Guide to Canada’s Best Wines 2020 – Pinot Noirs

Announcing Canada’s Top Pinot noirs

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Category Overview by Sara d’Amato

Terroir speaks through pinot noir. It is a variety that is a reflection of environment, our winemaking and our potential. Pinot noir is transparent and unbiased. It must be guided, but not pushed, pre-emptively cared for and selectively picked. While we strive for perfection with pinot noir, it is exactly in those imperfections that make it so memorable, so authentic and compelling. A person’s interaction with pinot noir is a deeply personal experience, challenging many of the most variable human thresholds within our senses of taste, smell and touch.

More consistency
Complexity rewarded
Is VA ok?

But enough poetry. Here’s the nitty gritty. The Great Pinot Divide between B.C. and Ontario is getting less disparate and now there are new players in the mix. Both provinces take considerable pride in their pinot noir but consistencies are a problem. The Okanagan continues to regale us with modern, fruit-centered pinot noirs with varying degrees of alcohol and Ontario persists with tense, Burgundian-inspired wines that can sometimes be lean and fall victim to volatility. Yet, there are more and more stylistic crossovers between the provinces, and generalizations will become harder to make. We hope to continue to receive entries from Prince Edward County, Salt Spring Island and Quebec despite small quantities, sometimes high prices and little distribution as they surprised us with their level of quality, complexity and ethereal tread.

Return to the complete Guide to Canada’s Best Wines.

The top 10 Pinot Noirs in Canada:

Tawse Pinot Noir Quarry Road Vineyard 2017, VQA Vinemount Ridge  ($36)

Rosehall Run Pinot Noir Jcr Rosehall Vineyard 2018, Prince Edward County  ($42)

Westcott Reserve Pinot Noir 2017, VQA/ Vinemount Ridge  ($45)

Stanners Pinot Noir The Narrow Rows 2018, VQA, Prince Edward County  ($45)

50th Parallel Unparalleled Pinot Noir 2017, VQA, Okanagan Valley  ($58)

Leaning Post Senchuk Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore  ($65)

Meyer Micro Cuvee Pinot Noir 2018, VQA, Okanagan Valley, Okanagan Falls  ($65)

Foxtrot Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018, BC VQA Naramata Bench  ($81)

Arrowleaf Pinot Noir 2018, Okanagan Valley VQA  ($24)

Garry Oaks Pinot Noir 2017, Salt Spring Island  ($31)

More top Pinot Noirs:

Unsworth Pinot Noir 2018, BC VQA Vancouver Island  ($32)
Leaning Post Pinot Noir 2017, VQA Niagara Peninsula  ($32)
Cave Spring Cellars Pinot Noir Estate Grown 2018, Beamsville Bench VQA  ($35)

Southbrook Laundry Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula  ($35)
Stanners Pinot Noir 2018, VQA, Prince Edward County  ($35)
Trius Showcase Pinot Noir Clark Farm Vineyard 2018, VQA Four Mile Creek  ($37)

Thirty Bench Small Lot Pinot Noir 2017, VQA Beamsville Bench  ($37)
50th Parallel Profile Pinot Noir 2018, VQA Okanagan Valley  ($39)
Meyer Mclean Creek Road Pinot Noir 2018  ($40)

Westcott Reserve Pinot Noir 2016, VQA/ Vinemount Ridge  ($45)
Icellars Icel Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017, VQA, Niagara On The Lake  ($50)
Mirabel Pinot Noir 2016, Okanagan Valley  ($56)

Camy Pinot Noir Reserve 2018, Quebec  ($60)
Kew Vineyards Pinot Noir 2016, VQA Beamsville Bench  ($24)
Adamo Pinot Noir 2018, VQA Ontario  ($31)

 

Quails’ Gate Estate Pinot Noir 2019, VQA Okanagan Valley  ($35)
Quails’ Gate Pinot Noir 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley  ($35)
Volcanic Hills Pinot Noir 2016, VQA Okanagan Valley  ($36)

