This bottle is pure Pinot Noir. A screw top with an elegant label...that is until the label decides to continue up in a small strip to the top of the bottle. A bit like a G-string vulgarly attempting to cover up the distinctive light red blush of Old World Pinot modesty.

Much like Blason De Bourgogne Hautes-Cotes De Beaune 2008 which I reviewed, this bottle proves that Pinot Noir is frankly a fragile belligerent grape. It is difficult to get right and needs lots of TLC to produce an excellent wine.

At £5.97 from Waitrose it is described as 'Perfect entry-level Pinot Noir'. Slightly off putting. Smacks of compromising quality for price. What am I missing? Am I too dumb and too broke to afford the next bottle up?

In the glass it is a classic translucent thin vibrant red, which is promising. Less artificial looking than the Blason De Bourgogne. The nose was also softer.

Unfortuately to taste is was a bit too sharp, and there was not enough compensation in the potential for subtle complex aroma that Pinot Noir is famous for.

I actually found that even with a big flavoured meal the raw edge crept through. Far from complimenting a meal it felt like I had lined my mouth with sand paper.

It is definitely a step 'up' from the Blason De Bourgogne I tried, but not far.

The description also states that the wine has been in 'new oak'. This should mean that the oak is bursting full of lactones providing aromas like 'vanilla' to the wine (washed out older oak packs less of a punch). Yes I could detect a vanilla undertone, but it did not redeem the wine.

I am aware that some red Burgundy can be 'difficult', especially when our palates are bombarded with New World Pinor Noir, which can often be a totally different drink (due to the climate 'cooking' the grapes combined with a sort of 'turbo oaked' effect in barrels). This fruit bomb, high octane, 'in your face' New World Pinot Noir is like watching a blockbuster film of a wonderful novel. It does not ask much of you, pure entertainment. Whereas the Old World Pinot Noir involves several winter nights of chewy reading. The rewards are there for those that take an interest.

Much like too much processed salty food is said to dumb down your palate, the same could be said for more obvious wines stealing the nuances away from the more challenging ones.

This bottle unfortunately self prophesied and is in my opinion a below average 'entry level' Pinot Noir. I am sure that I can find better comparable wines at that price.

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