incredible terroir produces exceptional wines and our terroir is second to none.
Our Winemaker, Founder, Owner
Winemaker Kelly Mason was born and raised in Montreal. Before establishing herself as a premiere Canadian winemaker, her career began in 2007 in the Carneros subregion of Napa Valley with an internship at Saintsbury Winery under a Burgundian winemaker.
After studying Winemaking at Brock University, Kelly continued her focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as an intern at Tawse Winery followed by Le Clos Jordanne.
Continuing on her focus, Kelly became a well sought after expert in Burgundian varietals which brought her to balance the head winemaker roles for Honsberger Estates for many years as well as The Farm winery for their five award winning vintages. During that time Kelly took on the role of assistant winemaker at the esteemed Domaine Queylus, becoming head winemaker in 2018.
Over the last decade Kelly has owned and farmed the now recognized Mason Vineyard; growing low-yield Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc grapes for a number of top tier wineries in the region including Domaine Queylus and The Farm.
In 2021 Kelly launched Mason Vineyard, her own winery dedicated to meticulously crafting exceptional estate, single vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc wines.
Mason Vineyard Estate — Current Release Wines for 2023
Note: Shipping starts mid June. Wine available for shipping in Canada only. Out of Province shoppers, shoot us an email at wines@masonvineyard.com
2021 ‘The Matriarch’
Pinot Noir | Unfiltered
Winemaker: Kelly Mason
Varietals: Pinot Noir
Vineyard: Mason Vineyard
Viticultural Area: Twenty Mile Bench
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Pick Date: October 8th, 2021
pH : 3.82
TA : 6.0
Alcohol : 12.5%
Sugar : <1.3g
Fermentation: Wild Ferment
Ageing: French oak, Burgundy barrels, two years in mainly neutral oak with use of second and third fill barrels.
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WINEMAKER JOURNAL: Pinot always asks the world of me. All summer, all fall. The interesting thing about 2021, was that the crops came in quite heavy.
The growing season was a bit wet, and the humidity was high. Never has Pinot needed to be properly shoot positioned, leaf pulled, checked, and re-checked more than in 2021. I kept passing through and leaf pulling a little more on the west side, opening the canopy to get better air flow and fight the humidity.
I green harvested in late August and then again in early September as the rains came. I dropped a lot of grapes to the ground; it was worrisome. Then the rains paused and those old vines made it through and we picked on October 8th, 2021. It’s always a relief to get those grapes off the vines and close the chapter of another Pinot growing season.
The grapes in tank were amazing to work with, the wild fermentation was textbook and it was instantly perfumed, classic, and I hope represents Niagara well. Rare is the vinification of Pinot Noir textbook. For once, in tank and aging, this Pinot was a dream.
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NOTES: With each new vintage of Pinot, I see the site more and more. It is rewarding. I recognize common denominators from vintage to vintage – tannins, structure, and spice.
Of course, there is always cherry and sometimes if I am lucky, like in 2021, a beautiful floral note on the nose. The vines are over 25 years old and a mix of clones 777,667,115. There is 15% new oak with the remaining barrels being older French oak barrels.
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TASTING NOTES: Medium cherry with a garnet rim. Aromatic, deep sweet floral characters (wild rose, violet) dominate, followed by beetroot, dried cherry and a delicate Chinese 5-spice note. Fresh on the attack, backed up by great weight and concentration. Impeccable balance. Tannin structure is suave and polished. Very elegant and classy.
Flavours of ripe dark berries, earthy roots, spice and wet stone. Great mineral persistence on the finish. While the 2020 vintage was a great expression of Pinot Noir from this vineyard, it will likely take some time in the cellar before it reaches peak drinking.
The 2021, on the other hand, is already so drinkable and delicious. It is generous, open and expressive; and while it will still hold well in the cellar, it is giving so much pleasure already that it would be hard to wait very long before popping the cork.
