Illustration by Marco Cibola

It may seem preposterous to say that wines can emulate the personalities of those who create them. But wine­maker Marco Piccoli’s bottles radiate the same energy, charm and focus as he does. In the ’90s, when Jackson-Triggs was first establishing itself, it made oceans of inexpensive, poor quality wine. In this decade, they set higher goals. First, they recruited veteran Australian viti­culturist Frank Hellwig to improve the quality of fruit, sourced from 1,200 hectares farmed by contract growers and Jackson-Triggs’s own 100-acre Delaine Vineyard along the Niagara River. And then in 2006, they hired Piccoli to make the company’s VQA wines, some one and a half million bottles a year. Piccoli had attended wine school in his hometown of Udine in northeast Italy, worked a harvest in Argentina and earned a scholarship at Germany’s famed Geisenheim Research Institute before nabbing the top VQA winemaker job in Ontario. He credits his grand­father, a home winemaker, for the advice that pushed him in his career: “If you love something, then you must risk everything to go after it.” And it’s clear Piccoli loves wine—making it, drinking it and writing about it in daily journals he’s kept for years. Whereas most winemakers talk only brix (sugar levels), pH and yeast strains, Piccoli can also talk aromas, flavours and food (in four languages) with a sommelier’s sensibility. When he makes a wine, he considers not just whether it conforms to a textbook standard, but who might be drinking it, where, why and when. This balanced view is translating into some of the liveliest wines that Niagara has ever produced.

Jackson-Triggs 2007 Proprietors’ Reserve Sauvignon Blanc
$13.95 | Niagara Peninsula | 87 points
Marco Piccoli makes 10,000 cases of this non-oaked white every year, and it has improved markedly under his direction. He says he “designed it in the vineyard,” by picking some grapes early to capture zest and green notes, then picking others at full ripeness to fill in the body. It is fresh, crisp and zesty, with pear, lime and sauvignon’s trademark herbaceous character. LCBO 58438

SPARKLING

Jackson-Triggs 2003 Grand Reserve Méthode Classique
$25.50 | Niagara Peninsula | 88 points
Piccoli was still at oenology school when the grapes for this elegant sparkler were picked, but he did oversee the wine’s disgorgement, and decided on the dosage (how sweet to make the wine). It’s barely sweet, with terrific acid tension supporting the complex apple, honey and biscuit flavours. Wine Rack.

WHITE

Jackson-Triggs 2007 Delaine Vineyard Chardonnay
$20.15 | Niagara Peninsula | 91 points
This is the wine that Piccoli is proudest of. The more you swirl and aerate the wine in a glass, the more the ripe, almost tropical fruit comes through the spice, toast and vanilla of the new French oak. It also has a fresh herb scent that’s rare in Delaine Vineyard wines. Winery only.

Jackson-Triggs 2007 Delaine Vineyard Gewürztraminer
$24.95 | Niagara Peninsula | 92 points
This is a gorgeous gewürz; one of the best in Niagara, with a fabulous, exotic nose of lychee, apricot, cumin and fennel. This low-acid grape can make heavy wines, but Piccoli has brought some delicacy by finding a seamless balance between the alcohol and fruit. The finish blossoms with orange, lychee and pepper, and powers to outstanding length. Winery only.

Jackson-Triggs 2007 Delaine Vineyard Riesling
$19.95 | Niagara Peninsula | 85 points
This riesling is a bit blowsy and sweet, with overripe lychee and melon aromas, and a touch sour as well. It’s not as racy and nervy as most Niagara rieslings—a bit more acidity is perhaps needed. There is an interesting lime-like character on the finish, and the length is excellent. Winery only.

RED

Jackson-Triggs 2006 Delaine Vineyard Merlot
$26.95 | Niagara Peninsula | 90 points
The rainy harvest of 2006 created a lot of underripe, green-tasting reds from merlot and other Bordeaux varieties, making the ripeness in this example all the more remarkable. This shows lovely elegance and smoothness, thanks to the difficult technique of fermenting part of the wine in barrels, a softer environment than stainless steel tanks. Wine Rack.

Jackson-Triggs 2006 Proprietors’ Reserve Meritage
$13.25 | Niagara Peninsula | 87 points
Merlot dominates this three-grape blend. Indeed, this wine does have savoury, tobacco and earthy notes around the raspberry-currant fruit. Firm and a bit tannic, it’s like an inexpensive bordeaux. At this price and volume (15,000 cases made) in a difficult, underripe vintage, it is nicely balanced and well made. Age it a couple of years. LCBO 526228

SWEET WINE

Jackson-Triggs 2006 Proprietors’ Reserve Vidal Icewine
$45.95/375 ml | Niagara Peninsula | 92 points
When Piccoli arrived in Canada, he had never made icewine, and dreaded going to harvest that year. “It was so cold I thought I might perish,” he says. So no one was more shocked when his first icewine—the 2005 Vidal—won a Grand Gold at a major wine competition in Italy. Its successor is beautifully done, as well. Richly flavoured with papaya, orange, lemon and honey, it’s a masterpiece of elegance. Perhaps more than other wines, it shows off his gentle touch. Vintages. LCBO 594010

Jackson-Triggs 2007 Cabernet Franc Icewine
$74.55/375 ml | Niagara Peninsula | 95 points
This may be the best cab franc icewine ever produced in Ontario, with extraordinary purity and pitch-perfect acidity and tension, with aromas of roses, raspberry and tomato leaf. If you must pair it with food, mild chocolate would work, but it’s marvellous on its own. Wine Rack.