La Foret Pinot Noir, Bourgogne (Burgundy)

So all of you may know that the infamous Burghund or "Burghound" ( wwww.Burghound.com ) was in Vancouver, BC this weekend. Lucky me - I was invited to a private tasting and lecture that was held in his honor and with the infamous Allen Meadows presiding.

    The notes of that tasting will follow a bit later when I catch up, but for now I would like to talk about La Foret Pinot Noir from Burgundy in the aftermath of the encyclopedic knowledge I was allowed access to just yesterday. 

     Pinot Noir  is capable of greatness. Pinot Noir  is capable of depth and vivaciousness.

     The was once a man who said "The first duty of all wine is to be Red". Some would say "The first duty of all wine is to be Pinot Noir". I would say that what I took from the 2 hour lecture was that "The first duty of all wine is to express terroir". Express the place from whence the grapes come; tell me what it feels like when the sun comes up on the hills of the vineyard or when the breeze wraps itself in the cool of the evening. Tell me about the terroir.

2006 La Foret, Pinot Noir, Bourgogne (Burgundy)

12.5%, $22 CAN (BC)

• 
  
  visually moderate cherry color with slight ruby centre and slight orangish-brick rim
• 
  
  nose= moderate++ to full- intense leathery oaky notes, followed by the gamey-bloody meatiness, slightly hot alcohol with candied plum finish
• 
  
  moderate++ acids, moderate+ tannins, moderately intense palate the mimicks the nose but is muted by the overbearing acids & lacking in nuance
• 
  
  good body, slightly unbalanced structure

To me, this is a decent wine in-so-much as it actually has some character, which is not something I would normally associate with a $22 wine (from just about anywhere). But to me, this is also a flawed wine as the acids really do overpower the fruit & nuanced oak palate which could be excellent (for the price). I would serve this with the classic food of Burgundy; boeuf bourguignon or coq au vin. The acids would love a bit of beefy fattiness to balance them, but the unctuousness of the chicken would also pair well. Either way - serve this lean but well meaning wine with a bit of fat and enjoy an inexpensive introduction to Burgundy.

CIN  CIN!! SLAINTE !!