Louis Jadot Pinot Noir, Bourgogne (Burgundy)

Anyone who knows me knows that I love a good Pinot Noir.

But! That begs the question: "What makes a good Pinot Noir - good?"

     If we have learned anything ( learnt for my English colleagues) we have learnt that good Pinot Noir (*or any other varietal for that matter) expressed the terroir. Good wine talks to you about where it comes from and tells a little story about the way the chalky soil feels between your toes when you walk the vineyards in the mid-day sun. Good wine tells you how much someone labored, out of love, to show you the morning dew in May as it hangs a little too long on the spiderwebs and makes you believe in magic.Good wine transcends the limits of the grape and lets us feel another place (and sometimes another time).

2007 Louis Jadot Pinot Noir, Bourgogne (Burgundy)

12.5%, $22 CAN (BC)

• moderate cherry centre fades to orangish brownish brickishness quickly
• nose is moderate++ intense with notes of aged leather, venison & aged beef, deep baie rouges and black berries as well; think black raspberries with a hint of sugary thyme as the end. **NOTE** this wine was much improved from being open for 24 hours++ and I would suggest the same or at least a one hour decant before serving
• moderate+ acids, moderate+ tannins, moderately intense flavors much in line with the nose; a noteable exception being a dominant flavor of red currants immediately and persistantly. This flavor dominates the palate, leaving little room for anything else except as an afterthought
• moderate- to light body, decent structure

I would suggest (IMHO) that this is a Pinot Noir in the style that my colleagues would want to serve slightly chilled in the summer. This is not, to my taste at least, a Fall Pinot crying out for bourguignon or cote du boeuf.

If you enjoy a lighter style of Pinot Noir, then try this at a party where everyone is going to be inside and you know its going to be a touch too warm... chill the wine to about 14C (fridge for 15 minutes) and serve with country-style terrine and a simple loaf of bread (preferably something light - not pumpernickel). Don't serve French cornichons because the acids in this are already at the uppermost level they can be without unbalancing the structure - try some candied almonds instead and watch the crowd go wild for more!

That's the feeling I got from the particular wine anyhow; sitting at a little boulangerie in the summer, a little too hot to eat a proper meal and so having some chilled Pinot and a small plate of food.... watching the lazy afternoon and procrastinating my inevitable return to work. What does this wine say to you?

CIN CIN!! SLAINTE!!