I’m grilling a spatchcocked chicken on the charcoal- it’s either a white wine or a Pinot. This one is pale garnet in color with almost no legs- indicative of the low 12.5% ABV.  Th nose has medium intensity aromas of red cherry, strawberry, straw, perfume, red licorice and wet stone.  It’s quite complex and certainly interesting.  The palate is dry with good acidity and lithe tannins.  The red fruit flavors intermingle with some black cherry and hints of oak.  The wine has a light to medium body and a decently long finish where the very slight tannins make themselves present.  It’s a delicious, lighter style of Pinot that is showing very nice primary fruit flavors in a layered manner with good structure.  If you prefer a more delicate and seductive Pinot, this one is right up our alley.  91 points from me for this $26  charmer (I paid $33 CAD in Quebec) makes it a 5 star effort.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

I drank an Inniskillin Pinot last summer that blew my socks off.  I wanted to find it again on a recent trip to Montreal.  This was the best the shop had.  See through, medium purple.  Strawberry ganache and cherry on the nose.  The palate- I get sour cherry, charcoal and earthiness.  The mid palate is focused, cherry and rhubarb.  On the finish it’s rather short but tannins emerge to round it out.  89 points and a little underwhelming considering the hype I built over the other bottle.  $14 makes it a 3 star effort to drink till 2026.  Salut….

PS. Stock photo as I forgot to take one

Moxie and I took our son- Jett, to Lake Placid this past week.  He’s a competitive Ice Dancer and was representing Team USA in the Novice North American Cup.  We have been up here several years in a row and always vow to continue northward to visit Montreal after the competition.  This year, armed with fresh passports, we took the 87 mile ride up into foreign lands to visit, albeit briefly, Canada.  It was a great seguey and we stayed right by Old Montreal, which is beautiful.  Our dinner was at a great Bistro, where I asked for and got a delicious Canadian Pinot Noir.

Red and see-through with long legs showing in the glass.  On the nose I get bright cherry, strawberry coulis, cedar and nutmeg.  On the palate it has some really delicious cherry extract, rhubarb, a smokiness as well as mocha.  The acidity of this Pinot is on pointe- the mouthfeel is gorgeous.  There are some sly tannins lurking in the background that give just a touch of dryness.  The mid palate and finish are equally tasty, fleshy yet still delicate a’ la Pinot style.  This is new world yet has such a restrained approach- I’m loving it.  92 maybe 93 points.  I’m pairing it with Escargot, followed by duck breast.  Drink till 2030.  $30 makes this a bargain for Pinot of this quality, 5 stars.  Salut….