Pinot Noir- it's an immensely characterful, expressive and variegated grape. An excellent wine to drink on its own or with food, it neither overpowers cuisine nor one's palate. It is delicately perfumed, sprightly and manages the greatest refinement of velvet tannin imaginable. We often extol the virtues of Burgundy, where this variety is most strongly associated, yet Pinot Noir deserves everywhere to be celebrated. So here we are with this immensely affordable trio, showcasing three major styles of the grape.

2015 Huia Pinot Noir, Marlborough

From the certified organic Huia Winery comes this amazingly fresh 2015 Pinot Noir from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. Following almost 2 years maturation in French oak the wine shows ripe black cherries with hints of violet and vanillin. The palate is rich while still vibrant with quite silken tannins. There's an elegant earthy finish on this impressive NZ flagbearer for Pinot Noir. If you've yet to acquaint yourself with NZ Pinot Noir I encourage you to get yourself introduced.

2019 Lucien Muzard Bourgogne Rouge

Ninth generation winemaking brothers, Claude and Hervé Muzard are at the helm of this domaine which dates back to 1654! Their Bourgogne Rouge is sourced from three separate vineyards planted in the 1950s located in Santenay, Chassagne, and in the Hautes Cotes de Beaune. This wine has beautiful aromatics of small red berries, cherry. The medium-bodied, satiny palate has tangy acids and tannins which melt away. It's already impressive and approachable and it is a clarion sign that the 2019 vintage in Burgundy is nothing to be trifled with.

2018 Bodan Roan Pinot Noir, California

This Pinot Noir is selected from several sites across California with soils of loam and clay, yet the winemaking style is perhaps the most notable aspect. The wine is made with little-intervention that emphasizes the purity of the fruit. Aged partially in stainless steel with a minimum of new oak, the nose has bright brambly fruit and strawberry with a touch of spice. The medium-bodied palate has delicate tannins and gentle forest floor character. Quite an unbelievably supple wine at this price point.

- Spencer