Wyncroft Wines

Although Pinot Noir is being hailed from Michigan's northern AVAs, Leelanau Peninsula and Old Mission Peninsula, Wyncroft is the emerged leader of the varietal in the Lake Michigan Shore AVA, even though production from Avonlea Vineyard is a scant 75 cases.

Avonlea Vineyard is the pride and joy of proprietors Jim & Rae Lee Lester who dared to let us taste this wine which was bottled for only five days. Yet the Lesters philosophy of aging their Pinot Noir for up to two years in one-third new cooperage (principally François Frères and Cadus), allowed the wine to develop secondary characteristics and textures in the barrel prior to bottling.

Youthful qualities such as cherry and raspberry evolved in the glass to reveal smoky plum and black cherry complemented by brown spices. As minutes passed, dried rose petal, mushroom, truffle, Asian five-spice and mineral elements developed.

Wyncroft’s 2004 Avonlea Pinot Noir is consistent with its 2003 predecessor but shows the riper fruit nuances of a warmer year played out in a rich, generous and full finish. "If you push me," Jim Lester says, "I'll say that this Pinot Noir will age further to be the best I've made so far."

Reviewed February 27, 2007 by Eleanor & Ray Heald.