Soft, silky and luxurious, pinot noir is a pale lightweight compared to a rich, fruit forward cabernet sauvignon, and its sweet perfume and rapturous raspberry-cherry fruits make it the perfect lunchtime red for sipping in the sunshine.
A thin-skinned grape that’s notoriously tricky to grow (the small berries are prone to rot, produce lower yields and shy away from extreme heat), pinot noir is native to Burgundy and the poster girl for superstar reds from the Cote d’Or.
A prize in any winemaker’s portfolio, producers across the world have turned their hand to harvesting this seductive grape and California, Chile and New Zealand can all lay claim to delivering delicate, elegant styles from their cool climate regions.
On the downside, perfection comes at a price and when these wines are good, you do have to pay for the privilege…
FROM BURGUNDY WITH LOVE…
Designed to drink young, these wines are light, fruity and low in tannins. Depending on the appellation, each winemaker offers a different aspect of the region and a varied style. Perfect with charcuterie and lighter foods, they fit the bill for a posh picnic.
:: La Barrique de Bourgogne 2013, France (£19.99, www.laithwaites.co.uk)
A blend of pinot grapes from some of the top villages in the Cote d’Or, its delightful cherry nose with hints of spice leads to richer, berry fruits, with a smooth, silky palate and sweet spice on the fresh finish.
:: Louis Latour Cotes de Beaune-Villages 2012, France (£20.54, www.spiritedwines.co.uk)
It may be village level but the Cote de Beaune appellation in the southern part of the Cote d’Or signals a more complex wine with richer aromas. Smooth and supple, there’s a silky elegance to the cherry and raspberry fruit with well-balanced acidity and an earthy note adding to its complexity.
:: Louis Jadot Beaune Premier Cru 2011, France (£25, Majestic)
A notch up the ladder and a blend of grapes from premier cru vineyards, this wine has a pretty perfume of violets and ripe cherries with a more intense silky palate of raspberry and redcurrant fruits, an underlying herbaceous, earthy note with harmonious tannins and a hint of oak on the finish.
KISSED BY THE KIWI SUN…
New Zealand tends to produce more aromatic pinot and the fruit flavours can be more dense with a subtle, savoury note. Higher in alcohol thanks to warm sunny days and cool nights, this tantalising trio are from three of the country’s main growing regions for pinot noir.
:: Sherwood Stratum Waipara Pinot Noir 2014, New Zealand (£12.99, www.virginwines.co.uk)
A pinot that punches above its weight, the beguiling bouquet of violets with strawberry and plums becomes broad when it hits the palate and the elegant balance of ripe, jammy fruits with good acidity leads to a bright, fruity finish.
:: The Ned Pinot Noir 2013, Marlborough, New Zealand (£14.99, Majestic)
Scented with raspberry and strawberry fruits, the rich plum and luscious dark cherry fruits have a veil of smoke and the ripe tannins gives some bite to the fruit and makes it more concentrated than some.
:: Craggy Range Te Muna Road Vineyard Martinborough Pinot Noir 2012, New Zealand (£18, www.thewinesociety.com)
A real beauty with sweet raspberry on the nose and a generous basket of black cherry fruits, sandalwood and spice, its soft, yet complex and an underlying savoury, earthy character adds interest and an essence of the gravelly soil.