Pinot Grigio is best when it’s lively and fruity.  This doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a fruit bomb from California, it could also be from northern Italy. Both regions produce stunning examples, but what about Niagara on the Lake?  Can Pillitteri Estates Pinot Grigio make in roads for Canada, or is this best left up north?

Sight:  A moderate gold, with mostly water edges with slight signs of aging.

Smell:  The nose is bright, with stone fruit, lemon, and minerality all coming forward.  Little touches of fresh lime and herbs come in as well, giving a slightly green character.

Sip:  The start is bright, it packs a significant amount of minerality and salinity into the start though. The body is somewhat oily.  Things don’t really level out, pulling in some notes of peach and lemon, but not particularly getting fruity.

Savor:  On the finish, things get a little peachy, but leave an oily sort of feel, like things have gone a little past prime.  The finish is long, and carries that salinity with it.

Pillitteri Estates Pinot Grigio is getting past it’s prime.  There’s some bitterness, and very little fruit, and the texture is implying things aren’t getting any younger in the bottle.  If you have to have a Pinot Grigio, there are many better examples out there right now, and they’re far easier to find than Pillitteri Estates Pinot Grigio.

Verdict:  Oily, Lemon, Salinity
Rating: 58
Price: $15 CAD
Niagara on the Lake, Canada