Andy Johnston, the former physician who now runs Averill Creek Vineyard near Duncan, has certainly raised the bar for Vancouver Island Pinot Noir. In a good vintage – and 2006 was a good vintage on the island – he grows one of the best Pinot Noirs in the appellation. He has no intention of stopping there. He wants to make the “quintessential” Canadian Pinot Noir.

This is a pretty good bottle of wine. Averill Creek is headed in the right direction. For the 2006 vintage, the vines were only five years old. Andy got them to yield a lovely vibrant Pinot Noir, with an excellent deep hue and a classic plushy texture. The wine is a bit smoky in the aroma, no doubt reflecting the French oak barrels in which it aged for a year. The fruit-driven flavours suggest plums and cherries. The wine is in a bottle with a screw cap, all the better to preserve the fruity aromas and tastes. 88