At the end of last month, I hosted a pinot noir tasting at the Abergavenny food festival. I did what I normally do on such occasions: namely, selected wines from different countries and price points to illustrate a range of options. I obviously included red burgundy, the spiritual home of pinot noir, but also Waitrose’s much cheaper, dark-fruited, 13% Romanian Pinot Noir at just £5.99 and the lush, full-bodied Cono Sur 20 Barrels (£16 Tesco, 14.5%), which shows quite a strong oak influence.
The outcome? Existing pinot fans loved the burgundy (see ), which had the sensuously silky texture you don’t quite find anywhere else, while newcomers to the variety were more attracted by full-bodied styles that, you could argue, aren’t typically pinot at all.
It struck me, not for the first time, that this is the way to go if you have a mental block about a particular wine. Drink a version of it that’s closest to a type of wine you do like, and cautiously move on from there. These cheaper pinots aren’t a million miles from a juicy merlot, say, so if that’s your bag, go for it.
Of course, with pinot, there’s still an additional problem: expense. Much is made of the fact that this is a tricky variety to handle, and while that’s true, it’s also fair to say that it is a fashionable grape that commands a price that the quality in the bottle doesn’t always justify.
One solution is to avoid famous names such as Gevrey-Chambertin and Nuits-Saint-Georges, which are always going to be more expensive than lesser-known appellations such as Hautes-Côtes de Beaune. Less high-profile pinot-producing countries such as Romania, Germany and Chile also offer better value than prestigious California, Oregon or premium regions of New Zealand and Australia – Central Otago and the Mornington Peninsula spring immediately to mind – gorgeous though those wines often are.
Buy pinot when it’s on promotion, especially during those 25% across-the-board discounts that supermarkets like to offer in the run-up to Christmas, and if you simply can’t find one you love at a price you can afford, look out instead for other lightish reds that are not dissimilar. Beaujolais is the obvious candidate here, but give mencia from Spain, blaufränkisch from Austria and frappato and nerello mascalese from Sicily a try.
Finally, whatever style you pick, you’ll benefit if you chill your pinot lightly: 20-30 minutes in the fridge will bring out its gorgeous fruit.
Four pinots to plump for
Walt Pinot Noir 2017
£10.50 Booths, 13%.
Deep, plummy pinot from, of all places, Germany (which actually produces some terrific pinot nowadays). Try with duck or pheasant.
Domaine Denis Carré Hautes-Côtes de Beaune 2017
£21.50 Berry Bros & Rudd, 12.5%.
Inexpensive (for burgundy), silky, sexy and delicious.
Morrisons Chilean Pinot Noir 2017/18
£8.50, 14%.
Bright, sweet raspberry notes from San Antonio Valley. Try with brie.
Prophet’s Rock Home Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015
£26, The Wine Society (who have it at a particularly good price), £34.20 vinum.co.uk, 14%.
I was utterly blown away by this sweet-fruited Kiwi pinot, and it was fantastic with a steak béarnaise. Worth the money for a special occasion.
