Rick Vansickle - Wines in Niagara (92 points): McLean says the general style he is going for with the red wines is on the riper side with more tannins, more alcohol, more colour, and generally bigger wines. “But I like making it in the vineyard. This is more of a west coast Pinot than what you traditionally see in Niagara.” The wine was wild fermented and racked into neutral French oak barrels for 20 months of aging before it was bottled unfined and unfiltered. This is the first Pinot McLean has ever made. It has an evocative and bold nose of ripe black cherries, brambly raspberries, red currants, cassis, purple flowers, subtle decaying leaves, dried tobacco and bright, lifted spice notes. It’s rich and savoury on the complex and layered palate with macerated cherries, earthy notes, black raspberries, anise, dried herbs, smooth tannins, toasted spice notes and a long, finessed finish. Drinking very nice right now but could cellar to 2030 for further development. (Tasted March 2025)
Magdalena Kaiser, Decanter, 2022 Pinot Noir (93 points): Situated in Lincoln Lakeshore beneath the Niagara Escarpment, Black Bank Hill’s vineyards thrive in heavy clay soils influenced by nearby Lake Ontario. This 2022 Pinot Noir opens with inviting aromas of pink blossoms and sour cherries, layered with wet stone minerality. Flavours of violets and bright cherry fruit unfold alongside a fresh, mineral-driven core on the palate. The wine displays excellent concentration and texture, with fine, well-integrated tannins and a long, structured finish. A graceful wine with great opportunity to evolve over time. Tasted April 2025
Michael Godel, Wine Align, (93 Points): luxe and substantial fruit defines a pinot noir of generosity, intensity and charm. Solid backbone of elevated
acidity inseparable from bullish tannin make this corporeal construction one of flesh and bones where fruit loves to hang. All very impressive, with spice and
tension, elasticity and length. Drink 2026-2031. Tasted blind at NWACs, June 2025.
