Sad-sack Myles, played by Paul Giamatti, is pictured nosing a pinot in Alexander Payne's hit 2004 film Sideways. The mid-life crisis disguised as a terrific wine-soaked hit comedy caused a noticeable spike in sales of pinot noir in a number of countries.
The trouble is that pinot noir, aka the heartbreak grape, is not the easiest varietal to grow or vinify. Wineries rushed out stock to the clamouring market and soon there was even more bad pinot than usual on the shelves.
Now, three harvests later, there's a bigger supply of pinot noir and, while nobody's threatening the DRC or other top Burgundies, there's some decent quality out there.
To explain things fully about this release, the feature is actually "pinot family" - so there are examples of pinot gris, pinot grigio and the less common pinot blanc. Plus, as usual, other great wines. The pinot noirs are listed first.
The Pinot Noirs
La Crema Pinot Noir 2006. $44.95
Russian River Valley, California
Rich nose of dark red fruit with earthy secondary notes, including some herbal. More muted and Old World than in-your-face. Smooth and elegant on the palate, with acidity fairly high and good tannic structure. Cherry-berry fruit leading right into a great finish. The alcohol level's a bit noticeable, but not to the level of distracting. 90 points.
Adelsheim Pinot Noir 2006. $37.95
Willamette Valley, Oregon
Ignore the cringe-inducing chick-flick poster style label and get on to the great fruity nose with darker red fruit. Smooth and nicely full on the palate, with more red fruit. Tannins are fairly soft and the acidity's moderate on this excellent example of Oregon's gentler New World style. Lovely finish too. 91 points.
Paso Hondo Alta Seleccion Pinot Noir 2007. $14.95 ** BEST VALUE**
Bio Bio Valley, Argentina
Good fruity nose on this entry level pinot with nicely characteristic cherries and earth. Dry and medium bodied on the palate, good tannins and some more earth under the red fruit. Nice, but short, finish. 87 points.
Brokenwood Pinot Noir 2006. $20.95
Victoria, Australia
Medium ruby colour, rich nose with muted red fruit and a slight medicinal note. Very smooth on the palate, which has lots of nice cherry fruit and some great smoky notes. Good tannins as well, and a nice finish. 88 points.
Red Hill Estate Pinot Noir 2005. $20.95
Victoria, Australia
Great pinot nose of dark cherry fruit. Very pale colour. Acidity higher and tannins softer. Cherry and berry fruit on the palate, but not much in the way of secondary notes. Nice finish with more cherries and berries on this decent example of a New World pinot. 87 points.
Spy Valley Pinot Noir 2006. $24.95
Marlborough, New Zealand
Another, but better, New World pinot here. Light and fruity nose gives way to a surprisingly mouth-filling blast of cherry fruit. It's all light and fresh and there's little happening with the secondary notes, but great example of the style and lovely finish too. 89 points.
Leth Klassic Pinot Noir 2006. $16.95
Wagram, Austria
Very much from the northern edge of growability, Austria's pinots are always light and this is no exception. Pleasant red berry nose, light and simple on the palate - this one's interesting for its very delicate nature, even though it's pretty simple. 86 points.
Blason de Bourgogne Beaune Cuvee 2005. $25.95 ** TOP VALUE PICK **
Burgundy, France
Well of course they know how to do pinot in Burgundy and here it is right at a good (for Burgundy) price. Great pinot nose of cherries over earthy undertones and secondary notes of tobacco and leather. Very light and elegant on the palate, with subtle red fruit and more secondary notes including cigar box. Very nice finish too on this classic Burg. 91 points.
Vincent Sauvestre Nuits-Saint-Georges Les Saint-Georges 2005. $59.95
Burgundy (1er Cru), France
Lovely nose of muted dark red fruit and cigar box. The great darker red fruit continues onto the smooth palate, which has more cigar box. It's nice and rich too, even though it stays medium bodied. Good lingering finish with more secondary notes of cigar. 92 points.
Domaine Bonnard Sancerre Rouge 2004. $22.95
Sancerre, Loire, France
The home of the finest sauvignon blanc does pinot too - what a pleasant surprise. The muted nose has great cherry aromas. It's super smooth, dry and elegant on the palate, which has nice cherry fruit but no earthiness and just hints of... something. OK finish. Very pleasant. 88 points.
Louis Sipp Pinot Noir 2003. $19.95
Alsace, France
You'll certainly want to sip this one after one whiff of the lovely rich nose of cherries and earthiness. Acidity and tannins are both high (to be expected from cool Alsace), and it's lighter bodied too (ditto). This would be an excellent food wine - very charming, but tame the acidity and tannins. Nice finish. 88 points.
