![\"ontario](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/P2160505-500x333.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
This session at the Vancouver wine festival focused on Pinot Noir from Ontario. \u2018It\u2019s a difficult place to grow Pinot,\u2019 says John Szabo, who led the session. \u2018There are realities to growing Pinot Noir. It is expensive to grow and it doesn\u2019t always work out well.\u2019<\/p>\n
Altogether there are 17 000 acres of vines in Ontario, and Pinot Noir takes up just 800 of these, with 650 acres in Niagara and 150 acres in Prince Edward County. So, overall, it\u2019s responsible for 6% of Ontario\u2019s production, with 100-150 000 cases annually and 130 different labels.<\/p>\n
Karl Kaiser first planted Pinot Noir here, but the big break came in 1993 with a joint venture between Inniskillin and Burgundian producer Jaffelin that ended up becoming Clos Jordanne, which was for a while the leading Pinot producer in the region. Now there are lots of very good Ontario Pinot Noirs.<\/p>\n
The Niagara region has some interesting terroirs for Pinot Noir, with some limestone in the soil. In Prince Edward County, limestone soils are joined by a properly marginal cool climate: the vines have to be earthed over during the winter to protect from cold damage.<\/p>\n
Farming Pinot is expensive. Harald Thiel of Hidden Bench reveald that last year his vineyards cost $7000 a hectare to farm for yields of 30 hl\/ha. The current Pinot Noir grape price is $2000 per ton, so Harald couldn\u2019t sell his grapes and break even.<\/p>\n
These wines were a bit of a mixed bag with some real highlights, and also some wines that didn\u2019t quite get it right. But overall, there\u2019s a lot of very good Ontario Pinot being made.<\/p>\n
![\"OLYMPUS](\"http:\/\/www.wineanorak.com:\/wineblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/P2160506-500x261.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Norman Hardie Winery County Pinot Noir Unfiltered 2014 Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada Closson Chase Churchside Pinot Noir 2014 Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada Rosehall Run Pinot Noir JCR Rosehall Vineyard 2014 Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada Pelee Island Winery Pinot Noir Reserve 2014 Ontario, Canada Bachelder Lowrey Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013 St David\u2019s Bench, Niagara, Canada<\/strong> Flat Rock Cellars Gravity Pinot Noir 2013 Twenty Mile Bench, Niagar, Canada Tawse Winery Cherry Avenue Pinot Noir 2013 Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara, Canada Malivoire Mottiar Vineyard Pinot Noir 2013 Beamsville Bench, Niagar, Canada Hidden Bench Vineyards & Winery Locust Lane Pinot Noir 2013 Beamsville Bench, Niagara, Canada Domaine Queylus Pinot Noir Le Grande Reserve 2013 Niagara Peninsula, Niagara, Canada Trius Clark Farm Pinot Noir 2014 Four Mile Creek, Niagara, Canada Inniskillin Niagara Estate Montague Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014 Niagara Peninsula, Niagara, Canada
\n<\/strong>10.9% alcohol. Very fine, bright and direct. Such lively fresh red cherry fruit with some fine spiciness and keen acidity. Finishes bright and with lovely purity. 94\/100
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Distinctive cola, tar and rhubarb edge to the cherry fruit nose. Lively, tangy palate with fresh red cherry fruit, some damson and some stewed plum. Juicy finish to this sweet and sour wine, but there\u2019s appeal here. 89\/100
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Supple with sweet plum and cherry fruit. Quite elegant with plums, cherries and a touch of raspberry. Nice freshness and acidity here. 91\/100
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>There\u2019s some richness to this wine which has some spice and herbs as well as sweet plum and cherry fruit. Finishes a bit sweet. There\u2019s a sweetly fruited richness to this wine, but it\u2019s quite simple. 88\/100
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nSupple and elegant with real finesse. There\u2019s fresh red cherry fruit, a bit of plum, and a lovely stony, savoury core, coupled with good acidity. It\u2019s light and expressive with some fine herbal, autumnal, dried leaves complexity under the fruit. Delicate. 93\/100<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>There\u2019s some sweet and sour character here, with tangy red cherry and raspberry fruit together with some savoury herbal characters. Some chalky unertones. Juicy with a spicy, savoury twist. 91\/100
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>There\u2019s a distinctive, bright, open red cherry fruit character here: it\u2019s almost liqueur-like and seamless, but very fresh and fruity. Supple, berryish and quite elegant with nice fruit purity and good acidity. 92\/100
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Some warm herby notes here. Quite autumnal and savoury with a warm spicy quality and supple cherry and plum fruit. Nice combination of sweet and savoury characters. 90\/100
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Generously fruited, with good concentration, and also some elegance and freshness. Sweet black cherry fruit with some plums and firm, slightly grippy structure, as well as some bright acidity. There\u2019s some savouriness here as well as the fruit. 92\/100
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>This has a really appealing spicy, savoury, slightly cedary character that integrates nicely into the cherry and berry fruit. The fruit is supple and fine with supple red cherry and plum notes. Real elegance and finesse here. 94\/100
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Cedary, spicy and savoury with a strange, slightly musty edge. Fresh with juicy acidity that sticks out a little. Savoury and mineral. Grippy. 87\/100
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Supple and fruity with a slightly minty edge to the fruit. Lively cherries and raspberries with some grippy structure. Lots of fruit here. Lacking elegance. 88\/100
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n