2024 PEC Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs

In early December, I was invited to join a group of PEC winemakers that gathered to talk about their 2024 pinot noirs. More recently, in March, we got together to taste and discuss their chardonnays. Both are quintessential signature grapes of Prince Edward County, and the similarities were hard to miss. There is most certainly a regional style that is easy to spot.

For both reds and whites, the telltale high acidity was balanced by generous fruit in the wines. The winemakers worked hard to showcase where the grapes had been grown, and great discussions were had during both tastings.

For example, there was talk of a distinct smoky or flinty character in the pinot from the Closson Road area. Of course, a broader sampling would be helpful, as some vineyards were absent, but generally the winemakers agreed that something unique is present in the wines grown there.

Marketing people like to say that wines are made in the vineyard, and of course there is some truth to that. But winemaking—and the accumulated experience behind it—is equally important. Knowing what to do, when to do it, and which vintages need certain interventions (and which do not) can only come from years of experience. When that collective knowledge is shared among the passionate people making wine in Prince Edward County, great things happen.

Of course, that is not to say there is homogeneity in the wines—quite the opposite. Even though each winemaker is effectively doing the same thing when turning grapes into wine, there are countless choices to be made along the way. Over the years of tasting wines from around the world, I can say one thing is certain: no one is 100% correct. Everyone has a different approach and is passionately devoted to their choices, and each decision is expressed in the glass.

We don’t want the same wine year after year—we want the wine to tell a story. And if you pay attention to the glass, you can taste the story of the vintage.

In 2024, the growing season was characterized by early harvests, up to 14 days ahead of normal. This had less to do with the cooler spring and more to do with the intense summer heat.

This brought the average yield to about 2 tonnes per acre in Prince Edward County. Lower yields typically result in higher quality, as the vines focus their energy on ripening fewer grapes—and the wines tasted at these two tastings proved that theory. Across the board, there was high quality in the glass, with each winemaker adding their own signature.

What you can expect to find are wines as unique as the people who made them and the vineyards in which they were grown.

Excellent comparisons can be found at Closson Chase, where you can taste winemaker Keith Tyers’ expression of the same grapes grown across the road from each other. The South Clos and Churchside vineyards both produce chardonnay and pinot noir, and Keith vinifies them in the same way.

Another example would be Connor Van Tol at Keint-He Winery & Vineyards, where he has access to three separate vineyards. At both wineries, you will find the delicate hand of the winemaker producing notably different wines from different sites.

Another way to taste vineyard expression is to have two winemakers work with fruit from the same site. This is what happened with the Benway Vineyard, a hot, south-facing site with little to no airflow. The vineyard is managed and owned by Keint-He, but in 2024, Andrew Rytwinski from Three Dog Winery also made some chardonnay from it.

They both also made pinot noir from the Danforth Vineyard. It is not often that you can taste two winemakers working with fruit from the same vineyard, and this presents an outstanding opportunity for anyone interested in truly tasting terroir for themselves.

Some of the 2024 wines will be ready for the summer months, while others will rest in bottle a little longer.

Whenever they are released—and whichever winery you favour—take the time to listen to what’s in the glass. The 2024s are not just well-made wines; they are snapshots of a season, shaped by heat, decisions, and experience. And in Prince Edward County, those stories are only getting more compelling.