The Sparkling Wines
Pannier Blanc de Noirs Brut Cuvee Louis Eugene 1999. $49.95
Champagne, France
Very well priced for a "vintage" champagne (that's when they note the year on the label - only done in better years). Rich nose with lots of red fruit over brioche. Very smooth and elegant on the palate with lots of small bubbles giving a light, fresh mousse. Nice and dry on the palate with alluring honey notes in the background. Not too fruity but some red berry comes through. Great lingering finish. 91 points.
Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catharine Brut. $29.95 ** BEST VALUE**
VQA Niagara
Ontario's best bubbly in my view - I gave a bottle to a Parisian friend to take back and he served it blind to friends, all of whom enjoyed it and all of whom were shocked to learn it was from.... Canada??? Muted and pleasant nose of light white fruit. Apple fruit on the palate, which is very bubbly. It's dry, but there's a nice sweet note running through. Nice lingering finish. 89 points.
The Whites
Chateau Des Charmes St. David's Bench Gewurztraniner 2006. $19.95
VQA Niagara
If the German grapes were more popular, Niagara would take it's place at the top table. Super aromatic nose with terrific lichee and grapey notes from one of Niagara's more reliable producers of gewurz. Very smooth, fruity and medium-full on the palate, which offers layers of tropical and other fruit, all nicely balanced and with the crisp acidity. Well done. 89 points.
Hidden Bench Estate Chardonnay 2005. $35.00
VQA Niagara (Beamsville Bench)
It's worth noting the Beamsville Bench here because this newly designated sub-appellation is emerging as the most reliable place in Niagara to look for quality chardonnays and - especially - rieslings. In other words, the terroir seems especially friendly to these varietals and it's the winemaker's to screw up. Fortunately the charming Jean-Martin Bouchard (de Québec) has taken the good grapes and run with them: his shrewd oak treatment gives a great nose with smoke over white fruit. Super smooth and full on the palate, which has great vanilla notes and apple fruit. Good lingering finish. Well done Jean-Martin! 90 points.
Hidden Bench Estate Fumé Blanc 2006. $28.00
VQA Niagara (Beamsville Bench)
Well whaddya know - the sauv blanc's good too! Very oaky nose (but you get fair warning from the "fumé") and smoky notes dominate. Smooth and full on the palate, closer to Cali than Sancerre, and again the oak is to the fore. Sweet vanilla notes, and some nice lemon fruit squeaks through. Don't look for herbaceous grassiness, but this is nice if you like oak. 88 points.
Hidden Bench Estate Riesling 2006. $24.00
VQA Niagara (Beamsville Bench)
Great fresh zingy example of Ontario riesling. Gently aromatic nose doesn't necessarily reveal itself as riesling right away, but nice citrus blast of lemon and lime on the smooth palate tells you where you are. Lovely finish as well. 89 points.
Ganton & Larsen Prospect Winery Brich Canoe Pinot Blanc 2006. $17.95
VQA Okanagan Valley
Here's a great opportunity to try a grape BC's staking a claim on: pinot blanc, one of the Alsace grapes, has a growing following in the Okanagan. Very pleasant nose of muted white fruit with floral hints. Smooth and clean on the palate, with some floral and even light grapefruit notes. Nice finish. 87 points.
Loredona Pinot Grigio 2006. $16.95 ** GOOD VALUE**
Monterey, California
This smooth and fresh pinot grigio actually has the slightly greyish tint that gives the grape (pinot gris) its name. Nose as muted and nondescript as most pinot grigios, but the palate delivers fresh, dry and medium bodied weight, with nice ripe peach fruit, but discreet enough to be typical of this crowd-pleasing varietal as it's all nicely balanced with the acidity etc. It also, to its credit, doesn't have the slightly odd "undertone" I can't describe but often find on pinot grigios. Nice. 88 points.
Seresin Sauvignon Blanc 2007. $19.95
Marlborough, New Zealand
Classic NZ style on the nose: grassy herbaceousness squared. Nice surprise of rich tropical fruit on the palate, including passion fruit, and some lemon too, and the acidity is crisp. How did they get both styles of sauv blanc into one? Good finish too. 89 points.
L'Elegante Touraine 2006. $19.95 ** TOP VALUE PICK **
Touraine, France
Here's another great sauv blanc from France: bold nose with initial herbaceous notes soon supplanted with rich lemon candy fruit. Quite full on the palate, which also has great tropical fruit notes like passion fruit, papaya and others. Nice finish on this surprisingly fruity example as well. It's more fun than elegant, but that's all right, right? 89 points.
