Since the temperature ranged from 9C to 29C on my recent break in the UK, I’m not going to be foolish enough to predict what the weather is going to be like at the beginning of September, but in theory it should be starting to feel autumnal. And, to my mind, that prompts a change in drinking.
I know many of you gaily carry on swigging rosé right through the winter, and there may be the odd day when I do, too, but I’m definitely in the mood to return to reds. And because game and mushrooms are back on the menu, that calls for pinot noir.
At one time, that would have automatically meant burgundy, but other wine regions and countries are now doing it so well, you’re likely to find better value elsewhere. Whether that will be exactly what you want is another matter. If you’re attracted by the delicacy and silkiness of a good burgundy, you may not appreciate the exuberant, upfront fruit of a Chilean or New Zealand pinot, but if you find burgundy a bit weedy, they may be just what you’re looking for. As usual with wine, it depends on your personal taste and, especially with burgundy, how deep your pockets are.
It remains a struggle to find a good bottle for less than a tenner, though I’m happy to say I have found two, the Naudin Père et Fils in today’s pick being a particular winner for lovers of a more classic style. Romanian pinot is much more of an outlier: rich, brambly, borderline sweet, but incredibly good value. It’s the sort of wine I’d drink with a cheeseboard, and especially with blue cheese.
Of course, pinot, like other wines, is being affected by climate change, which is resulting in riper wines. That’s definitely to the advantage of more marginal climates for red wine such as Alsace and, surprisingly, England, whose pinots get better and better, if not cheaper. Danbury Ridge and Gusbourne are two names to look out for. And Germany’s spätburgunders – the name they give to pinot noir – can be stunning. Who would have thought, 10 years ago, that we’d have been raving about German reds?
Most good pinot noir is not cheap, so it’s worth looking out for special offers, especially on New Zealand pinots, which are more widely stocked by supermarkets. Tesco’s Californian Estancia, while reasonably priced, has been cheaper this summer, for instance, and may well be so again.
And, if you have the room, tuck some away for future drinking. Pinot ages seductively if you’re into those truffley, autumnal flavours that go so well with game.
Five pinots that hit the spot
Naudin Père et Fils Pinot Noir 2020 £10.99 (or £8.99 on “mix-six”) Majestic, 13%. Smart, elegant, Burgundian-style pinot made from grapes grown outside the region.
Incanta Pinot Noir 2020/21 £7.99 (or £6.49 on “mix-six”) Majestic, 12.5%. A darker, richer, sweeter style of pinot from Romania. Would go brilliantly with blue cheese and fresh figs.
Estancia Pinot Noir 2018 £14 Tesco, 13.5%. Surprisingly affordable Californian pinot with trademark pinot silkiness.
Schweigen Spätburgunder Weingut Becker 2018 £26 The Wine Society, 13.5%. Sensationally sensuous German pinot that knocks spots off a lot of red burgundy.
Astrolabe Pinot Noir 2018 £18.99 Waitrose Cellar, 13.5%. Gorgeous, lush, sweet-fruited pinot from Marlborough, New Zealand, that even lovers of fuller-bodied reds should enjoy.
For more by Fiona Beckett, go to fionabeckett.substack.com
