Last House Midnite Négoce Pinot Gris 2023

Last House is a small estate in Prince Edward County run by André Gagne. He makes soulful, hands-on wines with as little intervention as possible. This is his négoce project, which is a fancy way of saying he bought grapes from somewhere else because he wanted to make something different. The label even says it clearly: "this wine was not grown on the estate." No confusion, no pretending.

The fruit comes from Kevin Watson's vineyard in Niagara's Four Mile Creek. It fermented in 225 litre oak barrels using a wild yeast starter drawn from his own estate Chardonnay, because why not keep it in the family. Aged 11 months in barrel, bottled by hand.

The style is not what you normally see in Ontario. It's more Oregon, more thoughtful, more textured. The nose is vivid: white peach, guava, apricot, nectarine, lemon curd, nice spice. The palate is creamy with a little reductive flintiness and citrus zest. Layered, rounded, finishes long.

Drink it with something rich, or something creamy. Or just drink it and wonder why more Ontario Pinot Gris doesn't taste like this.