Pinot Noir, Inniskillin, Okanagan, BC

Pinot Noir; the heart-break grape. This is indeed one of those varietals where the winemaker and the viticulturist may do everything right, and still the wine turns out... a little wrong.

     Well, at Inniskillin Winery (Okanagan), one would be hard-pressed to say they are doing anything wrong. Winners of more then 75 awards in 2009 (wow), the company received those awards for wines from both of their wineries in Ontario and British Columbia. Two diverse terroirs for two distinctive styles of wine-production; Niagara (cooler, more humidity in summer) produces more of the aromatic whites, and Oliver (south Okanagan, more extremes of temperature between seasons and drier summer) produces richer, more robust reds.

     Well I have long been a fan of Oliver wines in general, and sentimental old me - Inniskillin was one of the first wineries to attract my attention many years ago (they started here in 1994). The wines have always been made with quality, and with an ever-increasing focus on innovation and research, to the extent that at Brock University, Inniskillin Hall is named in honor.

     And so the cycle of research is begun anew as students emerging from Brock Hall, may, return to the low hills of Oliver in the south Okanagan. There, at the northern most tip of the Sonoran desert, on fine sand and silty surface soil with gravelly subsoil, there Sandor Mayer and his cracker-jack team of wine experts are hard at work; they craft beautiful wines for today, with an eye to the future and the limitless possibilities of tomorrow.

2009 Inniskillin Okanagan, Pinot Noir

BC VQA Okanagan Valley

14.5% ABV, $19 CAD (http://www.bcliquorstores.com/)

   Very Good Value

http://www.inniskillin.com/

• visual:   clean; light ruby core with substantial cherry rim
• aroma:   clean; moderate+ intense youthful aromas with some development; layers of cherries and cherry-blossoms, substantial yet not overbearing oak, slight peppery spiciness, faint floral finish
• palate:   clean; dry, moderate+ to full (red currant) acids, moderate+ (slightly grippy and chewy) tannins, moderate (-) body, moderate+ ABV, moderately intense and youthful flavors; cherries, slightly overbearing oak, red currants, tart lemony notes, candied cherry finish. Good balance. Very good structure. Moderate length.
• conclusion:    Well it's more then worth the $19 for a BC Pinot Noir... I must admit to not being a fan of the style though... reminiscent of Louis Jadot from Burgundy (http://astudentofwine.blogspot.com/2010/09/louis-jadot-pinot-noir-bourgogne.html ) ... same notes: Decant this wine for an hour for best results. This wine is drinking well now, and will cellar until 2013 or possibly 2014. Try to drink it soon though to enjoy the expression of fresh flavors.
• PAIRINGS:   Drink this wine with a little fat to balance the acids! Some gamey meat will play off the red cherry and red currant; duck is a natural. Don't go too spicy or the high alcohol will become even more pronounced; and keep the herbs and seasonings mild to medium as the wine is also (somewhat) delicate.

Many thanks Sandor Mayer and all of the hardworking people at http://www.inniskillin.com/ !

CINCIN~!!!     SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!