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Wine Recommendation
Le Clos Jordanne
2004 Village Reserve Pinot Noir(Niagara Peninsula)
There has been much hype, thus far totally deserved, surrounding this joint venture between Burgundian (Boisset) and Canadian (Vincor, now part of Constellation) wine companies. They have taken a totally Burgundian approach to their bench site on the Niagara Escarpment, splitting the vineyards up according to soil, planting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir almost exclusively, and using Burgundian-trained (but born in Canada) winemakers and thus the Burgundian winemaking philosophy. And boy does it show…in every wine!
They market the wines just as in Burgundy, too, with a Village Wine, then 1er Cru, Single Vineyard designations, and finally la crème de la crème – the Grand Cru.
The Village Reserve is the entry level Pinot Noir at Le Clos Jordanne, and at $25 Canadian it's a steal. A blend of four estate vineyards, it has light, elegant forest and cherry notes on the nose, and displays ripe, almost sweet, cherry fruit in the mouth, but with firm tannins and a touch of unobtrusive French oak. It's a well-balanced Pinot Noir, making it a safe choice for matching with white and red meat. It is also high in alcohol, over 14.5%, as are all the Le Clos 2004 Pinot Noirs. Surprisingly though, this does not distract.
Reviewed May 17, 2007 by Craig Pinhey.
Other reviewed wines from Le Clos Jordanne
The Wine
Winery: Le Clos Jordanne |
The Reviewer
Craig Pinhey
Craig Pinhey is a professionally certified Sommelier, educator, wine judge, and wine writer. He is on the tasting panel for Wine Access, Canada's most respected wine magazine, and is the provincial wine columnist for the New Brunswick Telegraph Journal. Craig appears weekly on CBC Radio, and is regular beverage columnist for Halifax's The Coast, East Coast Living, Progress Magazine, and [here]: New Brunswick's Urban Voice. He prefers wines with mineral and earthy notes, distinct varietal fruit and regional character, and moderate alcohol so he can drink more of it. |