Pinot Noir is a love it or leave it grape, and I’m a sucker for a good, affordable Pinot. On my last trip to a certain wine store, I must have been sending off subliminal Pinot-craving waves. A certain employee there (let’s call him the Doctor) picked up on my mood and intercepted me on my way to the staff picks section. Intrigued (and having a lot of respect for his impeccable taste), I followed him to the New Zealand corner of the store. Stopping at the border between New Zealand and South Africa, the good Doctor pointed at the St. Clair Vicar’s Choice Pinot Noir (2004 vintage). A true bargain and a veritable steal for $16.99, he said. It is difficult indeed to find a good Pinot for under $20, he added, sinking the hook in deeper. I thought about it, but decided that it was more than I wanted to spend. He saw the indecision in my eyes and swayed me by adding that the store had only received ten cases, and two were already sold. That did it. With some trepidation, I took the Stelvin-closed bottle home and opened it. He was right. This is an excellent wine.
It was clean, crisp, and slightly acidic. Packed with bright (almost sweet) cherry fruit, it also showed a long finish and a hint of tannic goodness make this darn near perfect. And for under $20, it’s even better. My wife loved it, and pronounced it her second favourite New Zealand wine of the year (after the Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc she savored last weekend). It is a textbook example of a well-made Pinot Noir. But I felt it was missing something. It was almost too perfect. It was like hearing a Canadian Idol contestant from the Prairies covering an old Motown classic. Technically perfect, yes, but not my style. I don’t like my Pinots to be so clean and polite. I prefer it when they come swaggering up from the wrong side of the tracks, smoking a joint, wearing a tattered old Circle Jerks t-shirt and spitting on the sidewalk. So while I must complement the folks at St. Clair for their very fine Pinot Noir, it’s not for me. Give me the smoky, dirty Mission Hill ‘Five Vineyards’ Pinot Noir any day. Or roll out the funky French carpet and send some fine Burgundy my way. Give me any Pinot that isn't afraid to let it's inner funk hang out (as long as the inner funk doesn’t remind me of an overripe durian fruit). But save the almost-too-perfect Pinot Noirs for someone else...