PRICE: $55 / Bottle
2021 ‘The Landed’
Cabernet Franc | Unfiltered
Winemaker: Kelly Mason
Varietals: Cabernet Franc
Vineyard: Mason Vineyard
Viticultural Area: Twenty Mile Bench
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Pick Date: November 1st, 2021
pH : 3.83
TA : 5.34
Alcohol : 12.0%
Sugar : <1g
Fermentation: Wild Ferment
Ageing: French oak, Burgundy barrels, two years in mainly neutral oak with use of second and third fill barrels.
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WINEMAKER JOURNAL: I can only tell you that I think these Cabernet Franc vines are special, I have no original clone/rootstock data on this block that links the vines to a great nursery, interesting clone etc.. All I know is that they were planted in 1998 .
Key to making great Cabernet Franc in Niagara is balancing the vine to ensure ripeness. We don’t want a heavy crop that stresses the vine when it tries to fully ripen the clusters, so to me, it is critical to monitor veraison and be ready to go in and cut out slower ripening clusters to alleviate the pressure on the vine.
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NOTES: The grapes were hand picked on November 1st, 2021th, just a little over 3.5 tonnes. In terms of the structure of the wine, 2021 was a slightly lighter year for Bordeaux varietals where the fruit was concentrated and the tannins were softer right from the beginning.
To preserve the structure and freshness, I chose to go completely unfiltered for this wine – so heads up, it will not be uncommon to see sediment at the bottom of your bottle. Given the vintage, the vineyard did its job to produce a solid Cabernet Franc – it is lighter than the 2020 and I would enjoy this bottle within 3-6 years..
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TASTING NOTES: An attractive crimson hue. Not quite brilliant in clarity, owing to being completely unfiltered. Not to worry, this slight cloudiness will gradually disappear as these last remnants of minute particles in suspension settle out of suspension in the bottle. Somewhat shy at present, the nose gradually opens up to reveal fresh raspberry and graphite with a nod toward florality, sweet woodsmoke, spice and tobacco leaf.
The palate is beautifully delineated by fresh acidity and well-managed tannins, and delivers flavours that closely follow the nose. A very pretty and ;stylish rendition of Cabernet Franc with great concentration and persistence.
This is classic cool-climate Cabernet Franc: elegant, medium-bodied, fresh and fruit-driven, with an intriguing savory grace note. Give this a year or two in bottle to see the aromatics on this wine really pop.
PRICE: $55 / Bottle
MORE WINES BELOW
2021 ‘The Outlier’
Cabernet Sauvignon | Unfiltered
Winemaker: Kelly Mason
Varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon
Vineyard: Mason Vineyard
Viticultural Area: Twenty Mile Bench
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Pick Date : November 1st, 2021
pH : 3.89
TA : 5.44
Alcohol : 12.5%
Sugar : 1.0g/L
Ageing: French oak, Burgundy barrels, two years in mainly neutral oak with use of second and third fill barrels.
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WINEMAKER JOURNAL: Here is the thing - I am not (yet) a believer in planting Cab Sauv (or other varietals that don't always overwinter well) in Niagara. It's risky to build labels, brands, and a following behind varietals that can't play the long game - that can't be depended on for long-term strategy. It can also get expensive to have to replant on and off over the years.
The challenge, as we often say, is that for every 10 vintages, only two or three will be great growing seasons for Cabernet Sauvignon (with replanting in between). So why did I make it? Really, I never would have. Except that I have a great site, with old vines, and knowledgeable customers who for the first time visited my vineyard and saw endposts with 'Cabernet Sauvignon' written on the plaques. This provoked a lot of really good discussions on the patio around Cabernet Sauvignon, my technical thoughts, their tasting experiences, notes, and questions on the wine identity of Niagara etc...
In all probability, 2021 will not go down as a strong vintage in Ontario for Bordeaux reds. I have always sold my Cabernet Sauvignon to other producers. In 2021, I had about a tonne on the vines, so although it was not a great vintage, it was not overcropped by any means. The summer discussions around these 25-year-old vines and what I would do with them one day made me ask myself, "why sell one tonne?". It's not really a revenue slam dunk. I thought it would be money better lost to learning. I was prepared to vinify and experiment and not bottle it at all, if need be. If I am truly going to rip it out soon, then I need to make a vintage or two from it first. What if it is really good? What if it could be great?
