2011 Picton Bay Pinot Noir – Marlborough, New Zealand

Close your eyes. Okay, just wait to close your eyes until you are done reading this. Or else you won’t be able to read, and then we are both out of luck here.

Imagine walking along a country road. It’s a sunny summer day; barely any clouds in the sky. The temperature is hovering around 24°, and as you walk across the gravelly ground, small clouds of dust are kicked up from under your heels. Suddenly, just to the side, are berry bushes. You notice that there are copious amounts of perfectly ripened fruit bits everywhere, glowing red in the sun. You cannot help but drink them. Wait, [long pause] what?

Now that I have your imagination…

Picton Bay’s Pinot Noir grabbed my senses and wrenched them a bit. I am not going to lie. I found it to be an enchanting wine on the level of everyday. It is a great summer sipper that is lusciously juicy, fruity, and charming, I might add, for an affordable price. I was so impressed with its colour, that I actually could not find the right descriptor. So, since colour descriptors are already in place for the wine tasting system, I will go with clear light ruby. I promise you it was a clear and light ruby that you would want on your finger as a ring. The bouquet on this Pinot Noir exaggerated fresh red berries – cherries, strawberries, and raspberries – in all of their glory with a side of lightly smoked wood. The palate begged to be noticed with smooth, easy-going tannins and that black peppery nuance one comes to expect from a Pinot Noir, but the red berries took the shortcake and tasted so ripe, that it was as if the fruit would have bled if I had of touched it with my meandering hands on a summer day.

Oh, no, it was not, I repeat not, lip-smackingly tasty at all.

I could simply stick my nose in a bucket of fresh hand-picked, bush ripened fruit, but something tells me it just wouldn’t be the same. This definitely is not a Pinot Noir to be aged; it is a drink now and seize-the-day kind of Pinot Noir. Don’t take my word for it. You have one of two choices: you can close your eyes now and imagine what I have told you, or you can drive down to Bellingham, WA and pick up a bottle at the local T.J.’s. Unfortunately, it appears that BC retailers haven’t picked-up on this bottle of simple beauty yet. So sad!

Cheers!