A classic Thomas Bachelder wine, offering a great deal of value and overall Niagara typicity. Made from fruits sourced from various Bachelder single vineyards on the Beamsville Bench, including the famed Foxcroft and Wingfield vineyards, this wine consistently over-delivers for the price point. The 2023 has great texture, great energy, and great acidity. On the nose, a hint of Twenty Mile Bench perks you right up, but then brings you to orchard fruits. The palate is approachable and pleasurable with flavours of white peach, pear, yellow apple, lemon tart, a hint of white pepper, and obviously a lingering seasalt-oyster shell minerality we have come to know from the Twenty Mile Bench. A wonderful, versatile Chardonnay. (Carl Boucher, Nov 14, 2025). 

91+pts Carl's Wine Club | 92pts Rick VanSickle

A word from Thomas: Long, rich, yet lean! This Les Villages Chardonnay is sourced uniquely from our single vineyards on the Twenty Mile Bench and Beamsville Bench. We bottle this under the newer Niagara Escarpment VQA. Compact pear, apple, and lemon flavours intermingle; the fruit is beautifully set off with briny oyster flavours of sea spray and flinty minerality. With the fresh acidity to easily age a half a decade, it is gorgeous and bright to drink now — alone or especially with food. Great purity. All the classic elements of Bench wines — the sea-at-low-tide savouriness and stoniness and this, all with the class and lemon-oil flavour development of a ‘grand vin!’ A savoury, chalky, mineral viscosity lingers on the finish. 

A Word from Mary: Delicious oyster-shell finish!

I first tasted through the entire 2023 release from Bachelder in the Summer of 2025 with Thomas, and the Wismer-Foxcroft Parcelle Nord was my highest rated. To date it still stands as my second highest rated wine of 2025, amongst well over 1,500 Canadian wines.

I gave it 96 points and it took me right back to the 2019 vintage, which was one of the best years for Chardonnay in Niagara and one of my favourite Chards of all time. One the nose it is unmistakeably Twenty Mile Bench: authentic, pure, and very Wismer-Foxcroft to boot. If I had to describe this ultra distinctive nose, it would include chamomile, sweet lemon meringue pie, and a mix of white peach and lemon. 

The palate delivers a mix of texture, energy, intensity and complexity. Flavours include lemon meringue pie, zesty lemon, blood orange, and buttery warm croissant. Incredible purity and perfect weight on the mid-palate. The stoniness and flintiness grow into a salinity on the finish that altogether make this wine - once again - one of the very best Chardonnays in Canada and beyond. (Carl Boucher, Nov 14, 2025). 

A word from Thomas: The most classic ‘Fox’ nose possible: it should be trademarked! SO glad we isolated this northern part of the hill way back in 2013! This version of Foxcroft is all lemon peel stoniness. Elevated; long and endlessly exciting, green lime and stony sea spray, so true to itself! Pristine, glacial, firm stone on the finish.

A word from Mary: Lemon zest encrusted with Maldon salt.

198 cases made.

Many consider these top 7 rows of the Wismer Wingfield vineyard a 'Grand Cru' of Niagara, and the 2023 vintage definitely delivers on that expectation. This was one of the highlight wines of our Burgundy vis a vis Canada tasting in August 2025, and almost crushed the Meursault it was paired with (at double the price). This wine is hedonistic, powerful, lucious, and almost mystical. 

On the nose, aromas of jasmine, sweet lemon, white peach, golden apple, and a sequence of white spice and white truffle. The palate delivers richness, density, incredible complexity, and a stunning combination of citrus and orchard fruit. The finish is what makes this wine extra special: no other wine in the Bachelder line up has this level of complexity on the finish. Seashell, ocean spray, and shellfish come to mind to describe this saline and very satisfying finish. This is also the boldest white of Bachelder's 2023 portfolio. (Carl Boucher, Nov 14, 2025). 

95pts Carl's Wine Club | 95pts Rick VanSickle

A word from Thomas: The Hill of (Wismer) Wingfield, our micro-selection of the steepest part, always makes me reflect: “Does the Emperor have clothes?” I say: “Yes!”

When you come to the nose, there's an unusual purity here. It's almost magnetic. The nose is hidden, almost imperceptible, with a faint top note of anis-scented seaside minerals. Done with a careful use of wood, the slate and limestone is so long, focussed and stony, yet, for the moment, there's a hint of clove and truffle notes on the long finale. And, as we have seen the startling longevity of past Wingfields, we must look to the future with faith. Cellarable!

A word from Mary: Hint of lemon and white pepper nose.