Burrowing Owl Pinot Noir 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley  ($40)
Kitsch Wines Pinot Noir 2019, Okanagan Valley  ($40)
Kacaba Signature Series Reserve Pinot Noir 2017, Niagara Escarpment  ($50)

Quails’ Gate Richard’s Block Pinot Noir 2018, VQA Okanagan Valley  ($65)
Flat Rock Ultra Pinot Noir 2017, VQA Twenty Mile Bench  ($70)
Quails’ Gate Stewart Family Reserve Pinot Noir 2018, VQA Okanagan Valley  ($79)
Wild Goose Pinot Noir, Sumac Slope Vineyards 2018, VQA Okanagan Falls, Okanagan Valley  ($44)

Niagara College Teaching Winery Dean’s List Pinot Noir 2018, VQA Niagara On The Lake  ($19)
Rosehall Run Pinot Noir 2019, VQA Ontario  ($20)
Arrowleaf Archive Pinot Noir 2017, Okanagan Valley  ($21)

Baillie Grohman Pinot Noir Terraces 2018  ($27)
Meldville Third Edition Pinot Noir 2018, VQA Niagara Peninsula  ($27)
Wild Goose Pinot Noir 2018, VQA Okanagan Valley  ($28)

Fort Berens Pinot Noir Reserve 2017, BC VQA  ($30)
Flat Rock Gravity Pinot Noir 2018, VQA Twenty Mile Bench  ($35)
Henry Of Pelham Pinot Noir Speck Family Reserve 2019, VQA Short Hills Bench  ($35)

Laughing Stock Pinot Noir 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley  ($35)
Tightrope Pinot Noir 2017, BC VQA Okanagan Valley  ($35)
Howling Bluff Three Mile Creek Pinot Noir 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley  ($35)

 

Tightrope Pinot Noir   Rubis 2018, VQA Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley   ($37)
Howling Bluff Century Block Pinot Noir 2018, Naramata Bench BC VQA  ($40)
Nk’mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Pinot Noir 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley  ($40)

Nk’mip Cellars Qwam Qwmt Pinot Noir 2019, BC VQA Okanagan Valley  ($40)
Baillie Grohman Pinot Noir Reserve 2017, VQA British Columbia  ($45)
Volcanic Hills Reserve Pinot Noir 2013, VQA Okanagan Valley  ($46)

Megalomaniac Reserve Pinot Noir 2018, Twenty Mile Bench VQA  ($50)
Foxtrot The Waltz Pinot Noir 2018, British Columbia, BC VQA  ($54)
Karlo Estate Pinot Noir 2018, VQA Prince Edward County  ($65)

13th Street Pinot Noir 2019, VQA Creek Shores  ($28)
Flat Rock Cellars Pinot Noir 2019, VQA Niagara Peninsula  ($23)
See Ya Later Ranch Pinot Noir 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley  ($23)

Organized Crime Break In Pinot Noir 2019, VQA Beamsville Bench  ($24)
La Cantina Vallee D’oka Pinot Noir 2019  ($25)
Domaine Queylus Signature Pinot Noir 2016, VQA Niagara Peninsula  ($29)

Four Shadows Pinot Noir 2018, VQA Naramata Bench, Okanagan Valley  ($29)
Arterra Pinot Noir 2018, VQA Niagara Peninsula  ($30)
Stag’s Hollow Pinot Noir Stag’s Hollow Vineyard 2018, VQA Okanagan Falls  ($31)

Frind Pinot Noir Cuveé 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley  ($35)
Kin Vineyards Pinot Noir 2018  ($35)
Karlo Lake On The Mountain Pinot Noir 2018, VQA Prince Edward County  ($35)

O’rourke’s Peak Cellars Pinot Noir 2019, VQA Okanagan Valley  ($40)
Noble Knights Sheperd Vintage Pinot Noir 2018  ($45)

Joie Farm En Famille Reserve Pinot Noir 2018, VQA Okanagan Valley  ($45)
Noble Ridge King’s Ransom Pinot Noir 2016, Okanagan Valley VQA  ($63)

indicates the wine received a 5 star value rating from two or more writers.

Return to the complete Guide to Canada’s Best Wines.