J'aime mon Pinot Noir

As I have become quite the wine fanatic this year I thought it would be fun to watch a movie that involved or revolved around wine and pair it with a good bottle. First on the list was Sideways. Elizabeth had never seen it and I had only seen it a couple times but it is truly a classic. My favourite quote from the movie is right before the double date dinner when Paul Giamatti exclaims, "if anyone orders Merlot, I'm leaving. I am NOT drinking any fucking Merlot!". It's hard to contain myself just reading it. If you didn't already know, Paul's character Myles is in love with Pinot Noir so I thought it would be nice to do a little Pinot sampler in light of the occasion. Below I have listed the four Pinot's that we tasted that night and the nights following. They are listed in order of price which also happens to be the order in which I rank them. I hate going against my mantra that expensive wine isn't always better but in this case it was true. As you can see there is a slight range in price but from my experience the diversity of flavour is profound. Either of these bottles are ready to please it just depends on your palate and what you enjoy.  

Inniskillin – Pinot Noir ($14.75):

When the wine is first poured you will be overcome by an aroma of bubble gum and fresh berries. The scent will dilute in a matter of minutes leaving gentle floral notes with a hint of raspberry. On the palate there is enough tannins balanced with strong fruity flavours with a pleasant sourness on the finish.

Hob Nob – Pinot Noir ($11.95):

This wine erupts with a bouquet of cherries, red fruits. On the palate, this wine is very light and well structured. Mild tannins balanced with just enough fruit. It is somewhat acidic and leaves a pleasant dryness on the back of the tongue. The finish is shorter I’d prefer but overall a pleasing experience.

Philip de Rothschild – Pinot Noir ($11.95):

This dry cherry-red coloured wine features medium floral, fruity and vegetal scents and offers a slender texture as well as smooth tannins.

Cono Sur – Pinot Noir ($10.95):

This wine looks like a Pinot, and tastes like juice. If you love cherries this is the wine for you. Unlike the soft, fruity bouquet and taste you expect when buying a Pinot, Cono Sur’s exhibits a vibrant nose and bold taste of cherries, finishing with hints of exotic spices. Plenty of tannins that smooth out given some time. Easy to drink but there are better Pinot’s for the price, so don’t let the bottle fool you.   

I hope these little snippets of information might help you pick a Pinot. If anyone has a Pinot they would like to recommend please do!