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NOTES: Mason Vineyard grew and vinified the 2021 and 2022 growing season. The goal was to learn, to see what the site can do with Cabernet Sauvignon (the vineyard has a solid record for Pinot Noir and Cabernet Franc). I wanted to learn to make Cabernet Sauvignon - who knows, I could end up back in Napa one day on a Collab...at least I could say truthfully, "did it, made it before". I will make it again in 2023, mainly because I have not purchased any replacement vines so there is no plan for ripping out. Plus, I need a couple of vintages to see what it does – perhaps a blend with the Cabernet Franc?
I wish I could tell you what is so special about it, what is different about it, but this isn't Pinot or Chardonnay, I don't have 10 vintages of experience and I don't even drink enough Cabernet Sauvignon to really get into regional specifics.
The vines are old, that's special, they are never a hassle each growing season. These vines have survived; with gnarly thick trunks with twists and turns from years of pruning by different farmers with different philosophies. I'll start to see what is special about that block with the next vintage and so on. I have two years of learning and life experience in every bottle, this is a slow process with lots of tiny inputs that unravel exceptionality slowly.
In terms of style, right or wrong, I stayed the course of my winemaking philosophy in 2021 - wild ferment and low intervention. We hand picked 2 tonnes on October 28th, 2021. The wine has been bottled and at the time of writing, I have not tasted it because it is bottle shocked. I need to sit down with a bottle and really taste it critically and technically. I won't be able to do this until June and my hunch is it will do well with a few months of bottle age. The 2022 is of course still in barrel and it's not too early for me to tell that this will be a very different wine from the 2021. It's deeper in flavour, texture and tannins. The 2021 from memory and notes, is really strong for the vintage - lots of fruit, subtle tannins, great balance and soft oak. It is pleasing and I'm going to enjoy casually drinking it.
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TASTING NOTES: Brilliant ruby hue. Tightly wound and a bit reluctant to reveal itself at the moment. The nose suggests cassis, cherry, cedar and wet gravel.
The palate is well-structured with good acid, firm but fine tannins and nice weight on the mid-palate. The flavours really come through on the lengthy finish with cassis, black licorice, kirsch, mint and cedar dominating.
This is a sophisticated, classy and restrained style of Cabernet Sauvignon that will reward mid-term cellaring. Lean and focused but with enough flesh on its bones to keep it from being hard or thin . Some time in bottle will help it fatten up a bit and round out the edges.
PRICE: $45 / Bottle
2021 ‘L’avenir’
Chardonnay | Unfiltered
Winemaker: Kelly Mason
Varietals: Chardonnay
Vineyard: Mason Vineyard
Viticultural Area: Twenty Mile Bench
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Pick Date : September 28th, 2021
pH : 3.72
TA : 5.45
Alcohol : 12.5%
Sugar : 1.3g/L
Ageing: French oak, Burgundy barrels, two years in mainly neutral oak with one second fill barrel.
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WINEMAKER JOURNAL: Why plant Chardonnay in my Vineyard?
Is that even a question? I have a lot of Pinot and Cabernet Franc already planted, but I wanted my own Bench Chardonnay. I did not ever want to have to source Bench Chardonnay from another grower. I wanted to grow it and make it. I wanted my own.
When I started out as an intern, I listened to and respected the opinions of other winemakers as they had direct experience. Textbooks and education are only a small portion of decision making in winemaking; so many decisions are influenced by experiential knowledge; working with the same blocks, in the same region, and with the same equipment. If you can keep these inputs more constant than variable, you can start to see the nuances of site and you can start to work with intuition. So, when someone once said, “Chardonnay from the Bench in Niagara is different – the clay soils and the slopes make a different style of Chardonnay; it’s lacy, it’s lightly layered, complex and lean.” I remember telling myself to remember this; I had only worked closely with sandier soils closer to the lake.
