Wine with Leslie: Better Pinot being made each year
This week I thought I would look at some non-Burgundy Pinot Noir. Picture: https://www.burgundy-tourism.com/
In case you were wondering, the most expensive wine in current production is Romanée-Conti from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti — a recent vintage sells for around €15,000 before excise and VAT. This high price is partly because of the fame and excellence of the wine, but mostly it is because of scarcity and demand.
While this is an extreme, Burgundy in general seems to be getting further and further out of the reach, and you will struggle to find a village wine (say a Volnay or Savigny-les-Beaune) for less than €40 — expect to pay €100 or more for a renowned producer or a Premier Cru.
So this week I thought I would look at some non-Burgundy Pinot Noir. None taste of the Côte Dôr, sadly but they do have merit of their own and plenty of the earthy red fruits which are the essence of fine Pinot Noir.
It's a sensitive grape with a thin skin that varies in quality from site to site even within a vineyard — this is even more true in its native Burgundy. In my experience, the best Pinot Noir outside Burgundy is from Central Otago in New Zealand, and parts of Oregon (e.g. Williamette Valley) and California (eg. Carneros and Russian River) — but unfortunately these wines often cost just as much as say a Premier Cru Nuits-Saint-Georges or Pommard.
But don’t despair. Baden and the Pfalz in Germany are making better Pinot every year, Chile has made great strides at all price levels, coastal and mountain regions in South Africa can be excellent and, of course, New Zealand offers fine fruity affordable Pinot from Marlborough, Martinborough and Wairarapa — you don’t have to go to Central Otago.
In Australia you will find fine quality, age-worthy Pinot from the Yarra, Tasmania and the Mornington Peninsula and other European regions keep improving (eg. Austria and Italy). The quest will not be easy but it will be pleasurable and worthwhile.
September is wine sale season with a French Wine promotion in both Supervalu (September 2) and Dunnes (September 7) — details next week. But one highlight is Louis Latour Meursault at €45 instead of €65. O’Briens begin a general sale on September 2 and you will find Château Gloria 2016 reduced to €60 (from €70), Penfolds Bin 28 Kalima at €23 instead of €28 and Astrolabe Pinot Noir at €20 instead of €25.
Stockist: Dunnes Stores
This arrives in Dunnes on September 1 and completes the range of Weinhaus wines from Kendermann — previously I recommended the Riesling in the range. The Pfalz is a good region for Pinot Noir as it likes the limestone and loess soils. Red fruit aromas plus some earthy, forest-floor notes - darker fruits on the palate, textured and juicy with good concentration and balancing acidity.
Stockists: JJ O’Driscolls, O’Donovans, Ardkeen, Vintry Rathgar, 64 Wines, Independents.
This featured here in 2020 also but I make no apology for doing so again as there are no Pinot Noirs under a tenner that can match it. From the Recas region just south of Timisoara in Western Romania: bright red fruits with a hint of wild mushroom, supple and fruity but some grip and earthy complexity — serve cool (12°C-14°C) for best results.
Stockist: O’Briens
The Leyda winery is based in the cool Leyda Valley just 4km from the Pacific Ocean so ocean breezes and the temperate climate make this perfect for Pinot Noir. Ripe berry fruit aromas with some steely stony notes, fruity and concentrated with some spice and floral touches and good weight and length. I would serve this a little cool to bring out the textures.
Stockists: Cinnamon Cottage, 1601, World Wide Wines, Mortons, Granary Foodstore, Mitchell & Son mitchellandson.com
From an organic vineyard in the Wairau Valley in Marlborough with up to 20% whole bunch ferment and lots of focus on extracting the maximum fruit without overpowering the structure. Concentrated smoke-tinged black cherry fruits, supple and full with earthy savoury notes on the mid-palate and pleasing earthy freshness on the finish.
Stockist: O’Briens
Sancerre is famous for its Sauvignon Blanc based steely whites but they also have a long tradition of growing Pinot Noir for both Rosé and Reds — from a good producer red Sancerre is usually better than Burgundy at the same price. The flinty limestone soil here is perfect for Pinot Noir and this has bright cherry and red fruit aromas, a sleek mineral core and a perfectly poised balance of fruit, acidity and structure.
Stockist: O’Briens
South Africa can make excellent Pinot Noir, especially in coastal regions such as Walker Bay and cool mountain regions such as Elgin. Fermented on wild yeasts with 10 months oak ageing this is fully mature with a red centre and brown rim, floral, red fruit aromas, elegant, satiny and savoury with fig and roasted plum flavours and balanced acidity. This is reduced from €26 until Sept 2.
Stockists: O’Briens, Molloys, Celtic Whiskey Dublin & Killarney celticwhiskeyshop.com, irishmalts.com, Tesco, Dunnes, SuperValu.
Another new whiskey in the ‘Cask Finish’ Range from Bushmills following on from the Caribbean Rum finish released earlier this year. Bushmills has linked up with the Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville Kentucky (Louisville is twinned with Bushmills), and aged its single malt in double-charred American Oak casks before blending with grain whiskey.
Honey, biscuity aromas with a touch of nutmeg and other spices — smooth and soft on the palate with honey and pleasing vanilla notes, a sweet maple syrup and caramel tinged finish, and a bonus final prickle of spice and heat. Good for summer sipping and perfect for an Old Fashioned.
