Great value pinot noirs
Like a bit of pinot noir? Then try a few of these tasty drops.
Tasting pinot noir can be an opaque and enigmatic experience. Pinot is not about power and pungency, but it is about delicate flavours and subtle texture. After all, this is THE sensual grape, capable of total seduction.
My first love with the variety began with the tasting of the 1990 vintage Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, the most prestigious pinot noir. I had the fortune to taste several subsequent vintages. It was, and still is, one of the most expensive wines in the world – today the 1990 vintage will set you back between $20,000 and $25,000 (for one bottle) depending on which part of the world you source it from. Although it has been known to go for as little as $15,000 at auctions.
If this is not in your price range, fear not. There are plenty of pinot noirs at around $1,000 a bottle. And there are hundreds more if you are looking at between $300 and $500.
Still too high? How about pinot noirs under $30?
A few years ago it was almost impossible to find decent pinots at this price point. Now there are many excellent wines available, especially if you look for specials. Thanks to increased volume and number of labels, the balance of power has shifted to the consumer in the last couple of years. And this trend is set to continue for a little while longer.
The 2007 vintage was stunning. Most wines from this vintage showed superb fruit intensity – they were supple and approachable. Then came the uneven 2008 vintage which offered a few outstanding wines, some excellent, some good and many average wines. The 2009 wines are not as richly flavoured as 2007's but show better varietal expression and refinement. These are elegant, beautiful and charming with immense drinkability.
We are lucky. We don't have to pay a king's ransom to experience a touch of enchantment. Although I still dream and fantasise about the wine that captured my soul with its spellbinding beauty.
Great value pinot noirs
Pencarrow Martinborough Pinot Noir 2009 $23
This is one of the most reliable Pinot Noirs under $30. The nose is ripe and generous, displaying dark cherry, spice and mushroom characters with gentle oak. It's rounded and fruit-rich on the palate with fabulous silkiness and a lingering tasty finish. A wine by Palliser Estate, one of the best New Zealand producers.
Wild Rock 'Cupids Arrow' Central Otago Pinot Noir 2009 $25
The bouquet is beautifully ripe and lifted, displaying red/black cherry, spice, game and a hint of nutty characters. It's juicy and rounded on the palate with silky texture and lovely fine tannins. A beautifully expressed and harmonised wine with plenty of appeal.
12,000 Miles Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2009 $25
This is a stylish and beautifully complex wine by Gladstone Vineyard. Ripe and fragrant, the bouquet displays red/black cherry, plum and spice characters with a touch of savoury mushroom. The palate is elegantly fruited and textured with a smooth mouthfeel and gentle tannins.
Durvillea Marlborough Pinot Noir 2009 $22
This has the sensuality that you look for in a top-flight Pinot. The bouquet is gorgeously fragrant displaying red cherry, plum and a hint of spice characters. The palate is juicy and silky smooth with elegant texture, bright acidity and soft tannins. It's absolutely delicious.
Olssens Nipple Hill Central Otago Pinot Noir 2010 $25
The wine combines Central Otago fruit intensity with classic elegant mouthfeel. This youthful and delightful Pinot displays red/black cherry, floral and subtle spice characters on the nose. The palate is ripe and rounded with silky texture and fine supple tannins. The wine is fruit-rich and beautifully framed by the tannins, leading to a lingering dry finish.
Blackenbrook Reserve Nelson Pinot Noir 2007 $31
It sneaks over $30 but it taste like a $50 Pinot. Well known for their gorgeous aromatic wines, Daniel and Ursula Schwarzenbach have fashioned this impressive Pinot Noir from their home vineyard in Moutere. It's luxurious on the nose displaying red/black cherry, spice, game and cedary oak characters. The palate is concentrated and dense with silky texture and plenty of fine, polished tannins. The wine is engaging and complex with potential to develop greater richness.
Sam Kim is a senior wine judge and author of Wine Orbit magazine (wineorbit.co.nz).