I am duty bound to lovers of 'villages' Cote' d'Or rouge, that there are a some from other parts of the globe that will satisfy you, and are made with similar skill and artistry. This one works out at £9.50 plus bulk shipping. But one importer has added £5.00 plus a bit of VAT per bottle, to align the price with Chorey Les Beaune, Saint Romaine etcetera.
This is one of them, a wonderful burgundy alternative. I knew it was right before I opened the bottle, a bright terracotta brick with a lovely sunset rim, and a tiny bit of firm sediment in a segment of the curve at trhe bottom. With the colour and texture just right for a fragrant and beautifully crafted PN. Now to try the wine.............
The wine has succulent and perfumed nose, garden japonica and white blossoms, with a tireless streak of ultra ripe raspberries. The wine tastes like the nose. sweet ripe cane fruit, black cherry, and some ripe victoria plum (not damsens) and (no farmyard). A lovely feel in the mouth, with a good, leaning towards a demi sec length which lingers well. This is a delicate wine, best with vegetarian food, homemade herby quiche, or a Souflaite (spelling) or white cold meats with fresh rocket and spinach and boiled new potatoes. Boxing day / Easter Sunday luncheon. It says 14% Alc on the label, but this is balanced by all the ripe fruit and lively acidity. Nice and bright, lovely to view in the glass, no cloudy material in suspension.
Yum, Yum, Yum.
I looked up the wine, how could they make this ripe Auxey Durresses style so beautifully, with some Chambole fragrance. It is from a finger valley at the East extremity of the Paal region. The Hugenots settled there is 1700 or so, and vines were planted there in 1740's and some of the villages have french names. The river valley in the Fransch,hoek and the vinyards are set at 250 to 300 meters above sea level (ASL) on both sides of the valley for a width of only 5 hectares or so either side of the river, upper Rhone style. The terroir would need to be examined to see what it is ? The south westerly south Atlantic winds are tempered by a large inland lake, aka the Berg Dam, with forest to south west up to 500 metter ASL.
Well, that is my discovery this Easter week-end.
Now, when is Waitrose going to stock some of this Pinot Noir from the Franschhoek valley, Paal, South Africa
The SA Link - http://www.cybercellar.com/South%20Afri ... e_ID=17715
Another link with Sterling prices: http://www.htfwines.co.uk/scripts/viney ... T9iRg#null
**excepting, You don't always have to accept over extracted and condensed Purple emulsion from the predominant down-under regions ! That says Pinot Noir on the label !
**Caneros Calif. and Felton Road NZ are expensive.
