“Single vineyard estate wines has always been the dream.”
Mason Vineyard Estate Wines
The Mason Vineyard Estate wines are from my personal vineyard. They represent the answer to my question - what would happen if I could make all the decisions and bottle what I think is best off of this site?
From the start of this dream a decade ago, our goal has been to focus primarily on low intervention and wild ferment Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc wines.
Low intervention — is a philosophy where the winemaker works hard to avoid manipulating the wine during the winemaking process. Manipulations might include adding commercial products or high levels of sulphur that are typical of more volume, mass market wines. We don’t manipulate.
Wild fermentation — is the basis of natural wine; where the winemaker allows the wild yeasts from the vineyard site to ferment the grapes into wine, thereby avoiding the “unnatural” process of overriding the native yeasts with commercial yeasts. We wild ferment.
We believe that our site and other vineyards in Niagara are especially ideal for making the best wines in the world. It’s that simple. Incredible terroir produces exceptional wines and our terroir is second to none.
I hope you enjoy the attention that was given to the wine in your glass. Creating it was rewarding and a pleasure.” — Kelly Mason
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Our mission is to create exceptional wines of site. Our winery purpose lives and breathes making wine to push our limits and show just how far Canadian wines can go.
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We believe that truly extraordinary wines result from applying all of a winery’s resources and attention towards making great wine while avoiding the distractions of conventional wineries.
This is an important differentiator between Mason Vineyard and other winery models which might focus on hospitality or tourism-centric activities and revenues. We believe that what it takes to produce beautiful and distinct wines is nothing short of fanaticism and relentless focus.
For a winery to pursue making beautiful, complex and highly expressive wines, it can only focus on one thing — growing and making great wine. All other activities are a distraction and detract from the outcome that we strive for.
The result is a strategically performance-driven winery designed to make great wine which sells out completely online and through reserved allocation, to the exclusive and passionate audience we have cultivated.
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Winemaker Kelly Mason was born and raised in Montreal. Before establishing herself as a premiere Canadian winemaker, her career began in 2007 in the Carneros subregion of Napa Valley with an internship at Saintsbury Winery under a Burgundian winemaker.
After studying Winemaking at Brock University, Kelly continued her focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as an intern at Tawse Winery followed by Le Clos Jordanne.
Continuing on her focus, Kelly became a well sought after expert in Burgundian varietals which brought her to balance the head winemaker roles for Honsberger Estates for many years as well as The Farm winery for their five award winning vintages. During that time Kelly took on the role of assistant winemaker at the esteemed Domaine Queylus, becoming head winemaker in 2018.
Over the last decade Kelly has owned and farmed the now recognized Mason Vineyard; growing low-yield Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Cabernet Franc grapes for a number of top tier wineries in the region including Domaine Queylus and The Farm.
In 2021 Kelly launched Mason Vineyard, her own winery dedicated to meticulously crafting exceptional estate, single vineyard Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc wines.
Mason Vineyard Estate — Current Release Wines for 2025
Shipping is included for 6 bottles or more in Ontario.
2023 ‘L’avenir’
Chardonnay | Unfiltered
Winemaker: Kelly Mason
Varietals: 100% Chardonnay, Clone 76
Vineyard: Mason Vineyard
Viticultural Appellation: Twenty Mile Bench
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Pick Date : October 10th, 2023
pH : 3.6
TA : 5.5
Alcohol : 12.5%
Residual Sugar : 0.8g/L
Fermentation: Wild Ferment
Ageing: French Oak, Burgundy barrels, 17 months in mainly neutral oak with use of second and third fill barrels.
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WINEMAKER JOURNAL: We’re now on the third release of L’avenir Chardonnay. As I write this, the vines have been in the ground for eight years. The 2024 vintage is quietly aging in barrel, while the 2025 growing season is already underway. Time moves quickly.
