2006 Drew Pinot Noir - impression by PJ Sept 2008

Hmmm, chicken with a spicy BBQ sauce, do you go for a white or a red? I was pretty certain a late picked / harvested Riesling would do the job but damn it I wanted a red.  Let's go and see what's in the wine cellar (or as I like to call it, the place where wine goes until 'the boss' lets me drink it).

As a result of our recent conversation with Neil Snare all of us here in the Winepunters Engine Room are in a Pinot tasting frenzy and you can expect a few impressions of Pinot to appear in the next few weeks, but to kick us off I decided to give the 2006 Drew Pinot Noir a run for it's money. 

If you have listened to the first part of the conversation with Neil Snare (if not click here) you will have heard him say that Pinot is a very good food wine and goes well at a BBQ.  Well 'the boss' and I weren't having BBQ chicken but chicken with a BBQ sauce so we figured 'close enough' and I, after obtaining permission from 'the boss', dug the Drew Pinot out of the cellar. 

What does the winemaker say?

As usual lets start with the official description of the wine.  According to the label, the 06 Pinot "exhibits the fragrance, fruit intensity and savoury characters typical of the true cool climate Pinot Noir and the silky elegance and structure to see it build further depth and complexity over the next few years". You also find out that the fruit that has gone into the wine comes from mature vines from a single vineyard in Tea Tree Tasmania. 

What do we say?

If you are a fan of Pinot then I think you will like this wine. It has a great smelling bouquet with lots of fruit and peppery spice.  I also think that if you are trying to introduce someone to red wine in general, and Pinot Noir in particular, this is a good wine to use.

This wine doesn't need food to improve it's taste or impact, it can be enjoyed on it's own.  So if you are going to try it with food you want to be sure that you don't match it with something that is going to detract from the taste.  In our case we were trying it with a spicy meal and usually I will try to balance the spice in the meal with a level of sweetness in the wine.  It's not always necessary to do this however and sometimes it's ok to pick a spicy wine to go with a spicy food on the basis that the spices in the food and the wine will be different enough to compliment each other.

As it turned out the Drew Pinot was a good choice because the flavour was strong enough to stand out but not too strong to overpower or change the flavours of the sauce.  I'd like to say that I had expected that to be the case but the truth was that I took a chance that the combination would work.  Although if anyone asks, I am a food and wine matching genius and I always know what I am doing.

Since this is the first time I have tried Drew wines I can't say if they produce consistently good wines but I can vouch for the 2006 Pinot Noir and I was impressed enough to try some more when I am allowed.  

To sum up, lets answer the Punter questions:

Should you buy this wine?

If you are a fan of Pinot then what are you waiting for?  If you're not but are succumbing to the endless nagging from Pinot lovers then open the wallet and buy this wine.

What will it taste like in a real situation?

The Drew Pinot works with or without a meal.  Although, we had some left over when we had dessert and ... well maybe finish it first and then eat your dessert.  

Will the object of your desire be impressed?

If the desired one is into pinot or willing to try it then after they try the Drew he, she, it will almost certainly be into you as well. 

What do you think? Send us a comment