WEEKEND WINE PICKS
Undurraga Sibaris Pinot Noir Gran Reserva 2022, Valle de Leyda, Valle de San Antonio, Chile $19.99 I 88/100 UPC:
7804315002024 This Leyda Valley gets a lot of kudos for its cool-climate Sauvignon Blanc, but the Pinot Noir has been moving forward slowly but surely in the background. Expect an earthy palate of mushrooms and sour cherries, with a hint of five spice in the finish. It's fresh at 13.5 per cent; you can drink this now, and at $19.99, it is good value.
The Ned Pinot Noir 2020, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $24.99 I 88/100 UPC:
853076003075 The Ned is a snappy name for a snappy Marlborough Pinot with a modest price tag. The secret sauce in Marlborough is the long, cool growing season that allows the fruit to hang on the vine, achieving optimal ripeness without packing on the alcohol. Look for a mix of florals, wild strawberries, and silky Pinot textures with a spicy, earthy finish — fresh, juicy, and fun to drink now. The fruit is ripe, concentrated, and well-defined, led by bright dark berries, but with depth and a hint of spice and earth to add complexity. Pair with smoked salmon and cream cheese appetizers.
Murphy-goode Pinot Noir 2020, California $25.99 I 88/100 UPC:
083722023489 This Pinot Noir comes from coastal California vineyards, including Arroyo Seco, Santa Maria Valley, and Monterey. The cooler sites help the acidity levels that keep the wine fresh. It's aged eight months in French and American oak (only four per cent is new), adding some vanilla but mostly helping to expand the soft, round, earthy, cran-cherry fruit with a dash of spice. Ready to drink with simple foods, like a pulled pork sandwich. The fruit is 47 per cent Sonoma coast, 44 per cent central coast, and 9 per cent Mendocino County.
La Crema Monterey Pinot Noir 2022, Monterey County, Central Coast, California, $32.99 I 90/100 UPC:
049331010968 La Crema continues to elevate its Monterey Pinot Noir by doing a diligent job of expressing the character of its AVAS. 2022 has just the right amount of sweet strawberry to counterbalance the red florals and cool, red plum-rhubarb on the mid-palate. It was a wet spring and a regular growing season before a warm fall culminated in slightly lower yields. It aged eight months in new and used French oak barrels. Ready to drink and an excellent match for a sweet soya poke, salmon steaks, or duck pizza.
Erath Pinot Noir Estate Selection 2018, Willamette Valley, Oregon $49.99 I 91/100 UPC:
084687001192 Pinot Noir is all about texture for me, and this Estate Selection is silky and smooth, which is difficult to resist. Despite many climate challenges, including temperatures 8 to 10 degrees above normal and one of the lowest years on record for precipitation, a cool September righted the ship, bringing home one of the best years in recent history. The clones Pommard, 777, Coury, and Wadenswil come off numerous sites within the Willamette Valley and spend 15 months in French oak, of which 27 per cent is new. The nose is a sophisticated mix of berries, and the palate is a riot of Bing cherries and black plums with a sweet dressing of leather and musky spice, all playing second fiddle to seamlessly soft textures that run long into the finish. Think duck, roast beef, lamb, mushroom dishes, or a favourite grilled salmon recipe.