AsiaLIFE

Those ‘fortunate’ to have met Darren in the flesh, will no doubt realise that this month our antipodean tippler is not referring to himself, but to Pinot Noir – the most sexy grape on the vine.

Statistically speaking we are drinking lighter bodied, more elegant wines – less Chardonnay, more Sauvignon Blanc, less Cabernet Sauvignon, more Pinot Noir, etc. A languid scan through the stream of marketing spin that comes to me from wine companies shows that it is no longer preferable to describe your wines as rich, ripe and opulent – they need to be racy, seductive and downright sexy!

“The process of turning pinot noir grapes into wine can be challenging, but the result has been called ‘sex in a glass’,” claims the Atlanta Wine School, to give you just one example.

Google the words sexy, pinot and noir in the same search box and you will be inundated with tens of thousands of hits, indeed it seems Pinot Noir cannot be described as complete without the word sexy being utilised to express it. Fine Pinot Noir is elegant and complex. Initially often restrained, it bares it charms slowly, like the dance of the seven veils, revealing a little more of its inner secrets with every sip. Good Pinot can indeed be described as sexy, and drinking it is as much a sensual as it is a sensory experience.

“Maya, Indian goddess of illusions, Siren of shipwrecked sailors, if only you lactated Pinot Noir you’d be perfect,” as Miles says to Maya, in the movie ‘Sideways.’ Enough said.

If you wish to purchase some sex-in-the-bottle, the following is a selection of the very best available in Phnom Penh.

Joseph Drouhin Chambolle Musigny, 2006

A large Burgundy producer with a long history and admirable reputation, Drouhin own several small Premier Cru vineyards within the Jurassic soils of this exceptional appellation and produce a stunning Premier Cru cuvee. The wine has a fine satin / silky texture giving way to intense flavours of violets and black cherries with notes of damp forest floor and hints of truffle and game. The somewhat challenging conditions of the 2006 vintage in Burgundy have a produced a wine more on the elegant side than the previous ‘05 vintage and a slightly softer, more forward wine which may be enjoyed now. Try with venison terrine.

Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand

Whilst perhaps the most famous Sauvignon label in the world, it is fair to say that the winemaking team at Cloudy Bay has been besotted, even obsessed with Pinot Noir since their first vintage in 1989. They have a purpose built Pinot Noir cellar at the winery and source from a diverse range of very high quality vineyards. The wine is a buxom diva – voluptuous, rich and spellbinding. Match with red curried duck for a sublime experience.

Oyster Bay Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand, 2007

If oysters are an aphrodisiac and Pinot Noir is sexy, this must be the ultimate seducer’s wine. Where the Cloudy Bay is an ample contralto, the Oyster Bay is more a catwalk model – svelte, racy, raw, the (forbidden) fruit more elusive, and a touch leafy (a well-placed fig leaf perhaps?). The price makes it all the more attractive. Match with Peking duck.

Bannockburn Pinot Noir, Geelong, Australia

One of Australia’s greatest Pinot Noirs – previous winemaker Gary Farr used to spend the northern hemisphere vintage at the esteemed Burgundy Domaine of Dujac – the wine displays typically earthy, primal scents of forest floor, spices, truffles and animal sweat combined with black cherry and wild strawberry fruit notes. Definitely a wine for the hunter, serve with game on the plate and lust just across the table.

Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir, South Africa, 2004

Winemaker Anthony Hamilton Russell is besotted with Burgundy, growing and producing only Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, (the two noble grapes of Burgundy). He produces beguiling, seductive Pinot Noirs of outstanding allure and quality. Match with soused or potted hare.