In some countries the word reserve is used to denote longer time in oak. In Canada, it’s meaning can be varied. So according the the Inniskillin website “Grapes are selected by our winemaker from specific lots of premium vineyards throughout the Niagara Peninsula to make exceptional, limited edition VQA wines. These selections reflect the finest assemblage of each grape variety from different vineyards.” Note, no mention of longer time in oak. This isn’t the first time I’ve encountered this in Niagara.
This particular wine is the big brother of the Cellar selection I previously reviewed.. Popping up to $25.95 from $13 for the non reserve. Garnet in color with a lovely soft red berry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays nice soft red berries, strawberries and the like. The fruit is quite vibrant and complex. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice tannins, acidity and complexity. Compared to the lower priced non reserve this wine is definitely more elegant and lively, quite noticeably better. I would give it an 88-89. A very nice, varietal Pinot. Not in the LCBO but available from Winerack.com
from the winerack.com’s web site:
Inniskillin Reserve Pinot Noir 750 mL Bottle $25.95
Flavours of Bing cherries and bittersweet chocolate. Perfect when paired with roasted meats.
Residual Sugar g/L 5.1
Calories / 5 oz glass 117
