The stage is set for Huff Estates to have a Pinot Noir, but not just any old Pinot, a special limited edition Pinot, made and promoted by sales manager Karen MacLaurin and winemaker Frederic Picard. You could call this either a vanity project, or a side project, the term is up to you; but this wine will bear both their names and be sold on the shelves at Huff Estate starting in July 2008. “There wasn’t a competing product in the store and some customers come in looking for Pinot, when we say we have none they turn around and walk out.” Karen told me. That’s because The County is getting a reputation of making good, high quality Pinot Noir – and as the vines age that reputation will be solidified. This wine currently has its roots in Niagara’s Wismer Vineyard. “We’re looking for County fruit,” Karen said, “but not only do we have to find the right fruit, but somebody willing to sell it to us.” Frederic chimes in with, “Good County Pinot is very expensive.” This five-barrels-only batch is aged a year in new-and-one-year-old barrels, from relatively young fruit (4-5 year old vines). It has all the telltale signs of Pinot Noir that can age a few years. The nose is sour cherry, cranberry with a raspberry-earthiness. In the mouth, it’s smooth at the beginning, but roughens up a bit with some slight biting tannins and a steady seam of acidity at the end. Also in the mouth, you’ll pick up cranberry, earth and sour cherry – more time in bottle will only help to integrate and complex-this-one-up both on the nose and taste. As for the winemaker, Frederic Picard, this is not his first go around with Pinot Noir, though it is his first time doing it in Ontario, “I made Pinot back when I was in Burgundy, but never here,” he said, then with a wink and a smile he finishs his sentence by saying, “different grapes you know.” That same wink and a smile comes through in this delicious bottle of Pinot, I think Frederic is happy to be making the wine of his roots. Price: $34.95