Long Dog Vineyard & Winery

A Pinot specialist, and one of the County's earliest growers, Long Dog has a Pinot style that is bigger than their PEC neighbors, partly because of the use of the saignée method: bleeding off just-pressed juice to ferment the remainder on a higher ratio of skins to juice. This method was employed on the still-in-barrel, much riper 2007 vintage, in addition to this wine from the more difficult 2006 harvest.

The 2006 Pinot Noir is medium red, with an earthy cherry nose, with good acidity and drying wood tannins. It's a solid wine that definitely shows its Prince Edward County origins well. It’s also a good match for classic Pinot loving dishes like game bird, wild mushroom risotto, and lamb.

Based on barrel samples, the 2007's will be even more impressive, but perhaps even harder to obtain. Owner and winemaker James Lahti has quickly developed a reputation as a bit of a rebel. It's not always easy to get in to meet him and taste the wines, and he is unabashedly proud of his wines, which have garnered a loyal following. Specific barrels of his Pinot Noir are being sold as just that: single barrels, owned by those he'll sell one to.

Reviewed July 22, 2008 by Craig Pinhey.