Closson Chase

In 1998, after two years spent analyzing County soils, Deborah Paskus settled upon Hillier Township, as the ideal location for her dream vineyard — south sloping at six degrees, good drainage, gravelly soil on a limestone base, approximately five kilometres inshore — land that was once the Closson family farm, early settlers to the County. Now the dream could take flight. Fast forward to 2019, Closson Chase receives recognition and accolades in both the New York Times and Wine Spectator, earning 90 points on first vintage of Grande Cuvée Chardonnay and Grande Cuvée Pinot Noir.

Closson Chase is a quality-driven winery that helped spearhead the birth of the Prince Edward County wine industry, using centuries-old European traditions & sustainable, innovative techniques to create world class wines using only the finest Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Pinot Gris grapes.

The soils of the County provide some of the best grape growing conditions favouring Vitis vinifera. Closson Chase’s decision to produce two early ripening varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, reflect a deep understanding of the site’s possibilities. Specifically, the Hillier clay loam at Closson Chase is well to moderately draining, with a shallow layer of top soil consisting of organic matter and crumbled limestone rubble situated on an understructure of fractured limestone plates. The soil retains moisture within its depths which encourages deep root penetration of the vine. The fractured limestone plates also facilitate root penetration. The calcareous nature of the soil, created from millennia of crustacean deposits, has a high pH – 7.9 to 8.1 – an ideal environment for grape vine roots, while the reflective pale gray rubble supports production of fruit colour and ripening.
The climate of Prince Edward County, virtually an island, is greatly moderated by Lake Ontario. This massive body of water allows Southern Ontario to grow its fruits. Closson Chase Vineyard experiences a fast start in the spring, with higher risk of spring frost, but full ripening before the shorter, cooler fall season. Closson Chase’s south facing slope adds to the early warming ability of the site, as well as aiding in water drainage and airflow. Both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir break bud early and require one of the shortest growing seasons of all vinifera wine grapes to fully ripen. The nature of the soil, the site and the nature of the varietals are perfectly married, giving Closson Chase the opportunity to achieve world class wines.

Closson Chase, in addition to its estate grown wines, produces both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sourced from premium vineyards it leases in the Niagara Peninsula.
An early advocate for sustainable practices, Closson Chase crafts fine wines that reflect each individual vintage, capturing the distinct qualities imparted by the soil and climatic variations of the year.

WINEMAKER KEITH TYERS

"I want to capture what Mother Nature grows in a bottle"

Keith Tyers grew up in Kingston, Ontario where he developed a keen interest in wine and food. A move to Toronto fueled his passion for wine and led him to take the International Sommelier Guild program at Humber College. After a few years as part of the big city restaurant scene, Keith decided he wanted to be closer to home and enjoy a quieter lifestyle. His journey took him to Prince Edward County where he settled on Closson Road with his wife Cassandra to raise their young family. Keith began his winemaking career as a Vineyard Hand in 2003, soon after his arrival in the County. This quickly led to an Assistant Winemaker position, where he worked under Deborah Paskus for several years. After a brief period in wine consulting and sales, Keith returned to Closson Chase and took over as Winemaker in 2015. Since then he has continued the tradition of excellence in Chardonnay and has also followed his passion of producing exceptional Pinot Noir. Keith’s philosophy is to capture what Mother Nature grows in a bottle, creating the best possible expression of local terroir