Top Burgundy wines can break the bank. What are more affordable alternatives?
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Top Burgundy wines tin can suspension the bank. What are more affordable alternatives?
Excellent Pinot Noirs from Australia, New Zealand and Germany can be had for half the price of what you'd pay for top Burgundies.
Afterward years of worshipping their mentors in Burgundy, Pinot Noir producers from New World regions similar America, Australia and New Zealand have come of age. (Photo: Unsplash/Oscar Nord)
xviii Jun 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 18 Jun 2022 07:04AM)
In 2013, Singapore-based wine benefactor Wein & Vin conducted a blind tasting for 50 wine professionals and individual customers at Taberna vino bar. It pitted Pinot Noirs from its High german vino make, Weingut Bernhard Huber, confronting those from big name Burgundy producers Armand Rousseau and Maison Leroy.
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Boon Heng, managing director of Wein & Vin, fabricated sure it was a fair contest, grouping the wines in the same quality tiers: Armand Rousseau's Charmes-Chambertin 2009, a Thousand Cru, versus Huber's Schlossberg 2009, a Grosses Gewachs (German language for Great Growth), both wines of the highest classification in their corresponding regions; and Leroy'south Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru 2002 versus Huber's Alte Reben 2002, both of the second highest tier.
Huber'south wines beat the Burgundy elixirs.
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For Heng, the result was hardly surprising. He said the quality of German Pinot Noirs was already high when he spotted them nearly 10 years ago. "In the terminal five years, the standards of German Pinot Noir accept, in general, gone up," he added.
It's non merely the Germans who are giving the Burgundians a run for their money.
After years of worshipping their mentors in Burgundy, Pinot Noir producers from New Earth regions like America, Australia and New Zealand have also come of age. They are making elegant, expressive wines; a style long dominated by Burgundy.
Zachary Tay, head sommelier of Clos Pasoh, said the line between Old Earth and New Globe wine producers – non just those who make Pinot Noir – has been "blurring exponentially over the years".
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"Ten years ago, this deviation was every bit obvious as nighttime and twenty-four hours," said Tay, who has judged at wine competitions such equally the Decanter Asia Wine Awards. "You could say French Pinot Noirs are becoming fruiter [because of warmer climates]."
He noted that New Globe regions, on the other hand, have been exposed to warmer climates for a longer period of fourth dimension than in French republic. During this time, they have harnessed technological advancements in winemaking to become more well-equipped to produce dandy wines and emulate the refined style associated with Burgundy, he explained.
Heng said climate change has been advantageous for German language Pinot Noir producers. "Winemakers in Europe can attest to the fact that they are harvesting earlier than, say, x years ago," he said. "Germany stands to gain [from climate change] as they are a cool climate vino region, compared with Burgundy, which is moderate."
Tay has no qualms recommending Pinot Noirs from outside of Burgundy every bit affordable – and even comparable – alternatives to Burgundy to his customers.
"French republic is a mile away from its competitors when information technology comes to the quality-cost ratio," said Tay, adding that first-class Pinot Noirs tin can be found in places like Australia, America, New Zealand, Germany and S Africa "at a 3rd or even half the price of what you lot'd have to pay for a wine of similar quality from Burgundy".
That doesn't mean you will invariably get a great wine for cheap. Drinkers who want a top Pinot Noir from outside of Burgundy should withal pay careful attention to price.
"Top quality, unmarried vineyard wines require a lot of manpower, and that is reflected in its selling price. A Pinot Noir outside of Burgundy in the range of South$180 to S$250 in a restaurant or S$120 to S$180 at retail will go y'all a very enjoyable bottle," said Tay. "Comparatively, at these price points, yous'll only have admission to [lower tier] regional or village-specific wines from Burgundy."
"A Pinot Noir outside of Burgundy in the range of S$180 to S$250 in a eatery or S$120 to Southward$180 at retail will go y'all a very enjoyable bottle. Comparatively, at these price points, you'll only have admission to [lower tier] regional or village-specific wines from Burgundy." – Zachary Tay
Looking to start your Pinot hunt? Here are our picks of 7 superlative Pinot Noirs from exterior of Burgundy.
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Burn COTTAGE PINOT NOIR 2018
The region of Central Otago in New Zealand'south South Isle is recognised every bit the land'south preeminent place for Pinot Noir. The semi-continental climate conditions – low rainfall, broad temperature swings between twenty-four hours and night, hot summers, and dry winters – are ideal for growing the finicky grape diverseness.
Since its inception in 2002, Burn Cottage winery has gained a cult following amid the Central Otago true-blue.
