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94POINTS
17½/20
Mason Vineyard The Matriarch Pinot Noir 2022
Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario, CanadaThe Matriarch Pinot is the pinnacle of Kelly Mason’s wine pyramid. It’s made with pinot noir clones 115, 667, and 777 from the estate Mason Vineyard on Twenty Mile Bench and is bottled, as you would expect, unfiltered. All the Mason wines are wild fermented, and in this case, they were in French oak Bourgogne barrels, where they remained for 17 months in mainly neutral oak with some second and third-year fills. Mason calls it a structural vintage underlying its earthy palate and rich tannins. As she describes, “With a much drier growing season, we were able to hang the pinot a little bit longer (think here that even a week or so is a big difference with Pinot Noir!). Harvesting was much easier, and we could pick with ripeness and promising phenolics.” Look for a medium ruby red colour. The fruits are black and red, mostly cherry, with a deeper brooding earthy underside. Again, the texture is silky smooth, leading to a long, complex floral, mineral finish. Serious, complex and elegant, it’s a winner by any standard. Real value, too.Tasted: 24 July 2024Tasted by: Anthony GismondiPrices:| ON | $55.00 | 750ml | winery direct/online |
Grape: Pinot Noir
