Tasting Across Some Interesting Pinot Noir Wines

Interesting Pinto Noir (PN) tasting – five wines, three years, five *VERY* different experiences. Some fine, some poor, some great. Do you have a favourite wine? From this list I have a clear winner

First we tried Louis LaTour 2018 PN single vineyard PN. It was fine – it great but not bad. I’d probably not keep it any longer though. It tasted – if this is even possible (which I do not believe) it tasted of a wet year when the vines have too much to drink *hahaha*.

Next we did an Oxford Wine Company purchase of Furst 2018 Spatburgunder which I should quickly point out is not a GG (Furst do product GG wines so this is clearly second or third best) and that could explain it. After the previous bottle I was gifted was not great, the gifter wanted me to try a straight up PN and it was also past best. It was ok, evolved slightly in the glass then fell off a cliff. I’d suggest a different year…

The Domaines Albert Bichot 2018 was the best of the tasting hands down. There was, for me, the flavour of black tea on top of the red and black cherries with some redcurrant and finishing on a touch of 0f almost raisin. Beautiful, perfect for me, and one I’d happily buy.

We then changed countries and years to Oyster Bay Wines and a 2020 which was fine but nothing really stood out like the Albert Bichot and so probably wasn’t fair to it coming off something like that. I’d probably not buy it but I’d happily drink it.

Finally the Bread + Butter wines PN which apparently I was generous about but I’m not sure. The 2021 was excessively sweet almost like there was something added to get it down to 13.5% or fermentation was stopped to keep it below the magical 14% at which point tax on the wine increases. It again suffered from being on its own and after the fabulously tasty Bichot but I’d had, I think, the 2019 at a restaurant in Toronto and it was flipping brilliant. So could have been 2021 was a bit sweet for me.

I know which I’ll be buying more of (Albert Bichot) but no shade on Bread + Butter who have bloody brilliant wines coming out of California. I’ll just pick a different year.

Do you have a favourite wine? Clearly PN is the one for my friend and I but how about you?