There's a flood of pinot noir available, from cheap and cheerful to showy and expensive, as well as some superb ones to linger over and think about, but the best will amply repay a year or two's bottle age to develop their full potential.
BEST UNDER $20
$19.99
Three stars (out of five)
Above average value
A lighter style of wine with hints of plum, spice, mineral, licorice and toasty oak and a firm, tingly finish.
$23
Three stars
Average value
Sweet, juicy fruit with a hint of spice, an underlying herbal edge disguised by an over-generous dollop of well-toasted oak, and a firm finish. Still a bit gawky but this will appeal to people who like pinot with lots of sweet fruit and oak.
$27
Three and a half stars
Average value
Always reliable, Lawson's has produced another very drinkable wine, fragrant with hints of raspberries and juicy red fruit with spicy, savoury undertones, a suggestion of mocha and a lively finish with a long aftertaste.
$42
Four stars
Average value
A complex wine with hints of plums, dark berries and dark chocolate, a mineral undertone and underlying savoury complexity. Its texture is silky but it is tightly structured with a lovely long aftertaste. An elegant young wine that will soften and harmonise further with another few months' bottle age.
$47
Four stars
Average value
A dark, complex wine with red and dark fruits, hints of mineral, spicy, savoury undertones, a silky texture, firm structure and lively finish. A stylish young wine that's delicious now, but will develop more complexity and charm with another year or two's bottle age.
$55
Three and a half stars
Below average value
Wither Hills has released some mature single-vineyard wines.
At four years old, this is savoury and spicy, still with masses of toasty oak mingling with mellowed dark fruit and a firm, dense, lingering finish. For those who like rich, powerful, oaky pinot.
ANOTHER GLASS
Wither Hills Benmorven Marlborough Pinot Noir 2008
$55
Three stars
Below average value
Another of Wither Hills' single vineyard pinots, this is soft with sweet, confected fruit, hints of anise, a gentle, silky texture and and a crisp finish.
Cloudy Bay Marlborough Pinot noir 2010
$45
Three and a half stars
Below average value
Juicy red fruits with a hint of mineral and spice, suggestions of cherries, pipe tobacco and dark chocolate, and a lively, firm finish. A young wine that will mellow and harmonise with another year or so in bottle, although it's very drinkable now.
Although wine sent for review is tasted blind to eliminate preconceptions, all wine tasting and evaluation is subjective. These are personal recommendations.
