Friday 24 February 2012

Wine of the week – Pinot Noir (France/Pays d'Oc)

Hi all,

After a crisp & lively Sauvignon Blanc last week, another classic with a twist.
An excellent Pinot Noir @£8.40 from....Languedoc!



What it is
A dry red wine made from Pinot Noir in Béziers in the Pays d'Oc (South of France).

What to expect

Appearance: pale ruby.
Nose: Violets & red cherries.

Palate: clean, fresh, fruity with this violet & red cherries.
With relatively low acidity and delicate fruit & floral flavours, this wine does not have the usual 'earthiness' that some Pinot Noirs can have. It is also lighter in alcohol and body vs. New World Pinot Noirs.

A FRESH PINOT NOIR WITH DELICATE FLORAL AND FRUITY FLAVOURS.
Score: 13/20 (wine shown)



You’ll like it if you like: red cherries, lighter reds, violets, lighter Pinot Noir, Gamay, Beaujolais (cru).

Have it with
 Cumberland sausages & sweet potato mash

Where to find it
1) Majestic - Nicolas Potel Vieilles Vignes - £9.99 – Price has gone up but still great value. This is how a Burgundy Pinot Noir should taste like: red berries, little bit of earthy aromas, soft, refreshing and supple tannins. Lovely.

2) Laithwaites – Champ des étoiles - £8.99. One of Laithwaites' best-selling Pinot Noir. Worth a try.

3) Waitrose – £10.99 - Louis Latour Burgundy
4) Three Choirs - At the cellar door Pinot Noir - £16 - A very nice English Pinot Noir but it comes in low volumes and relatively high prices vs. others.



Did you know?
> Pinot Noir is one of the oldest cultivated vines in existence. Pinot Noir was already cultivated in Burgundy in the 4th century AD.

> Pinot Noir shares the same DNA with the other Pinots i.e. Gris, Blanc/Bianco and is proven to be the ancestor to Chardonnay, Gamay Noir, Muscadet (Melon de Bourgogne).

> Burgundy is the homeland of Pinot Noir but every wine-growing country cultivates it. Look out on the label on these more famous Pinot Noir regions: Martinborough and Central Otago (NZ), Yarra Valley (AUS), Oregon and Santa Barbara (US) Casablanca, Alsace (FR), Spatburgunder Baden (GER).

> If you're looking for a wine under £10,000, invest in the prestigious Romanée-Conti. A bottle of the 1995 vintage (good but not exceptional vintage) will cost you just that!! I dare you to click here to order!

> Pinot Noir is a key grape in sparkling wines like along Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay in Champagne.


Enjoy your wine this weekend!
:@lex!