A perfect house Pinot Noir, by Sean Burbridge

As a keen wine drinker I am always on the lookout for a good Pinot Noir that doesn’t destroy the finances – I never seem to get bored of Pinot Noir and of all the red wines in my cellar it is the grape variety that I always tend to head for......and therefore, always run out of! So yesterday, looking to stock up, I bought some straight Bourgogne rouge from one of my favourite producers Joseph Roty, and from the wonderful 2009 vintage.

Philippe Roty of Domaine Joseph Roty

A cuvee called “Pressonier”, which is actually a declassified Gevrey Chambertin vineyard. Obviously this is still very young but it is already so impressive and very well balanced....classic Cotes de Nuits nose, with gentle hints of earth, a whiff of smokiness and mixed red fruits, dominated by raspberries and sour cherries. The wine has great acidity, is light on its feet and the tannins are soft and subtle.

A colleague described it as having a “cool fruit” character, which adds a lovely freshness and drinkability to what is such a pleasing wine. It is not massively intense, it is not massively structured, it is not massively complex but for me, it is exactly what I was looking for in my mission to stock up on Pinot Noir – a great value French Pinot Noir that I will never, ever get bored of and will always love to drink. I am definitely going to get a few cases of this beauty to keep me going for many years to come.........I have definitely found my new “premium” house red glugger!


By Sean Burbridge