This is the second part of my series on the 2007 vintage of Le Clos Jordanne. Many wine critics (Tony Aspler, Beppi Crosariol and yours humbly) have gushed about what a great year 2007 was. Warm days throughout the summer and a dry autumn meant that the grapes ripened into juicy flavour bombs. Aspler has called it “the best Ontario vintage ever.” Ra, ra, siss-boom, ba.
That’s great for most grapes, but Pinot Noir is not like most grapes. Too much sunshine and light makes it bland and boring. Pinot grapes remind me of one of my ex-girlfriends: they thrive on just a little bit of suffering.
As a result, the skilled winemaking team at Le Clos had their work cut out for them. They parlayed the too-good weather into wines that are intense, concentrated and brooding. They may not have as much finesse as 2006, but all their intensity means that they will age beautifully.
Le Clos Jordanne 2007 Village Reserve Pinot Noir
($25.00 [Ed. note: 2007 no longer available], Vintages #33894)
This is a voluptuous, fruity Pinot with a full mouthfeel and a smooth texture. It isn’t the most elegant Pinot that Le Clos has produced, but it will have a broad commercial appeal owing to its ample décolletage. 89/100
Le Clos Jordanne 2007 Talon Ridge Pinot Noir
($37.00 [Ed. note: 2007 no longer available], Vintages #143545)
The high elevation of the Talon vineyard has given the wine a rich and well-defined flavour of red cherries and strawberries. The cherries are also redolent on the nose, and they’re accompanied by a light floral perfume. This is a lovely Pinot that will gain complexity over the next two to four years. 91/100
Le Clos Jordanne 2007 Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard Pinot Noir
($40.00 [Ed. note: 2007 no longer available], Vintages #33902)
I can’t wait to see what this wine will taste like in four years. It has a fertile nose with hints of game, sour fruit and earth. These complex flavours follow into the palate, but the flavours are tight and tannic right now. With some age, it will grow into a wild, gorgeous wine. 92/100
Le Clos Jordanne 2007 La Petite Colline Pinot Noir
($40.00 [Ed. note: 2007 no longer available], Vintages #33944)
The Petite Colline (aka La Petite Vineyard) always makes a more subtle and feminine kind of Pinot. This is no exception. It possesses a lovely contrast between dark plumy fruits on one hand, and bright cherry acids on the other. Out of all the single-vineyard bottles, this one is drinking the best today. 92/100
Le Clos Jordanne 2007 Claystone Terrace Pinot Noir
($40.00 [Ed. note: 2007 no longer available], Vintages #33951)
Herbs and pine decorate the nose, following through to the silky flavour of currants. This wine is rich with lots of body, but needs two to three years to blunt the tannic edge. 91/100
Le Clos Jordanne 2007 Le Grand Clos Pinot Noir
($70.00 [Ed. note: 2007 no longer available], Vintages #34553)
The flagship Le Clos wine has a gamey, animalistic nose, with streaks of raw leather and liquorice. The palate is dark and decadent, with lots of complex fruit wrapped in stiff tannins. This wine will require three to five years to evolve, but eventually its iron fist will transform into one hell of a velvet glove. 93/100
Matthew Sullivan is a civil litigator in Toronto. He writes a weekly blog entry here on lawandstyle.ca. The Short Cellar column also appears in the print edition of Precedent. Matthew can be reached at matthew@lawandstyle.beta-site.ca. Follow along on Twitter: @shortcellar.