Stratus Chardonnay 2009 ($55, winery, 93 points) — A classic Chardonnay that stands among the best in Niagara including Hidden Bench Tete de Cuvee, Les Clos Jordanne, Tawse Quarry Road, and Southbrook Poetica. It was made in a true 50-50 collaboration between J.L. Groux and Paul Hobbs, all initiated in the winery, not the vineyard. Hobbs’s 50% included wild yeast fermentation and whole bunch pressing while Groux’s 50% included short skin contact, controlled yeasts and no whole bunch pressing. They found common ground in the oak — 100% French (part new, part older barrels) and 100% malo. The grapes for this cuvee were picked in November from vineyards planted in 1985 and cropped to two tonnes an acre (the lowest yield ever for this grape at Stratus). My, what a Chardonnay! A nose of brioche, pear, spiced apple and a riverbed of minerality. It is simply electrifying on the palate with golden apple, pineapple, pear and shaved citrus zest all wrapped up in an elegant, structured package that suggests a long life. The spices are integrated and nuanced with a bead of minerality running through the racy core of this gorgeous wine.