Any country with a couple of pesos to rub, and that includes Canada and France, can bottle up Pinot Noir but there is so much inferior product. Thomas Bachelder has been crafting excellent Niagara Pinot Noirs for years now garnering a top reputation initially with Le Clos Jordanne. Is he the king of Canadian Pinot Noir or is it Closson Chase or Norman Hardie in Prince Edward County. Or is it Meyer Family Vineyards in the British Columbia, Okanagan?
Aroma: Unmistakably a Pinot Noir. Niagara cherry, raspberry and just a bit of chocolate. Call it simple but I prefer elegant simplicity.
Palate: Tight and very guarded holding its fruit very close to the chest. But one senses in this restraint a wine that is about to bust out from shy to a beautiful sophisticate. But will it emerge from its cocoon into a beautiful butterfly? Ah the eternal risk to a wine buyer! Nastily delicious black cherry hanging around the edges…please knock the door and come in! A moderately long finish.
Food Match: Tonight, having enjoyed a homemade pizza with a sauce made with Niagara tomatoes, sweet Ontario garlic, Ontario red onions and a big splash of LBV Port and my backyard basil, rosemary and oregano this Pinot Noir would suit this pizza! A polite deep six to inferior red wines is to say pair it with a Friday night pizza. No disrespect meant with my suggestion!
Movie Pairing: Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” although a pre dinner Martini may enhance your viewing pleasure.
Price: $35.
Cellarbility: Sorry not being Nostradamus here it is difficult to be meaningful here. But let the shit hit the fan here and my thoughts are no improvement with age.
Personality: An interesting “entry level” Pinot Noir from a master winemaker.
RKS 2024 Wine Rating: 89/100. Wine Align 89.
(Bachelder Les Villages Bench 2021 Pinot Noir, VQA Niagara Escarpment, Bachelder, Beamsville, Ontario, 750 mL, 12.5%).
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