André Blanck Et Ses Fils Pinot Gris Clos Schwendi 2006. $18.95
Alsace, France
Bold nose with some plummy notes and a surprising hint of caramel. Acidity is high, but its dry and fruity, with white fruit and some yellow plum. Nice finish. 88 points.
Domaine Serge Laloue Sancerre 2006. $21.95 ** GOOD VALUE**
Sancerre, Loire, France
Bold and elegant nose on this classic French sauv blanc. The grassy and citrus notes are there, but not overpowering. Smooth, clean and fresh on the palate, which is nicely austere and even a bit minerally like a sancerre should be. Terrific. 90 points.
Calatrasi Accademia Del Sole Viognier 2006. $13.95 ** BEST VALUE** ** TOP VALUE PICK **
Sicily, Italy
Beautifully aromatic and fruity nose - peaches and stewed pears. Nice and full on the palate, with pleasantly muted fruit. Very smooth, good finish, great value. 88 points.
Agro de Bazan Contrapunto Albarino 2006. $17.95 ** GOOD VALUE**
Rias Baixas, Spain
Gotta love albarino and gotta love this very well priced one. Big, fruity and aromatic nose of peaches and flowers - very characteristic. Smooth and full on the palate, and the acidity is characteristically high. Lots of flavours, including peach and lemon, super fresh. Good lingering finish. 90 points.
The Reds
Don David Reserve Malbec 2006. $12.95 ** GOOD VALUE**
Cafayate Valley, Argentina
Muted but pleaseant nose of dark berry fruit gives way to a palate that is smoother and lighter than expected - malbec can be rough at this price point. The lightness of the ripe dark berry fruit makes this one easy drinking, but there's even a nice hint of some secondary woody notes. OK finish. 87 points.
Finca Flichman Expresiones Reserve Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon 2006. $15.95 ** GOOD VALUE**
Mendoza, Argentina
Great combination of two big reds rarely seen outside Australia, this finca delivers a big bold fruity wine with a peppery nose of dark red fruit. The fruit stays big on the palate and is joined by some chocolate notes. Tannins are high so it's beefy. Nice finish. 88 points.
Chateau Les Jonqueres 2004. $26.95
Bordeaux (AC Cotes de Blaye), France
These guys turned out a terrific white Bordeaux (AC Graves), some of which is still on the shelves, and this decent majority-merlot red is worth buying too. The fairly bold nose of red fruit has a slightly cooked note, but it's delightfully dry on the palate, which isn't very fruity at all. With tannins and acidity levels elevated, this is a rather austere Bordeaux that would really shine with a meaty dinner. Nice finish. 88 points.
Chateau St-Andre Corbin 2005. $25.95
Bordeaux (AC St-Georges St-Emilion), France
Rich nose of dark red berry fruit and a lovely secondary note of iodine and a bit of mint. Smooth and medium bodied on the palate, acidity and tannins are both high. It's very dry and the fruit's muted, and there's a good finish. 88 points.
Chateau Planeres Cuvee Prestige 2005. $14.95 ** BEST VALUE** ** TOP VALUE PICK **
Cotes de Roussillon, France
Here's a great Rhone blend of syrah, grenache and mourvedre from the lower-cost south of France. Rich nose of dark red fruit, which is slightly cooked, but pleasantly rich. Very smooth on the palate with lots of ripe red berry fruit. Nice secondary notes of wood, good tannins and a nice finish. 88 points.
Domaine Du Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape La Crau 2005. $67.95
Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France
This heavyweight producer always delivers and this vintage is no exception - and Robert Parker says it's the "strongest vintage since 1998". Made with syrah, grenache and mourvedre like all Rhone reds, this has a rich bold nose of dark red berry fruit with lovely peppery notes. Full bodied and powerful on the palate with lots of dark fruit. The tannins and acidity are still way elevated - this one is really not ready yet, so cellar it for at least a few years. But don't worry, all the makings of a great wine are here, it just needs to calm down. Terrific long lingering finsh too. 93 points.
Domaine La Roquete Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2005. $38.95
Chateauneuf-du-Pape, France
Here's a similar flavour profile at half the price and ready to drink now (though it will definitely age well as well). Another rich bold CDP nose of dark red berry fruit and plums. Secondary notes are there too, but not too evident. This is a smooth, elegant and delicious wine with a nice long finish. 92 points.
Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. $22.95 ** GOOD VALUE**
Napa, California
This big producer can turn out some great special edition wines - and here's one. Muted and rather Old World nose with nice secondary notes of licorice under the dark red fruit. Smooth and fresh on the palate, with acidity and tannins still high - this one will continue to age well. Nice finish with a great acid lift. 90 points.
