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93POINTS
17¼/20
Mason Vineyard The Matriarch Pinot Noir 2020
Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, CanadaAccording to winemaker and owner Kelly Mason, 2020 was the perfect vintage for pinot noir. That is saying something, given how driven Mason is in searching for perfection in her vineyards and wines. The weather cooperated, allowing the fruit to hang until she decided to pick, and the 30 year old vines, a mix of clones 115, 667, and 777, really delivered. At four years old, it is barely showing any signs of aging. It's wild fermented like all the Mason labels, aged in French oak barrels for 17 months, but only sees 10% new oak. The rest is a mix of 10% second fill, 30% third fill. The Matriarch is the pinnacle pinot at Mason Vineyards, but it's been a decade in the making because that is how long it takes to understand your site, according to Mason, who has left no stone unturned on the Twenty Mile Bench site. I tasted this wine over three days, something I rarely do, but it just kept on giving. Complex and silky, it has a juicy red and black fruit character with a savoury underside that is powerfully attractive. You could hold this through 2027, but there is no need; it is on a perfect plateau now.Tasted: 24 July 2024Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| ON | $55.00 | 750ml | winery direct/online |
Grape: Pinot Noir