158 cases made.

This is my first time digging into the Werner-York single vineyard by Thomas Bachelder, from the St. David’s Bench, although it has been made in at least one previous vintage. This vineyard sits right next to the famed Lowery Vineyard, which members have discovered in the past for it’s highly rated and elegant Pinot Noir. 

I am amazed with the flavour definition, chalky wet-stone-like texture, and complex finish. This wine is wonderfully structured with bright acidity and a stunning mix of citrus such as key lime, but also peach and yellow apple. The mid-palate is tightly knit, filled with tension, developing into a flinty and almost spicy finish. The finish is impressively long and I’m really looking forward to the next vintage. I think this vineyard deserves it’s own following, and is right up there in terms of potential with Bachelder’s other cult hits. 

A word from Thomas: The Werner-York Vineyard is a long stone's throw from the Lowrey Vineyard that we so prize for Pinot Noir. It, too, is on the Saint David’s Bench. The Werner-York Vineyard, thus, like Lowrey, makes wine that is lacy, chalky, and indescribably elegant – one in Pinot Noir, this one in Chardonnay! There’s a hint of pear on the nose mingling with crustacean seaside notes that seem more elegant, perhaps, than the peach flavours normally emanating from Niagara-on-the-Lake. And let's not forget the limestone vocation of the St. David’s Bench. It really shines through from the nose to the finish.

A word from Mary: Delivers the unique terroir of St. David’s Bench – different from the Vineland bench, but just as interesting!

119 cases made.

94pts Carl’s Wine Club | 94pts Rick VanSycle | 93pts WineAlign

An easy-going, ready to drink and approachable Pinot Noir with the structure and seriousness reminiscent of single-vineyard Bench Pinots. Mostly dark fruits like plum, hint of blueberry, blackberry and ripe crushed raspberry on the nose with violets and earthiness. The palate displays superb acidity with a nice mix of tension and roundness. The mid-palate has a good density, and the finish has a hint of saltiness and a great pulse of energy. I really love the price point of this wine. In my opinion, this is the most complete Villages wine of Bachelder's 2023 releases, and has everything I look for in a great Pinot Noir. (Carl Boucher, Nov 14, 2025). 

92pts Carl's Wine Club | 91pts Rick VanSickle

A word from Thomas: The Les Villages Pinot Noir is from the Niagara Escarpment regional appellation — we call it ‘The Bench’ — and it's a gorgeous, red-fruited, crunchy wine with cherries, raspberries, and even some super fresh small forest strawberry overtones. Although elegant, this wine is immense and lightly astringent and has a beautiful ageing potential. A great nose of durable red and black fruit shines, currently with cloves and spice behind. Lovely and rose-petaled, rich in the mouth, the striking acidity and the glycerine-silkiness surprises! The finish is long, with only slightly perceptible ripe tannins. Delicious and good right now, yet there is a huge potential for improvement for the next 5+ years! This wine still has much, so much, to give, to reveal! If you want to age a truly great Pinot Noir that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg — look no further! 

A word from Mary: Seductive raspberry and cherry tones.

Just like Wismer-Foxcroft, I can smell this wine from a mile away: it stands out. From a single block of the Wismer-Parke vineyard planted to an unknown clone, this wine wears it's name perfectly: everything is more and wilder than the Wismer-Parke wine. A little wild and meaty on the nose, with darker fruits and pronounced florality and earthiness. On the palate, the softness if absolutely amazing, with density and concentration. Flavours include dark raspberry, blackberry, red currant, and tobacco. On the finish, it's ironey, salty, and has a bit of black pepper and cloves. This tiny small batch of Pinot stands out every single time I smell it, and for every single sip. The 2023 version is one of my top favourite vintages from this special parcel. (Carl Boucher, Nov 14, 2025). 

94pts Carl's Wine Club | 95pts Christopher Watters | 94pts Rick VanSickle

A word from Thomas: Planted to an unknown clone, and grown on reddish, magnesium oxide-influenced soils, it offers up bright pomegranate and spicy rhubarb, luscious red raspberries over an amaro blueberry mid-palate. Bracing, with some wildness, and an almost Campari finish! It is a classy, elegant blueberry and tight-fruited meaty wildness. I love the roasted cool blue fruit flavours. And this super dark slatey finish. It has an evocative nose of small forest strawberries and raspberries. Umami-anise and an elegant wild mid-palate make for a majestic wine. Acidulated fruits like raspberries with glorious glycerine on the finish, wine from red-coloured earth. The magnesium oxide here imbues a savoury seashore salty finish to this gorgeous wine. Age this for at least another five years. It will improve that long and more.