This is a special block—one that’s beginning to settle in. Yield and growth are becoming more balanced compared to its more unruly early years. This vintage is on par with last year’s Chardonnay. With no changes in the winemaking approach, I can’t help but wonder if the site itself is starting to speak—shaping a style that gently shifts with Mother Nature’s influence, yet remains anchored by the consistency of clone and place.
I’m beginning to notice recurring flavors and a distinct profile emerging from this block. It’s exciting to watch a true identity take form.
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NOTES: The 2023 Mason Vineyard Chardonnay was hand picked and whole cluster pressed then settled in a cold tank. It was then racked while keeping fluffy lees and then left to go through a primary and secondary wild fermentation. Once complete, it spent 17 months élevage in oak – about 10% second fill, 30% third fill and the remainder neutral barrels. It has gone through complete malolactic with a light bentonite fining.
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TASTING NOTES: Open and expressive on the nose, redolent of fresh golden delicious apple, wild flowers, pine pollen, and wet stone. Powerful on the palate with tremendous concentration and intensity. The balance is first rate with all elements in perfect harmony. This is indeed a rich wine, but it never feels heavy or cumbersome. The fruit notes on the nose carry forth beautifully on the tongue and are underscored by a profound vein of stony and saline minerality that seems to linger forever on the extended finish. This is an example of Chardonnay from Twenty Mile Bench that showcases elegance and poise. There is no doubt that this outstanding wine has a long life ahead of it.
PRICE: $48
2023 ‘The Matriarch’
Pinot Noir | Unfiltered
Winemaker: Kelly Mason
Varietals: 100% Pinot Noir, Clone 115,667,777
Vineyard: Mason Vineyard
Viticultural Appellation: Twenty Mile Bench
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Pick Date : October 4th 2024
pH : 3.88
TA : 5.47
Alcohol : 12.4%
Residual Sugar : 0.92g/L
Fermentation: Wild Ferment
Ageing: French Oak, Burgundy barrels, 17 months in mainly neutral oak with use of second and third fill barrels.
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WINEMAKER JOURNAL: Much like the Chardonnay, the Pinot Noir is holding steady between the 2022 and 2023 vintages. I recently had the chance to taste them side by side with a great sommelier. It’s always a tricky comparison—2023 was a sample pulled just the night before bottling, while the 2022 had a full year in bottle. Tasting a new vintage like that means projecting its potential, imagining how it will evolve. It’s a fun exercise, but not an easy one, and having thoughtful feedback is always valuable.
The 2023 is already showing the hallmark traits of this Bench site: structure, tannins, and that signature earthiness. The vintage wasn’t without its challenges. We saw some unforgiving rains in August, so we made a point to open up the canopy as much as possible for better airflow. We thinned the fruit—twice. Then came the dry miracle of September. Without that sun and stretch of minimal precipitation, the entire harvest—across all varietals—would have looked very different.
Looking back, 2023 delivered a nice balance: good sugar maturity, bright acidity, and clean fruit. It was a long harvest, but one ultimately saved by September.
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NOTES: For as challenging as this wine is to grow/make, being Pinot, it is recognizable year after year. Even with vintage variation, I feel like I can recognize common denominators – plus, being that it is so young right now, there is an excitement to see where it will lead.
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TASTING NOTES: This wine exudes richness and depth on the nose, displaying notes of damp earth, beet root, black and red berry fruit, iron and game meat. Complex and serious. Brisk acidity coupled with a fleshy mid-palate and supple tannins. Gorgeous mouthfeel. This is focused and driven with loads of tension and mineral energy, capped off by a glorious finish. It will change with each glass early on in its bottle age - on the second day, the wine further unfolds to reveal a gorgeous floral perfume and even more expression of the fruit. This needs some time in bottle to really show all of its layers and it’s fun to anticipate where this wine might go over the years to come.
