Assessing Pinot Nation: A trio to pique your palate

In the last few years, Pinot Noir has become one of the world’s favourite wines. But current prices are actually steady to slightly lower than they used to be, which is usually a sign that the bloom is off the rose.

The grape is a good test for the sophistication of the wine maker. It can be difficult to farm, and sometimes a pain to vinify. I was curious to see how the least expensive bottles compared these days, so I picked up a couple to check on the state of Pinot Nation.

Cono Sur is a label that is among the most beloved in the province. The combination of price, and some degree of environmental sensitivity have kept the label moving briskly.

The Bicicleta label is their least expensive wine, (the organics cost about $3 more) with an attractive modern label and a perfectly acceptable wine.

It was a surprisingly dark wine for a Pinot Noir, more purple than strawberry coloured. The bouquet has some of the leathery and smoky notes that are the hallmark of the grape, backed up by red fruit. The wine is dry, with some nice fruit and acidity but it had a slightly metallic copper flavour. It is a nicely made young Pinot Noir that is clean enough for most people.

Lindeman’s Bin 99 costs a buck more than the Cono Sur, and as you’d expect from a market behemoth is a perfectly acceptable version of Pinot Noir. The aromas of earth, smoke and leather were more restrained than in Cono Sur, and the palate tended more to the cherry rather than plum. The colour was light, and again this is a reasonably made and decent glass of wine.

I also loaded Mission Hill’s 5 Vineyards version into the mix because I wanted a reliable standard as comparison. The colour of the wine was the lightest of all three, showing less saturation and intensity. This could be a mark for or against the wine depending on what you’re searching for in a dinner drink.

In general, opacity is from particulates in suspension. Once upon a time wines were bottleaged. This allows the wine to integrate, and some of the particulate to precipitate out. It was called “fined down” at that point. It let the elegance of the wine shine, as opposed to the yeasty-grape flavours of young wine. Better wines then, were clearer wines.

However, these days people want a wine that punches through their ennui, wine that jumps out of the glass and slaps you across the face. If that’s your goal you probably should be drinking another grape, Merlot maybe, or a Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara and the Central Valley. The market seems to like over-ripe hot country Pinot Noir.

I would say the 5 Vineyards wine is more elegant, and if you can afford it without mentally checking the bank balance it is well worth the extra eight bucks. On the other hand, I’m not sure how many readers will really care about the difference.

I had Sairey, my partner in wine, taste all three blind. Her years of experience allowed her to not just notice the differences but rank them according to price. At the same time it has to be noted that Cono Sur to 5 Vineyards is a 66 per cent price hike. I’ll probably shell out for the 5 Vineyards. Over to you and your budget.