It's rare to find an enjoyable pinot noir under $20 but this tasting turned up two from Nelson, as well as one expensive top notch one that needs another year or two and one that's more of a slick marketing exercise and is priced accordingly.
Although wine sent for review is tasted blind to eliminate preconceptions, all wine tasting and evaluation is subjective. These are personal recommendations. charmian.smith@odt.co.nz
BEST UNDER $15
Three stars (out of five)
Good value
Lighter style of pinot, this hints of cherry plums and spice with a suggestion of licorice and mineral and a good, long finish.
Three stars (out of five)
Good value
Simple but mellowed wine with hints of new leather, cherry plums and mineral, earthy undertones, and a lively, firm finish.
Three and a half stars (out of five)
Average value
One of Saint Clair's single vineyard pinots, this is nicely balanced with red fruits, savoury undertones, fine-grained tannins and a fresh, long finish.
Four stars (out of five)
Good value
Fragrant with hints of beeswax, cherry plums and spicy oak, this has generous, mouthfilling fruit, a hint of mineral, savoury undertones, and a firm, lingering finish. Delicious.
Four stars (out of five)
Average value
The warmth and generosity of Bannockburn fruit comes through in this rich, full-on wine. It's velvety and concentrated with hints of dark cherry, spicy oak and chocolate, and an underlying suggestion of mineral and beeswax. Another year or so will reveal its full potential.
Four and a half stars (out of five)
Below average value
It's too early to approach this wine which is designed for long keeping - tight and unrevealing when I first tasted it, it opened to a firmly structured, heavyweight with a velvety texture, underlying spice, savouriness and dark fruit. It's a complex wine to mull over and think about as well as enjoy - in a couple of years time. Available online.
Another glass
Squealing Pig Central Otago Pinot Noir 2010, $28
Two stars (out of five)
Below average value
A bright, youthful and somewhat edgy wine, this is simple with hints of cherry lollies and oak and has a firm but slightly harsh finish that will mellow a little with time. A simple, fresh wine with a quirky label made and marketed by the multinational Treasury Wine Estates.
