Haven't we met before?

If something about the label seems familiar, you are correct. Our 2004 Moira Vineyard Pinot Noir is the first to carry the "Moira" designation since our 1999 and 2000 vintages. We gave our single-vineyard Pinot Noir a four-year respite. Our goal was to reintroduce the wine when it would reflect the character of mature vines.

In your glass this wine is at once darker than its Estate Pinot Noir sister. Opens on the nose with suggestions of violets and black fruit candy with undertones of resin and vanilla. In your mouth, intense, spicy flavours of plum, cherry and cocoa combine with surprisingly velvety tannins.

This Pinot Noir is a perfect match for a New York steak with wild mushrooms. The versatility of this wine also allows it to be paired with wild boar, barbequed salmon or roasted veal.

This wine comes from a season that was generally cloudier and cooler than average. For this reason the grapes were harvested in mid-October to take advantage of a September that became sunny and warm. As a result the grapes went into the press high in ripeness and sugars.

For more technical details, click here to view our winemaker's notes and other information.

When it wanted to co-operate, 2006 radiated warmth and sunlight to ripen our fruit, and enough rain to give us generously-sized grape clusters.

Then came the moodiness. Just as we were ready to harvest, it started to rain. The clouds would break, we'd begin picking, and the rain would return. This has been a slow, labour-intensive harvest with annoyingly frequent interruptions, but we still expect to finish before November.

The silver lining in the cloud is that years like this vindicate the choices we make about vine plantings and growing methods. Our grapes are showing maturity and intense flavours.

Many of you have asked us about the grape clusters you've seen on the ground in our vineyards. These are the results of selective hand-harvesting which becomes very useful in a year like this. Every cluster is examined when cut from the vine. Those that do not meet our high-quality requirements go back to the ground to replenish it for next year's cycle.

We regret that because of the complications and delays associated with this harvest, we will not be able to host a November reception at the winery. We hope you understand that we must not bring visitors into an environment where intensive winemaking and visitor safety might compromise each other. Please watch for word of future activities.

Orders can be placed for pick-up or delivery anywhere in Ontario. Shipping is $12.00 plus GST for up to 12 bottles and $16.00 plus GST for 13 bottles or more. We will ship a mixed case.

To place an order, click here to use our email order form or call us Monday to Friday toll-free at 1-866-644-2244. If you have any questions, please call or email us at info@malivoire.com.