Henry of Pelham Speck Family Reserve Pinot Noir 2023

Craig Haynes rated this wine as 93/100 with the following review:

Hello there and pleased to meet you, said my senses to this Pinot Noir, a Speck Family Reserve tier (Henry of Pelham Winery’s top tier, their “highest expression of [their] specific vineyards’ terroir).

It is levels deep when it comes to aromatic appeal, evoking fragrant flowers, potting soil, and crushed white pepper corns that land just ahead of the red berry waves (like strawberry among others). Then dance with them.

It tastes (to me) like a deliciously tight knit team of raspberry, blackberry, strawberries, and a sigh of savoury spice. The latter from this elixir’s exposure to oak.

The mouth feel is lovely > jammy, velvety, right size puckering, and grippiness that squeezes rather than seizes.

So much to explore and enjoy. This Pinot Noir gives you something to talk about.

If appellation awareness is your jam, this creation is classified as Short Hill Bench, which is in the Niagara region in Ontario, Canada. About a 2-hour drive from Toronto’s CN Tower. Short Hills Bench is the most easterly of the sub-appellations located within the Niagara Escarpment. The appellation produced just over 4000 cases of wine in 2023-24.
Tasted June 2025