A word from Mary: Cranberry orange peel. Amaro Campari, a herbal finish. Cranberry;, blackberry, rhubarb; rose petal. That's more than ONE Word from Mary :) But hey. a complex wine is a complex wine.

Another word from Mary: Takes this Vineyard to the next level

Only 71 cases made.

Lowrey might be one of the most iconic plots of Pinot Noir in the country, and was first planted in 1984 by Karl Kaiser. Thomas Bachelder has extracted a most unique and pure expression of this stunning terroir in the Old Eastern Block Pinot. This wine is elegance, finesse and purity at the highest level. The nose is all crisp bright red fruits, roses and violets with a beautiful stone and wet earth sense. The palate is crunchy and lifted by bright acidity, evoking classic Beane Burgundy Cru. Flavours of pomegranite, alpine strawberry, raspberry, orange peel, sage, and a hint of mocha. It stands out, with terrific texture and crunchy tannins that will resolve over time. Beautiful oak spice also develops on the back end. (Carl Boucher, Nov 14, 2025). 

95pts Carl's Wine Club | 95pts Christopher Watters | 95pts Rick VanSickle

A word from Thomas: It is hard for me to imagine a more perfect, evocative Lowry from the Old Eastern Block. Deep black raspberries, and a bit of super-ripe little forest strawberries deepen the finish. This wine has a great intensity of chalk, licorice, with deep black raspberry and slate on the finish. Over an otherwise red-fruited wine: in the mouth, there’s a pure taut line of fruit and terroir. Almost umami. Deep and long, old vines and deep roots meet limestone. Hence, there is an electric line of chalk, so polished and refined, but big enough to stand up to ‘La Grande Cuisine.’ Always an honour to work with these vines. An equal honour to taste these chalk-laden, cherried raspberries. Good now, better in eight years! Wow!

A word from Mary: This is a master class in wine.

118 cases made.

One of the most classic Niagara Pinot Noirs with everything you can expect from this great varietal. Expressive on the nose with aromas of crushed raspberry, red cherry, pomegranite, violet, and a slight hint of damp earth. The palate is soft but the tannins are present - yet not overpowering. The weight is absolutely perfect and the complexity is off the charts. The flavours are a great mix of red and dark fruits like wild raspberry, a hint of blackberry, red cherry, and the acidity of a rhubarb. The finish offers saltiness and an iron sensation that is unique to this particular vineyard. Oak spice also develops on the finish and increases the level of complexity. (Carl Boucher, Nov 5, 2025). 

94+pts Carl's Wine Club | 95pts Christopher Watters | 93pts Rick VanSickle

A word from Thomas: Wismer-Parke is one of the most original crus on the Vineland Bench. It is adjacent to Wismer-Parke’s ‘Wild West End,’ and facing the Hanck vineyard! Perhaps the finest Wiz-Parke we have yet dreamed into existence! A subtle, savoury, salty seaside feel with strawberries and other mixed red berries. The uniqueness of the dark, brooding, slightly herbal mouthfeel is palpable, with minty raspberries mingling in a supple saline, mineral, slatey finish. There is some slight bitterness on the finish, as well. The spice of the wood feeds into the deep umami woodsy complexity. Intense blueberries and raspberries. Perhaps the reduction from the soil is what offers us that sweet curl of rich cherry fruit with a slate and rust finish and faint notes of lavender and thyme.

A word from Mary: Rhubarb. Always my little Vampire.

A super expressive wine, blended of Gamay fruits from Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Escarpment. Very versatile on the dinner table - and very well priced, over-delivering on expectations in many ways. It has very well layered floral aromas with a hint of meatiness and dark fruits, Christmas spice and herbaciousness, showing both structure and fruitiness at the same time. The palate is soft and creamy, the tannins are not agressive but present, the weight on the mid-palate is absolutely perfect, and the fruit delivery of blackberry, black cherry and blueberry liquor is so well integrated with savouriness and smokiness. On the finish, oak spice like cloves, cinnamon and black pepper linger. This is a 'buy-by-the-case' type of wine. (Carl Boucher, Nov 14, 2025). 

