First Crush Pinot Noir
First Crush Pinot Noir
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KiMu Wines : OUR STORY
2023 First Crush Pinot Noir
The Vineyard Site
The grapes from this single vineyard wine were harvested from the hills of the Spencer Morgan plot on the Twenty Mile Bench in Vineland on September 29th 2023. The location is one of the warmer and steeper hills on the bench for Pinot Noir. The conditions at harvest were ideal with bright sunshine and a light cool breeze. The grapes were beautifully ripe and healthy.
The Harvest
The grapes were harvested with careful selection and sorted using an optical sorter. 2023 was a fantastic year for growing grapes in Niagara with abundant sunshine and dry conditions in September. Accordingly, the condition of the grapes at harvest was one of ripeness, not just of sugar but also of phenolic maturity. Vintner Quality Alliance said the 2023 vintage promises to be exceptional.
The Winemaking
The berries were kept whole and allowed to cold soak for three days. Fermentation started naturally with indigenous yeast found on the grapes. During fermentation, there were regular punch downs, a gentle process for pinot noir grapes. The wine also underwent natural malolactic fermentation, again with indigenous bacteria on the grapes. The wine was pressed in gentle bladder presses and transferred to seven oak barrels, including two new French oak barrels and five of different ages. This wine spent 14 months in barrel prior to a light fining before bottling. The wine has had minimal intervention during elevage due to the low pH and remarkably healthy grape condition.
The Wine
This wine is a medium ruby colour with a nose of floral elements of violets, red cherry, red plum, strawberry and cranberry with a hint of smoke and vanilla from the oak. On the palate, it shows red berries with earthy undertones and a hint of spice from the oak. There is a lovely balance between quite intense red berry fruit, silky tannins and high fresh acidity. The finish is long and refreshing. Drinking well now but has lots of room and the structure to evolve in the cellar. Drinking window 2025 to 2035.
About KiMu Wines Inc
KiMu Wines Inc is a joint venture between two passionate wine lovers, Dr. Nimu Ganguli and Kim Berdusco. Nimu is a retired chemical engineer and currently a Nuclear Radiologist at William Osler Health Systems. He completed his Diploma from WSET in May of 2024 and the Wine Production course from UC Davis in 2023. Kim is a wine educator who works at George Brown College and Cru Consultancy teaching WSET courses and Wine Scholar Guild courses. Kim also completed her Diploma with the WSET and has completed the Wine Production Certification from UC Davis in 2023. She is in Stage 2 of the Master of Wine Program.
First Crush, the name of their wine, is their first winemaking venture together.
We sincerely hope you enjoy our wine!
Kim and Nimu
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Vintage: 2023
Variety: Pinot Noir
Appellation: VQA Twenty Mile Bench
Vineyard: Spencer- Morgan plot , Vineland Ontario.
Picking Date: September 29th, 2023
Alcohol: 12.5.0%
Residual Sugar: 2.8g/L
pH: 3.61
TA: 7.37g /L
Production: 174 cases
Fermentation: Whole berry fermentation, Natural yeast and Natural MLC.
Oak: 14 months in French Oak, 28% new
Bottling Date: May 8th,2025
Kimu Wine Inc – Reviews
Review from Chris Waters – December 20,2025 @Waters_wine (Toronto globe and mail)
This is the first release from a new virtual venture between Toronto-based wine professionals Dr. Nimu Ganguli and Kim Berdusco. KiMu is a contraction of their first names. A Pino Noir from Spencer Morgan vineyard (Megalomaniac estate) in Vine land. Seven-barrel production, two new.
Classic expression of Niagara Pinot Noir. Core of cranberry fruit with some floral, spice and earthy notes. Bright and medium bodied. Style promises to plum up in bottle. (This reminds me of the unadorned style of Lailey Pinots that always started to show their true potential after two years in bottle). Admirable texture and balance. Drink now to 2033 (90/100) Not sponsored.
KiMu First Crush Pinot Noir 2023
Twenty Mile Bench, Niagara Peninsula.
$34.95
Review from Tony Aspler – September 2nd
KiMu Wines First Crush Pinot Noir 2023
Bright ruby in colour; lightly floral nose of raspberries with oak spice; medium-bodied, dry, elegant, Volnay style, richly extracted red berry flavours; beautifully balanced with a lovely mouthfeel. (92)
The grapes came from the Spencer-Morgan vineyard on Niagara’s Twenty Mile Bench. The wine was made at Niagara Custom Crush Studio, where it’s available for sale ($34.95 – and very well worth the price). 2500 bottles were made.
Review from Rick Van Sickle – September 16th
Here’s what I liked:
KiMu Wines First Crush Pinot Noir 2023 ($35, 92 points) — The fruit was kept whole and allowed to cold soak for three days. It was wild fermented with regular punch downs and aged in seven oak barrels, including two new French barrels and five of different ages, for 14 months prior to a light fining before bottling.
The nose begins with rose petals followed by brambly raspberries, chalky minerality, dark cherries, plums, subtle cedar and elegant spice notes. It shows a melange of earthy red berries on the palate with a touch of anise, polished tannins on a smooth texture, savoury spice notes on a long, luxurious and lifted finish. Great debut wine from this promising virtual winery. Can cellar through 2034.
Review from Michael Vaughan – August 25th
KiMu First Crush 2023 Pinot Noir
Medium-deep red colour. Attractive, very slightly spicy, ripe, raspberry-plum-crancherry nose with some gentle cedar-sandalwood notes. Dry, medium bodied, very bright ripe, still youthful, fresh, Damson plum with some minerally strawberry notes on the lingering, lifted, vanilla-tinged finish. Aged for 14 months in French oak (7 barrels – 2 new medium-to-medium light toast). It has 12.5% alcohol, 2.8 g/L residual sugar and a hefty 7.4 g/L total acidity. Available at Niagara Custom Crush Studio (NCCS) in Vineland where 13 artisanal wineries produce small batches of state-of-the-art wines. Unpaid Review – Recommended - 91.5 points
RESTAURANTS SERVING OUR WINE:
BAR PRIMA
La PALMA
Taverna Mercatto
The Carbon Bar
COLLABORATIONS:
