If you're a Pinot Noir fan then get ready to be blown away. Even if you are not a huge fan I strongly suggest you try this as while closely related to Pinot Noir, what I experiend while drinking this wine was unlike any Pinot Noir I've had to date! Pinot Meunier is more commonly used as one of the three grape varieties used in a traditional Champagne blend. Seeing it as a single varietal red wine is rather rare and Best's Wines are the only winery in Australia that I could find making such a wine. It is thought that their plantings of the variety in the Great Western region of Victoria are the oldest in Australia and possibly the oldest Pinot Meunier vines in the world!
It has a nice, transparent cherry red colour that will appear similar to many Pinot Noirs. In the aroma I actually got a noticeable hit of olives, along with some fruits and oak. When it comes to describing the experience of drinking this wine below is word for word what I wrote in my notebook at the time I was drinking it.
"It's smooth, smooth, smooth, smooth. Did I say smooth? It is like nothing I have ever had before"
Another line that I will never forget came from a guest at my recent Odd & Rare varieties tasting event who took one sip and said "oh that is naughty... just so naughtily smooth"
So we can pretty much summarise that this is an incredibly smooth wine. It has blended flavours of fruit and oak and is a wine that lovers of red wine simply must experience!
Best's Wines 2010 Pinot Meunier
Price - $60 from Best's Wines
Region - Great Western, VIC
Final Sip - 'Noir' may mean black, but once you go Meunier, you'll never go back!
