Wino Blogger

Put your goddam pinky down and drink your wine like a normal human.

Next - Pinot Noir

Producer: King Estate Winery
Name: Next
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2007
Price: $26.00

Haven't had a good pinot noir lately and least of all did I expect it to come from Oregon. The bouquet smelled of dark cherries, raspberries with a hint of mild spice. On the palate the body felt light but well structured with a dry finish. It carried flavours of spice, dark cherries, and a hint of chocolate and oak. At first I thought the spice was quite forward but it did seem to mellow out as you kept drinking. Definitely worth a try and will be plenty enjoyed at a party, before, during or after the meal.

I found it at this little wine shoppe in South Calgary called "The 'L' Store" (the store isn't in Google Maps yet but the address is correct). It was a great little store with reasonable prices and a well organized and clearly labelled shelves. They also carry a small selection of imported and local beer that which they continually rotate. The owner there helped me out and was quite friendly. If you're ever in the area you should check it out.

Okay peace ooouuut!

J

Maison Louis Latour - Pinot Noir

Producer: Maison Louis Latour
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2007
Region: Bourgogne, France
Price: ~ $15

Perhaps the big brother of the Domaine de Valmoissine? But this pinot is classified under the AOC system of Bourgogne. It too has smokey clarity with a burgundy colour. The bouquet is also similar consisting of black cherries but seems a bit more robust with dark berries, slight oak and vanilla. The tasting was also similar but again slightly more robust. Dark cherries, light spice, vanilla and oak with a medium body and an easy dry finish. Really interesting to taste this one after the Domaine de Valmoissine. I mentioned earlier that the Domaine de Valmoissine could stand to be "turned up" a bit—this pinot from Bourgogne is it.

I just saw the movie Zombieland; an excellent addition to the zombie genre. But let's remember that guns are great but reloading is a bitch and you eventually run out of bullets. The best weapon is still—and this is my personal opinion—a light but strong aluminum baseball bat with a sweat resistant grip. No need for ammo and works well in close combat situations which you would almost always find yourself in. Keep that in mind the next time you're confronted with a zombie(s)...

J

PS: I know, I forgot to take a picture of the bottle before sending it for recycling... LAY OFF!! So here's the label from the ol' Google Images...

Maison Louis Latour - Domaine de Valmoissine

Producer: Maison Louis Latour
Name: Domaine de Valmoissine
Vintage: 2006
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Region: Coteaux du Verdon, France
Price: ~ $13

A nice gift from my cousin and a fairly decent value for the price. This was my first Vin de Pays wine or "Country Wine". And although it's not an AOC classification (I believe it's only one step up from Vin de Table) it's still a decent wine for the price.

It had a smokey clarity with a burgundy colour. The bouquet has notes of ripe black cherries, strawberries and easy mint. The tasting was decent with easy spice, light cherries and slight oak. It had a light to medium body with an easy and quick dry finish. The only thing I could say about this wine is that it's maybe a little too understated. The flavours could stand to be "turned up" a little. But a very easy drinking wine.

J

Robbed again Tarantino! Inglorious Bastards is an excellent movie...

     
Click here to download:
Maison_Louis_Latour_-_Domaine_.zip (213 KB)

Spy Valley - Pinot Noir

Producer: Spy Valley
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2008
Region: Marlborough, New Zealand
Price: ~ $22

What does the above link have to do with wine? Nothing, just move on...

My first New Zealand wine of the night and it did not disappoint. It won Wine Access' silver medal "Value Wine" award for 2009. Additionally, and in comparison to the Rolling Stones rep, the Spy Valley rep was informative and eager to teach us more about the region.

The bouquet on this pinot was of fresh blueberries and for the first time of the night—liquorice, all embraced by a crisp ruby red colour appearance. On the palate it had a surprising spice which gave way to stone and mineral accents which I learned was characteristic of the Marlborough area. The surprise spice kept me coming back and the medium body gradually unfolded it's complexity. It doesn't linger; it finishes quickly and cleanly. An interesting and excellent value wine!

Okay, peace ooouuut!

   
Click here to download:
Spy_Valley_-_Pinot_Noir_Tags_W.zip (215 KB)

Vielles Vignes - Pinot Noir

Producer: Vielles Vignes
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Winemaker: Albert Bichot
Region: Bourgogne, France
Vintage: 2006
Price: ~ $18

The first swirl had some interesting plum and dark berry notes which was a little misleading because the tasting had plenty of dark cherries, chocolate and even a hint of mint. At first I was a little annoyed at the curve ball but after a few tastes and letting it breath a bit you can really pick out some interesting characteristics. I would say it's one of those "good value" purchases because a decent pinot is somewhat hard to find for under $20.