91+pts Carl's Wine Club | 91pts Tony Aspler | 91pts Rick VanSickle

A word from Thomas: This Les Villages Gamay Noir has an incredible nose. But it’s not as simple as a synthesis of the Bench’s linear, muscled, darker-toned fruit, married with Niagara-on-the-Lake’s deeper colour and chunky fruit: this wine is just singing. It's got a beautiful high-toned cherry nose. Our Niagara reds often seem to have a sour cherry vibe, with a hint of the black Bing or Morello cherries. I recall when we hit the right blend, it was like: “Wow, that's a super-long, deeply fruited wine that makes me salivate with its juicy savouriness!” When we were doing blending trials for this “assemblage,” we were looking for the most honest representation we could find of Niagara, with the goal of making people fall in love with Gamay Noir! 

A Word from Mary: A gulpable, delicious, and yet ageable example (It will improve over 2 - 3 years in a cool cellar). #GoGamayGo!

Fruity, layered, approachable, very Four Mile Creek. (Carl Boucher, Nov 5, 2025). 

A word from Thomas: Bai Xu is just slightly south of Willms on Line 3. It is such an interesting comparison with Willms being planted in 1983 and Bai Xu in 1981. These old vines, along with the great viticulture by Jackson and Amy Bai, give an incredibly intense wine. Deep Morello cherry, some raspberry, some strawberry — the complexity here is unbelievable! It's an amazing wine that has richness and old viney-ness, but it still manages to lighten up and keep its good posture! We make Bai Xu in incredibly small quantities because the already-small vineyard got dinged in the cold winter of 2022. 

A word from Mary: Bumbleberry marzipan.

Floral, earthy, and more fruity on the palate than the similar 32% version, but more elegant, more finesse, and more feminine. It connects on the finish with the 32% with the salinity. A stand out! On the nose: fresh cherry, a hint of cranberry, bright raspberry and a light sprinkle of light purple flowers. The palate is pure, clean fruit expression with slight herbal notes. Raspberry, strawberry, a bit of cassis, and a hint of lingering white pepper and cloves. (Carl Boucher, Nov 5, 2025). 

A word from Thomas: Our second (!) Wismer-Foxcroft is 100% Destemmed! We decided to try this technique after years of using 30-34% whole clusters, while at the same time also experimenting with 52% W.C. The 52% experiment had more fruit and lusciousness, but also more of an ascorbic acid finish and less true stony terroir on the finale. With this in mind, we tried a new experiment to see how technique influences terroir: this 100% destemmed version is incredible, and tugs my heartstrings because it has so much drag on the finish. With so much weight and salinity, it's indescribable. I'm sure this is going to improve for 5 to 10 years — and maybe even hold for 15! We really didn't need another wine, but we did need to know what would happen if we destemmed Foxcroft! Same exact winemaking, same exact barrels but here we have a wine with more lightness and elegance. 

A word from Mary: Wismer-Foxcroft “Light” — a tighter, more elegant version when compared to the 32% Whole Cluster style.

Structure, complexity, black fruits, backbone, tannins, stickiness, bit of smokiness, lingering lingering lingering finish with classic Gamay spice....wow!

Compared to the 100% destemmed version of this wine from 2023, the earthiness, florality and tannins are much more present and obvious. This shows up more of a Beaujolais Cru level with more aging potential. More dark fruits here like blackberry and cassis, and the spice level on the back end is much more noticeable.

Like all the wines (red or white) that come from Wismer Foxcroft, there's also that very particular saline finish, which you will recognize if you open the two Wismer Foxcroft Gamays from 2023 side by side. (Carl Boucher, Nov 5, 2025). 

A word from Thomas: The wine that started it all, that made Mary and I fall in love with Gamay Noir in Niagara! We love Jordan, we love all of Niagara, but my word, this wine absolutely proves that the Bench in Vineland has something special, with its slightly reddish magnesium oxide-tinted dolomitic soils. Here we have that indescribable flinty-rusty-low-tide-salinity on the nose, before you even taste it! The deep-fruited savouriness of this wine makes you want to sip it slowly and ruminate on its mineral saltiness. When you go to take that second sip, you’re still ruminating on the first! 

A word from Mary: Deep brambly austere elegance.

Meaty, ironey, iodine, serious in terms of structure, super complex. (Carl Boucher, Nov 5, 2025). 

A word from Thomas: There's a lot of land in the Short Hills Bench sub-appellation, which butts up against The Short Hills provincial park. So here we have George and Hester Wiley’s profound older vines on what would seem to be the absolute flats — super far from Lake Ontario. Fairly late-harvested, we were able to get a couple of tons and ferment with wild yeast. There's a thick richness — a deepness of colour and a deepness of expression of extract. It’s got that same wild forest-floor-strawberry thing that we have going on everywhere in the 2023 vintage, but it's also got its own high-toned blueberry-cassis-black raspberry thing that really looks good for the future. This is from one of the original farming families of Niagara, of Ontario — we are very honoured to work with this fruit! 

