Tasting - Inniskillin Icewine

Name: Inniskillin Icewine

Variety: Vidal Icewine (Not Oak-Aged)
Region: Niagara Peninsula, Ontario
Country: Canada
Year: 2011
Price: $7.45 / 50mL bottle

Winery Review: Vidal is a hybrid (Ugni Blanc and Seibel) that has a thick skin suitable for harvesting late in the season. It is the grape grown most for Icewine in Ontario.  It’s good natural acidity gives great structure to the lusciousness of its tropical aromas and flavors of mango and lychee.  Inniskillin Vidal Icewine is made in two distinct styles: without oak aging for fresh fruit emphasis, and with oak aging for added complexity.

My Review: During a walking tour in Quebec City, our guide informed us about the fame and intricacies involving icewines; that the grapes are left on the vines late into the fall until the snows come and are crushed while frozen. This was probably the most expensive wine I've ever purchased, because at $7.45 for a 50mL bottle, that means a full 750mL bottle would likely cost well over $100. That said, they pretty much have a monopoly on this market, as the grape variety and climate combo is unique to a handful of places around the world, so I guess they can charge what they want!
On the nose, I actually got the aroma of stale cat pee. I was taken aback because I was expecting sweet fruit flavors like the baby bottle described. That said, the first sip was incredibly sweet, like children's Juicy-Juice boxes. The midpalate was a strong Welch's-white-grape-juice-taste, and the aftertaste completely changed into a honeyed, vanilla flavor. It was definitely an experience I enjoyed, despite being a roller coaster the whole way, and I savored this delight without food.