Domaine Queylus sits on the Niagara Escarpment, founded in 2010 by Gilles Chevalier.
The plantings were chosen to suit the site rather than the market: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, all of which fit these soils and this cool microclimate. Kelly Mason is head winemaker, and the house style runs classical rather than showy.
Domaine Queylus is a premium Niagara producer founded by a group of Quebec wine lovers, with its first vintage in 2010. It draws its name from Gabriel de Queylus, a seventeenth-century priest who was an early figure in New France.
The estate spans several vineyards on the Twenty Mile Bench and nearby, with more than half planted to Pinot Noir. The winery and tasting room sit in St. Anns, in the Niagara Escarpment region.
A Burgundian focus
Queylus is built around a Burgundian approach, centred on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with smaller lots of the Bordeaux grapes Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The wines are terroir-driven and made with a light hand in the cellar.
Thomas Bachelder was the founding consulting winemaker, and Kelly Mason took over the winemaking in 2018. The wines are offered in tiers, from Tradition up through Reserve du Domaine and La Grande Reserve, all VQA.
Frequently asked questions
What is Domaine Queylus known for?
Domaine Queylus is a Niagara winery known for premium, Burgundian-style Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Twenty Mile Bench. It also makes small amounts of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, offered across a range of tiers.
Where is Domaine Queylus?
The winery and tasting room are at 3651 Sixteen Road in St. Anns, in the Niagara Escarpment region of Ontario, with vineyards on the Twenty Mile Bench and Lincoln Lakeshore. Visits are best booked in advance.
What does the name Queylus mean?
It honours Gabriel de Queylus, a seventeenth-century French priest and an early leader in New France. The Quebec partners behind the winery chose the name as a nod to that history.
