I am off again to the International Pinot Noir Celebration which is held each year in McMinnville Oregon.

60 companies are invited each year – 30 from Burgundy, 15 from Oregon, 8 from the rest of the US and 7 from the rest of the world. Only one NZ company has been invited this year, and I am honoured it is Kawarau Estate. I will report on the event and some of the wines I tasted on return.

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Meanwhile I have been drinking a few bottles I have picked up on my travels or around town. Melville 2008 Carrie’s Pinot Noir from the Santa Rita Hills in California was an interesting drop. A very complex wine displaying dark raspberry, chocolate and coffee flavours with a slightly lavender nose. There was a distinctly savoury character to the wine on the back palate. Unfortunately the experience was dominated by the level of alcohol in the wine. At 14.9% it masked some of the other subtle character I am sure this wine would otherwise have displayed. It was also a little expensive at $US46 a bottle.

Much better value are the Penfolds wines currently showing up in our supermarkets for between $19 and $24 a bottle. One of my favourites is the Bin 138. The 2008 is no exception displaying a strong raspberry and liquorice core flavour, and with hints of nutmeg and other spices on the side. This is a blend from older vine Shiraz, Mourvedre and Grenache. My favourite bottle of all time of this wine was one I consumed next to the pool at the Sheraton in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. Brunei is dry, so I had not had any wine for about 10 days. The Australian High Commissioner took pity on us Kiwis and gave us a couple of bottles to enjoy on a night in at the hotel.

Another lovely wine, at about the same price is the Amisfield Dry Reisling from 2008. It is Central Otago grown and bottled. It has a classic citrus and lime nose. Lime and minerality are displayed on the palate. Texture wise it has a real oily viscosity. There is an acid element to the wine but I think it will last for several years.

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