Pinot Noir is a sure-fire-crowd-pleaser - problem is serving it to a crowd can be a pricy move. This week TLN helps you treat your holiday guests to some excellent value Pinot Noir and keep the pinch in your party budget painless!
Pinot Noir is a great anytime wine but it's particularly great during the holidays in Singapore because the hot weather absolutely demands a light and festive red.
TLN has 6 to recommend this week - all wonderful as party sippers yet they are versatile enough to carry on through a fancy meal.
As is our habit...let's start with the fizz - the beautiful Cave Bailly Lapierre Blanc de Noirs Cremant from France that has all the plushness and rich mouthfeel of a champagne but fills the glass for 1/2 the price. This sparkling wine is made using the champagne method and brings lucious honeyed notes and a creamy texture to the bubbles. It's the great WHITE Party Pinot for the holidays!
The other 5 pinots are made to show off their "noir" so to speak. They are all from New Zealand and also show the diversity of regional Pinot Noir style that the country boasts.
Starting in the north and the oldest "Pinot" region in New Zealand TLN recommends the Palliser Pinot Noir from Martinborough. Perhaps the most savoury pinot of the group this wine offers bright red fruit flavours and a soft tannins. It's really easy to enjoy as an aperitif or dinner wine.
Also from nearby on the north island, Wairarapa to be precise, comes the Matahiwi "Holly" Pinot Noir - a wonderfully elegant and fresh pinot with great fruit concenration and length. With a name "Holly" that has a seasonal ring to it, TLN recommends you deck your halls with crates of Holly for the festive season!
Moving south to the other NZ island there are two from Marlborough - both with plush fruit, soft acidity and really smooth tannins. The Wither Hills Pinot Noir is a really well made Pinot with great acidity, a creamy texture and plenty of dense red fruit flavours.
Likewise the Mount Brown Pinot Noir offers a plush and elegant texture, with equally dense, concentrated fruit flavours. Both of these Marlborough wines got "excellent buy" ratings from the Noses...so taste them to see whether you agree!
Lastly TLN recommends a Central Otago Pinot - Olssens Nipple Hill Pinot Noir - that's a little pricier but is an elegantly structured wine with fine tannins, savoury game notes and ripe red berry flavours. It's worth creating a special occasion to try this wine - just beautiful.
As always, let us know if you need more info about these wines - but the best 411 is to try them!
Contributed by Sarah Mayo, TLN Editor