PRICE: $60
MORE WINES BELOW
2023 ‘The Landed’
Cabernet Franc | Unfiltered
Winemaker: Kelly Mason
Varietals: 100% Cabernet Franc, Clone unknown
Vineyard: Mason Vineyard
Viticultural Appellation: Twenty Mile Bench
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Pick Date : November 6th 2023
pH : 3.72
TA : 5.36
Alcohol : 12.5%
Residual Sugar : 0.55g/L
Fermentation: Wild Ferment
Ageing: French Oak, Burgundy barrels, 17 months with 10% new oak, 10% second fill, 30% third fill and remainder in neutral oak.
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WINEMAKER JOURNAL: The Cabernet Franc vines are definitely showing their age. Yields are down, and some of the vines are clearly tired. This past harvest, we had to sort more aggressively for ripeness—and it’s clear: it’s time to replant. I can’t replace the entire block all at once, so I’m beginning a replanting program this year, starting with four rows. It’s a major undertaking—labor-intensive, costly, and always accompanied by that lingering question: how will I irrigate, if it comes to that? That part hasn’t changed—it keeps me up at night.
Still, it’s the right move. It’ll be bittersweet to see those old, crooked vines (the ones I once tried to straighten) pulled from the ground. But there’s something rewarding about planting fresh vines, lined up perfectly. Just thinking about how much easier row maintenance will be brings a bit of relief.
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NOTES: As usual, we picked in early November. The fruit was destemmed but not crushed—whole berries went straight to tank. After a short cold soak, we fired up the heating jackets and the ferment took off. The wine stayed on skins for a total of 28 days before being pressed off to barrel, just ahead of the Christmas holiday.
My goal remains the same: to craft a pure expression of Niagara Bench Cabernet Franc. I’m always grateful for how well this wine is received—especially by those who truly appreciate what Cabernet Franc can be.
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TASTING NOTES: Aromatic and complex bouquet of raspberry, cranberry, wild cherry, fruitcake, orange zest, vanilla, pipe tobacco, warm leather and savoury herbs. You are greeted on the palate by a wave of mouthwatering acidity which provides the backbone of this taut and tightly wound, medium-bodied Cabernet Franc. The flavours are lively and red fruit dominant with sappy, woodsy notes adding dimension and depth. The tannins are present, but very well managed and never obtrusive. Honest and authentic with great concentration, intensity and persistence. This is tasting great right now, but it will really sing after a few years in the cellar, allowing the already bewitching nose to become even more fragrant and that youthful rasp of acid to mellow.
PRICE: $60
2023 ‘The Outlier’
Cabernet Sauvignon | Unfiltered
Winemaker: Kelly Mason
Varietals: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, Clone 169
Vineyard: Mason Vineyard
Viticultural Appellation: Twenty Mile Bench
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Pick Date : November 16th, 2023
pH : 3.85
TA : 5.45
Alcohol : 12.5%
Residual Sugar: 0.49g/L Fermentation: Wild Ferment
Ageing: French Oak, Burgundy barrels, 17 months with 60% second fill, 40% third fill.
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WINEMAKER JOURNAL: We have some truly exceptional Cabernet Sauvignon here on the bench, despite my distaste for it. Let me explain.
In my experience, I'm always surprised by its ease in vineyard management and the wine quality after 18 months of élevage. I remember a customer once asked me, "Didn’t you say that Cab Sauv is the easiest grape to grow in your vineyard? Doesn't that make it the most economical?" It was a great question—and they were right.
After some thought, I feel I need to clarify why I don't love making Ontario Cabernet Sauvignon. My vision has always been to create wines that are a pure expression of Ontario. In the case of Mason Vineyard, by not adding things like tannins, yeast, or sugar, I feel like it’s falling short of what the market expects. It’s a tough sell, with warmer climates dominating the shelves.
This doesn't mean it's a "bad wine"—but it’s not what a typical consumer would expect when they open the bottle, unless they know my story and philosophy. Which is why all of you love it so much: because we share this ideology.
I selected the best barrels for this penultimate vintage. Another cool year with elegant tannins and ripe fruit—exactly what you’d expect from Mason Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.
