Thursday, 21 January 2016

High Street Wine Challenge: Secanto Maiten Vineyard Block 1 Pinot Noir (£14.29, M&S)

So this evening I had 5 minutes to spare before my train left, which led me to the wine section in the station's mini M&S. I was looking for something soothing for my £10 budget, so my eyes skipped over France, Italy, Spain, until they reached a rather grown-up-looking Pinot Noir from Chile for £9.49. "Perfect," I thought, and dashed to the checkout.  All I can say is that it's been an exhausting week as I didn't spot the actual price as I tapped my card and ran for the platform. So I apologise for the fact that I broke budget this time.

I will not apologise however for the pleasure I took in consuming this rather tasty midweek treat. Chilean Pinot Noirs can be hugely disappointing. Avoid anything sub £7... in fact, that's a good rule of thumb for all Pinot Noir as it's a bloody hard grape to produce and the cheap versions are notoriously dreadful. This Pinot however comes from Leyda, which is rapidly gaining a reputation for top quality wines thanks partly to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean and the cooling sea breezes it enjoys.

My first impression of this wine was how silky smooth it is - seriously seductive and easy to drink. Deliciously ripe blueberry and plum fruit, sweet spice and a hint of truffle. This would be delicious with pork or duck, but it slipped down very easily on its own in this instance...

Happy Swigging! 

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