A word from Mary: Chokecherry and marionberry dreamy fruit.

Darker, more structured, bolder, black fruits, mix of red fruits, very versatile in terms of delivery. (Carl Boucher, Nov 5, 2025). 

A word from Thomas: From the dolomitic limestone Bench, but this time, it's from York Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake, coming from Marty and Rachel Werner's place (they also have their own York Road bubbly wine venture!) The limestone soils and the 2023 vintage gave us a very beautiful, deft wine. Light in colour, with a beguiling nose of cherries, but there are darker black raspberry tones and a whiff of licorice on the finale. This wine is going to be absolutely explosive. 

A word from Mary: Black licorice and cool, linear fruit.

Elegance, finesse, different! I just had to include this stand out Gamay, and especially because it's the last vintage from this vineyard and old vines. A classic fruity Niagara-on-the-Lake Gamay with lots of substance. Cherry, cassis and raspberry are the main fruits on the nose and palate, with licorice and subtle but present spice. It's round, soft, and elegant...delicious! (Carl Boucher, Nov 5, 2025). 

30% Whole Cluster | Vieilles Vignes

A word from Thomas: This is the first of two Line 2 wines we made in 2023. Bator is / was located just west of Niagara Stone Road. Robert and Doris Bator, a lovely couple, along with their daughter Alyssa, turned us on to this vineyard a few years back. I'm sad to say that this is now a “silent vineyard.” After the hard winter of 2022, the Bator family squeezed one more vintage out of their vines — the 2023 — but then pulled it out last year. So, this Gamay Noir will be our last! The nose is of a beautiful cherry liqueur with something higher-toned, perhaps raspberries, but it's in the mouth that it really shines! Here, we have a dark curl of blue fruit — almost blueberry — poking through this absolutely savoury wine that makes you want to smack your lips. 

A word from Mary: Rich, focused blueberry.

Good length, meatiness, earthiness, and florality. (Carl Boucher, Nov 5, 2025). 

A word from Thomas: On line One, just outside ‘Old Town’ N.O.T.L., the Kirby Vineyard is right on the actual eponymous Creek. The soil is so sandy that the turtles actually lay their eggs at the northern end of the vineyard on the sand banks of the Creek. These are older vines. The wine has a deep, dark red and black fruit vibe, with a savoury edge of deep licorice and even a touch of baked strawberries. There is definitely a reductive tone to this wine, so it's a little wild and sanguine; a bloody or rusty, flinty tone that makes me think this is going to age well. Kirby is maybe not as immediately lovable as L’il Kirby, but boy does it have a seriousness that suggests it's going to last for a long time. 

A word from Mary: Petrol. There's a dark, mineral-fruited note here.

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Gamay — three beautifully crafted Les Villages wines that show just how expressive Niagara terroir can be at everyday prices.

2023 Bachelder Les Villages Bench Pinot Noir | 92pts | $34.95

2023 Bachelder Les Villages Gamay | 91+pts | $25.95

2023 Bachelder Les Villages Bench Chardonnay | 91+pts | $34.95

Three of the most expressive Gamays of the 2023 vintage — whole-cluster energy, destemmed purity, and Foxcroft finesse. A must-have for serious Gamay lovers.

2023 Bachelder Bator Gamay Noir 30% Whole Cluster🔥92+pts | $27

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2023 Bachelder Wismer Foxcroft 100% Destemmed Gamay Noir🔥93pts | $33

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2023 Bachelder Wismer Foxcroft 32% Whole Cluster Gamay Noir🔥94pts | $33

A masterclass in Niagara Pinot Noir from 94 to 95 points with three of the most iconic vineyards and blocks in the Thomas Bachelder portfolio.

2023 Bachelder Wismer-Parke Vineyard "Wild West End" Pinot Noir🔥94pts | $75

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2023 Bachelder Lowrey Vineyard Old Eastern Block Pinot Noir🔥95pts | $75

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2023 Bachelder Wismer Parke Pinot Noir🔥94+pts | $65

A trio of Niagara Grand Cru–calibre Chardonnays from Thomas Bachelder’s most celebrated parcels. 94, 95, and 96 points.

2023 Bachelder Werner-York Chardonnay🔥94pts | $45

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2023 Bachelder Wismer-Foxcroft "Parcelle Nord" Chardonnay🔥96pts | $60

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2023 Bachelder Hill of Wingfield Chardonnay🔥95pts | $75