Stratus Red Blend 2021

Critically acclaimed and distinctly Canadian, Stratus Wines have become a benchmark of quality in Niagara’s vibrant wine scene. Nestled in the heart of wine country, Stratus Vineyards is a sustainable, design-forward winery rooted in low-yield farming, hand-harvesting, and obsessive attention to detail. The vineyard is divided into 35 blocks and planted with 13 grape varieties—from classic Bordeaux to Syrah, Gamay, Chardonnay, and aromatic whites—offering a dynamic range of complexity and style. Its prized clay-loam and gravelly limestone soils add depth and character. Winemaker Dean Stoyka, a Niagara native raised among vines and barrels, now leads the cellar with a passion for innovation, sustainability, and expressive, site-driven wines.

Bright and intense in color from extended skin contact, the nose is redolent of sweet cherry, strawberries, floral tones and baking spice.

The palate expresses the traditional elegance, complexity and balance of an assemblage with a dusty 'old-school attack and a dense mid-palate of ripe black currants, blackberries, licorice and aged leather. The finish is seamless and impressionable.

Harvest: November 18-25 Brix at Harvest: 25.1° 

This was a solid vintage following brutally cold temperatures and snowfall in February which caused some damage and reduced overall yields. Variable temperatures in the spring and a damp June were fortunately tempered by a hot and dry July and August. These ideal growing conditions persevered through a warm and lengthy autumn during the final stages of maturation. The vintage shows whites of complexity and freshness while the reds, as a result of lower yields and extended ripening, are layered, elegant and plush.