| When I am asked what my favourite pinot noir | | | | there really is no room to mention them all. I am |
| currently is, I am thrown into as much confusion | | | | going to stick my neck out and say that they |
| about what to pick as Ferrari Formula One driver - | | | | represent for me, the most consistently brilliant |
| Kimmi Raikkonen must be about which Pit-Stop | | | | producer of Pinot Noir on the South Island. Look out |
| bunny to choose to spray him in champagne when | | | | for bitter chocolate, chewy ripe cherry, black tea and |
| he wins a race. There really are just too many to | | | | wild game finish. |
| pick only one... | | | | Kooyong Pinot Noir 2007 (Mornington - Australia) |
| If Kimmi and I had our collective backs to the wall on | | | | 2007($49) |
| the issue - I, for one would probably pick something | | | | (Delivery Two Weeks) |
| from Victoria in Australia and something from the | | | | This winery made a huge noise with its 2004 vintage |
| South Island of New Zealand, just to balance out the | | | | and seems to still be producing the goods. |
| scales. | | | | Look for raspberries, cherries, rhubarb and a hint of |
| Show me one Pinot and I will show you something | | | | graphite (in a good way). |
| just a little different from the next, but the basic | | | | Two Paddocks Pinot Noir 2007 ($47.50) |
| characteristics of Pinot in the new world are either:- | | | | (Delivery end of October) |
| (A) Cherry, cedar and strawberry; and/or | | | | This is actor Sam Neill`s little nest egg. It took me a |
| (B) Barn-yard floor, lucerne, cow-poo and dark fruits | | | | while to get around to tasting it, as I am sceptical |
| like plums and/ora combination of the two. | | | | about actors making it big and then deciding to retire |
| Option B doesn`t sound too appealing, but as soon as | | | | disgracefully in a haze of wine fumes on a vineyard. |
| you smell and taste it, you will fall for it. This is the | | | | Their wines are usually average or worse. |
| flavour profile of most deserving Old World Pinots | | | | This wine is an exception to the rule. Thanks to Mr |
| and many good New World Pinots, and they are | | | | Neill`s well capitalised approach, they have three small |
| awesome. | | | | vineyards and together they produce one of the |
| I have chosen my current top three Pinot`s today as | | | | most impressive Pinots around - especially at this |
| - | | | | price. |
| Ata Rangi Pinot Noir (Marlborough - NZ) 2008 ($70) | | | | Look for brambles, blackcurrants and a long lingering |
| (Delivery Mid-October) | | | | finish that goes a few extra miles than the usual |
| These guys collect accolades to the point where | | | | Pinot at this price point. |