Ottawa, ON

October 2023

Matt’s review: 1 Mill Road’s newest offering in their small portfolio of premium Pinot Noir is Black Pine Pinot Noir 2022 – a single vineyard Pinot from the Black Pine Vineyard at the northern tip of the Naramata Bench. This single vineyard Narmata Bench Pinot incorporates clones 667, 777, 115, and Pommard to provide an expressive, textured, and well structured wine representing exactly what wine enthusiasts have come to love and expect from small production single vineyard Naramata Bench Pinot. In a year marked by the Okanagan’s distinct climatic nuances, the 2022 vintage embarked on a journey of tantalizing coolness, yielding the Black Pine Pinot Noir ample time to gently ripen while retaining its nuanced elegance and great structure when picked mid-October.

2022 Black Pine Pinot shows sour cherry, succulent raspberry, a symphony of herbs, an initial hint of intriguing meatiness, and a touch of of pepper. After an hour decant the nose has evolved and the wine’s character fully revealed, unveiling a captivating bouquet with pronounced graphite minerality. The palate is very fresh with a repeat of the aromas, complemented by textured fine grained tannins with a Saskatoon berry-like texture, subtle spice and herbs persisting too. Fresh, well structured, a serious and seriously good wine to enjoy now and over the next half decade with a wide range of dishes.

Black Pine is a Naramata Pinot to keep your eyes peeled for when it’s released in fall 2023. As with many premium Naramata Bench wines, quantities are limited so I recommend seeking it sooner than later and enjoying after a brief decant this year and over the next five years. Tasted October 2023 92+ points. Matt Steeves – http://www.quercusvino.ca

1MillRoad.ca