Reif Estate Grand Reserve Vidal Icewine 2023 Wine Review

Natalie's Score: 97/100

Reif Estate Grand Reserve Vidal Icewine shimmers with intense honeyed mango, candied lemon peel, poached peach and delicate jasmine blossom. It's sweet and full-bodied with silky richness balanced by bright acidity that keeps the luxurious sweetness refreshing rather than cloying. This is the convenient half bottle size (375 ml) which is ideal when you'd like to begin a meal with a glass and half each to toast. Serve it well-chilled with a slice of dark chocolate flourless cake where the wine's concentrated fruit complements the deep cocoa richness, or pair it with creamy crème brûlée where the wine's sweetness and bright acidity cut through the custard's richness while echoing its caramelized sugar notes. Winemaker Eric Pearson, who joined Reif Estate in 2024, crafts this Grand Reserve from 100% Vidal grapes harvested at minus eight degrees Celsius, a technique that concentrates the sugars and acids by pressing only the intensely flavored juice from the frozen berries. The Reif family's winemaking tradition stretches back 13 generations to 17th-century Germany before founder Ewald Reif brought it to Niagara's fertile riverbanks in 1977, and this Grand Reserve earned the remarkable distinction of Gold at the 2020 Decanter World Wine Awards. Cellar this treasure through 2036.

Vidal Icewine food pairings: Chocolate mocha coffee cake, red velvet cake, chocolate fondue.

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This Reif Estate Grand Reserve Vidal Icewine 2023 was reviewed on March 7, 2026 by Natalie MacLean

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Please note that our reviews are based on a variety of sources: samples sent to our team, those we purchase in store, tasting events, those tasted in restaurants and while traveling domestically and internationally.

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