The 2022 vintage of the winery's flagship vino has a seductive profile of red fruit, citrusy touches, floral aromas, and silky tannins. It's notwithstanding a young vintage so yous may want to put away a few bottles in the cellar.
S$88, from 1855 The Bottle Store
DALRYMPLE, COTTAGE Block PINOT NOIR 2014
Tasmania is making a name for itself as Australia's best source of cool climate wines. Here, Pinot Noir laps upwardly the temperate climate to produce the vibrant acidity that is crucial to the flavour profile of the grape diversity.
Dalrymple, located in the north-eastern surface area of the island, is one of the many boutique wineries driving the reputation of Tasmanian Pinot Noir.
The Cottage Block Pinot Noir is a fine instance of the restrained, fragrant style of the island'southward Pinots. Sit back and enjoy its flavours of cherries and blueberries interwoven with rustic, earthy accents and velvety tannins.
S$107, from Vintage Fine Wines
FELTON Road, CALVERT PINOT NOIR 2019
Walk into whatsoever top eating house and y'all'd spot Felton Route on its wine list. The wine is popular amidst sommeliers – and chefs (Tetsuya Wakuda of Waku Ghin even got the winery to create a special cuvee for his eatery).
One of the pioneers of biodynamic winemaking in Central Otago, Felton Road makes Pinot Noirs that brandish ability and elegance. Its Block 5 Pinot Noir is something of a fable, consistently earning praise from top critics. Information technology'southward also the winery's nigh expensive bottle, which sells out quickly.
The more affordable Calvert Pinot Noir is nearly comparable to the Block 5. The 2022 vintage of the Calvert offers notes of cherries, spices, and milk chocolate wrapped up in silky, refined tannins.
S$117, from Vintage Fine Wines
KOOYONG, Oasis PINOT NOIR 2016
The Kooyong estate is located in Mornington Peninsula, another cool climate region in Australia that has earned a reputation as Pinot Noir key.
Kooyong's Haven Pinot Noir is known for its lush, fuller style, so drinkers who prefer a little more oomph in their Pinots may desire to bank check this ane out. The wine'due south bawdy accents of tea leaves and mushrooms also lend it a succulent, savoury edge. We would pair this with a steak or a beef stew.
S$129, from Hermitage Quality Wines
NEWTON JOHNSON Family unit VINEYARDS PINOT NOIR 2019
South African Pinot Noirs, which combine influences from Burgundy and the New Earth, are something of a little secret. Afterward all, the country'due south vino scene, which is concentrated in the Western Greatcoat, has largely spent its marketing dollar on its Bordeaux-fashion reds and sugariness dessert wines.
Newton Johnson Family Vineyards is located in the Western Cape's Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, a cool climate region known for its Pinot Noir.
The 2022 vintage of the winery's flagship Pinot Noir is a youthful sip with lots of ageing potential. Its lush mid-palate unveils notes of cherries, dark fruit, cinnamon, and soya with grippy tannins.
South$75, from Stellez Vine
WEINGUT BERNHARD HUBER, MALTERDINGER 2018
The late winemaker Bernhard Huber, who passed away in 2014, was oftentimes credited for introducing the world to German Pinot Noirs from the region of Baden. Today, his son, Julian, has taken over the reins, making the kind of elegant wines that defined the ethos of his father.
The Malterdinger, an Ortswein (a mid-tier, hamlet-level wine), is a value-for-coin introduction to Bernhard Huber'southward elixirs. Made from fruit from 25-year-former vines, the vino offers scents of fresh herbs and cherries, and flavours of cranberries, plums, and walnuts tied together by a taut line of acidity.
Due south$100, from iwine.sg
WEINGUT MEYER-NAKEL, 'South' SPATBURGUNDER 2018
Weingut Meyer-Nakel is located in Ahr, a very small-scale wine region in Germany known for Spatburgunder, the German language moniker for Pinot Noir.
In the 1980s, when many German wineries were producing sweet wines, Meyer-Nakel began focusing on dry wines, peculiarly Spatburgunder.
With its notes of red fruit, dark chocolate and crushed stones, the "Due south" Spatburgunder 2022 reflects the winery'south tradition of making Pinot Noirs that residuum a fruit-forrard character with minerally and herbaceous accents.
The wine is categorised every bit an Erste Lage, the 2d highest tier in the vineyard nomenclature created by the Verband Deutscher Pradikatsweinguter (VDP), an organisation that promotes German viticulture.
S$140, from Ares Konsultant. E-mail ares.konsultant [at] outlook.sg ()
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