There was a small strip of vacant land on the east side of my property. It was beautifully sloped for drainage and always a bit warmer than the other areas. I should put in temperature loggers to prove it, but with time spent in those rows and an increasing number of harvests under my belt, I learned that when you farm, you just come to know your land: You can feel that things are early or late; areas are cooler or hotter; soils are wet and cold here and warm and dry over there. I knew this spot would work for Chardonnay. So not only did I plant Chardonnay on the Bench, I planted Chardonnay clone 76 – my favourite clone. Racy, fresh, good acidity, lean, and I think it works beautifully in Ontario.
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NOTES: Planted in 2018, Chardonnay clone 76 on 3309 rootstock, it was in its fourth leaf in 2021. We hand picked on September 28th, just a little over 2 tonnes.
The grapes naturally begin to lose their acidity the longer they hang and at the same time, they also increase in sugar (measured in degrees Brix) – making for a higher alcohol wine and a more challenging wild ferment (native yeast are not a fan of working in a ferment above 13.5%). Additionally, with young vines, there can be uneven Brix levels throughout the crop – some vines carry heavy crops thinking they can ripen it all and fall short.
Others are more conservative and produce less clusters, making ripening easy or even over ripening in some cases. So, you end up with a range of Brix numbers – this makes for a nice mixture in the tank. I prefer to pick earlier and have this unevenness in ripeness with young vines than to wait and have lots of overripe Chardonnay.
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TASTING NOTES: This wine pours a brilliant medium gold with vibrant hints of green that reveal themselves when the glass is swirled in the light. Expressive aromas of fresh golden delicious apple, ripe stone fruit and butter toffee.
Quite rich and broad on the palate but deftly balanced with a cleansing vein of lemony acidity and a bracing wet stone minerality. Impressively long, saline finish. Elegant and luxurious with seamlessly integrated oak. Top notch Chardonnay from such young vines. One can only imagine what heights this site will attain as the vines get some years behind them.
PRICE: $45 / Bottle
2020 Sparkling Rosé
Blanc de Noirs — Hors Domaine
Méthode Traditionnelle
Winemaker: Kelly Mason
Varietals: Pinot Noir
Vineyard: Mason Vineyard
Viticultural Area: Twenty Mile Bench
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Pick Date : September 11th, 2020
pH : 3.15
TA : 8.74
Alcohol : 12.0%
Sugar : 3.0g/L
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NOTES: I have this thing for Bench Pinot. I know I am not the only one. This Blanc de Noirs is from 100% Pinot Noir, Méthode Traditionnelle. It has a pretty pale pink colour with a nose of typical pinot floral notes, peach blossoms, and white flowers. For how young this sparkling is, the midpalate has a subtle creamy texture with notes of raspberry and meyer lemon with a tartness on the finish. I have held back bottles for a later release and I foresee with more time on lees, this sparkling will have enough weight to carry as a beautiful Brut Nature.
The Dosage: 2g/L of sugar / Blanc de Noirs
PRICE: $55 / Bottle
2020 Sparkling
Blanc de Blancs — Hors Domaine
Méthode Traditionnelle
Winemaker: Kelly Mason
Varietals: Chardonnay
Vineyard: Mason Vineyard
Viticultural Area: Twenty Mile Bench
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Pick Date : September 9th, 2020
pH : 3.11
TA : 10.42
Alcohol : 12.0%
Sugar : 3.0g/L
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NOTES: The only similarity in these two sparklings is a pretty floral note on the nose. This Méthode Traditionelle, Blanc de Blancs, has a marked nectarine note and a more subtle undertone of lanolin. The texture is round and already showing some weight, with a finish of star fruit and yellow apple. This is delicate and layered.
The Dosage: 2g/L of sugar / 2020 Mason+Bachelder Collab Chardonnay Frontier.
PRICE: $55 / Bottle
“A wine should express the land where it’s made.”