***Note: Matthew’s column, the Short Cellar, is moving to Thursdays. Watch for his next column on Thursday, November 13. ***
Last week I wrote about the wines of Le Clos Jordanne and how they give some critics hope that Ontario can follow in the footsteps of one of the greatest wine regions in the world, Burgundy. The 2006 vintage is coming soon, and you will be able to see for yourself whether the wine lives up to the hype.
There is good news and bad news for fans of Le Clos Jordanne. The good is that they have dramatically increased their output, so it will be easier to buy their wine at the LCBO, or by contacting the winery directly. The bad news is that the prices have crept up by $5.
Before you taste the new release, it’s crucial to understand something about the climate in 2006. Le Clos’s philosophy is to create a wine that transparently expresses not only their excellent vineyards, but also the essence of the weather. This kind of naturalism is admirable, but it does have its complications – like when the weather craps out as it did in 2006. The growing season was good, but heavy rains prior to harvest saturated the grapes with water. This threatened to dilute the wine.
I admire Le Clos’ winemaker, Thomas Bachelder, because he rolled with the challenging weather and used it to create a wine that specializes in lightness rather than power and elegance rather than intensity. In my opinion, the result is (with perhaps one exception) their finest Pinots ever.
Each of their wines comes from its own vineyard, except for the “Village Reserve” which is a blend of them all. Here are some brief tasting notes:
- Le Grand Clos Pinot Noir 2006 (
$70[Ed. note: 2006 no longer available], Vintages #34553, available by ordering through the Classics Catalogue on Nov. 8, 2008). This is a ghostly and diaphanous wine. There’s a lattice of complex flavours like pine sap, cranberry and twigs, but the overall impression is one of effortless grace and mellowness. Utterly superb and will only get better. - La Petite Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006 (
$40[Ed. note: 2006 no longer available], Vintages #33944, Classics Catalogue on March 24, 2009) A truly outstanding Pinot at only $40. It has a charmingly barky nose and a seamlessly integrated palate of cranberry, tomatoes and tangerine. It is so light that it almost floats out of the glass, and yet remains assertive and engaging. Ripe now – drink by 2010. - Claystone Terrace Pinot Noir 2006 (
$40[Ed. note: 2006 no longer available], Vintages #33951, Classics Catalogue on March 24, 2009). Very much like Le Grand Clos, but with a softer palate that makes it both more fruity and generous but also slightly less light-footed. Long citrus finish. Delicious. - Le Clos Jordanne Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006 (
$40[Ed. note: 2006 no longer available], Vintages #33902, Classics Catalogue on March 24, 2009) Citrus and bright acidity burst from the glass. Intense but not as subtle as the others. - Village Reserve Pinot Noir 2006 (
$30[Ed. note: 2006 no longer available], Vintages #33894, Wine of the Month in December 2008). The Village Reserve blend was my only disappointment. The flavours which are so delicate when isolated within the single vineyard bottles become muddy and fat when combined. Still a good bottle but questionable value at $30. Spend the extra $10 and get a Petite Vineyard or a Claystone.
Matthew Sullivan is a civil litigator in Toronto. He writes a weekly blog entry here on lawandstyle.ca. The Short Cellar column appears in the print edition of Precedent. Matthew can be reached at matthew@lawandstyle.beta-site.ca