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NOTES: We harvested in late November and destemmed, with whole berries straight to tank. It’s a small lot—just five rows of vines—so we don’t get much tonnage. This has an impact on fermentation temperature and extraction; we need heat, and without enough mass in the tank, that can be a bit of a challenge. Fortunately, the ferment went to dryness without any issues, and it was likely barreled down just before the Christmas holidays. I didn’t make a note of the exact date… figures I’d forget to write that down for Cab Sauv! Given the later pick, my hunch is it was likely around 24 days.
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TASTING NOTES: Classic nose evocative of cassis, cigar box, sappy brambles, graphite and fresh herbs. Full bodied but streamlined with crunchy acidity and sturdy tannins that portend a long life in the cellar. This is firmly structured indeed, but with notable class and polish. An honest and traditional cool climate Cabernet. No jammy fruit and sweet vanilla oak here, but rather plenty of character, savoury complexity and nuance. A great contender for the cellar. I’d love to see where this ends up in a decade or so.
PRICE: $55
2023 ‘The Place and Time’
Bordeaux Blend | Unfiltered
Winemaker: Kelly Mason
Varietals: 58% Cabernet Franc, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Petit Verdot
Vineyard: Mason Vineyard and Edgerock
Viticultural Appellation: Twenty Mile Bench
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Pick Date : November 6 (CF), 16 (CS), Nov 24 (PV) 2023
pH : 3.79
TA : 5.71
Alcohol : 12.5%
Residual Sugar : 0.99g/L
Fermentation: Wild Ferment
Ageing: French Oak, Burgundy barrels, 17 months with all neutral.
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WINEMAKER JOURNAL:
The Story Behind the Blend
Naming this wine wasn’t easy. For a while, it was simply called “Bordeaux Blend,” because nothing else quite felt right. Then it hit me—these varietals have been growing side by side for years, and the decision of when to bring them together is just as important as where they were grown.
When I tasted through the barrels, I selected only the very best barrels of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon for The Landed and The Outlier. What remained became the exciting part: seeing what the rest could do when blended together. Honestly, I almost named this wine Public Opinion, because it was you—our customers—who kept asking for this combination. And in 2023, we finally made it happen.
Working with JL on the Petit Verdot was a huge inspiration. He brought the experience and insight I lacked with the grape, and his collaboration opened up new possibilities. It made me wonder: why not blend all three?
I have to give credit where it’s due—Petit Verdot is the quiet hero here. At just 17%, it anchors the blend beautifully. It’s true what they say: a little Petit Verdot goes a long way. You can absolutely feel its impact—bringing focus, depth, and a certain energy that ties everything together. It’s a powerhouse, even in small amounts.
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NOTES: Each varietal was wild fermented individually at harvest and remained on skins for more or less 22+ days and was aged in barrel for 18 months. Sometimes a wine from one barrel can have it all - multiple layers, concentration, acidity, and balance etc… Other barrels might be one dimensional powerhouses (ex. all fruit and not much else) or expressively shy but amazing texture on the mid-palate. Shifting and combining different combinations of three different varietals requires focus, an open mind and of course a bit of a technical palate. These are black teeth blending sessions. Hope you find this wine as easy to drink and pair as I do.
Blending three different varietals requires focus, an open mind, and, of course, a bit of a technical palate. These are the “black teeth” blending sessions, where everything comes together, and there is reward for hard work.
I hope you find this wine as easy to drink and pair as I do.
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TASTING NOTES: Medium-plus intensity cherry hue. Beautifully fragrant nose of cedar, rose petal, tobacco,
woodsmoke, bacon fat, black currant, tomato leaf and graphite. Significant aeration lets the fruit
notes really pop and a beautifully pure framboise character arises. Medium weight but firmly
structured with well-measured acidity and firm tannins. Great balance and length. Very
sophisticated. This wine has more than enough stuffing to continue developing and gaining
interest with some significant cellaring, but it is so pretty and elegant at the moment and is
drinking beautifully right out of the gate. Pop some open and decant for current enjoyment but
squirrel some more away as a future treasure for the years to come.
PRICE: $48
“A wine should express the land where it’s made.”