(June 5, 2015) … Hillebrand has never been known as a Pinot Noir house, there Red and Grand Red are staples in many Ontarians Cellars and a go to wine for many others: some say its the elegant bottle that makes it a great gift, others swear by the wine inside – but if I mention Pinot Noir, you’re mind will not immediately go to Hillebrand … butt tonight the lure of Pinot got me off the couch and into the cellar, where I discovered this bottle of Hillebrand Showcase Pinot from a very hot Ontario vintage. The wine started off interestingly enough with aromas of black raspberry, spiced cranberry, and lots of cedar … The palate started well enough too with a smooth entry, lots of black fruit: spiced black cherry and tart cranberry on the mid-palate, but then the finish kicked in with a big whack of cedar … And that is where the dilemma of this wine rested. An hour and a half later the cedar took over – especially on the palate and well onto the finish. It’s a hard wine with plenty of rough edges and the loss of fruit by the 2 hour mark didn’t help it either.
Lost & Found: Hillebrand 2007 Showcase Pinot Noir, Clark Farm
