My feelings precisely!
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+1. That said I’m happy that the whites are widely available in restaurants in Helsinki as they are reliable and mostly well priced.
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A couple of good Pinot Noirs from 2015:
2015 Ampelidae Pinot Noir P.N. 1328
Enticing aromas of peonies, blueberries, plums and violets, then a mouthful of mainly plums and blackberries, with dark raspberries and some strawberries coming later. Very beguiling, elegant, even ethereal, full of charm but very persistent and despite the warmth of the vintage, it succeeds in remaining fresh. Lovely stuff.
Ampelidae was briefly quite well noted but faded from view some time ago. Although I believe the wines were all organic, they were (and probably still are) produced on a large scale. PN 1328 is the name of the plot and was always one of their better wines. They also acquired the Druet vineyards but never produced anything remotely as good as he had done. This cost me a mere 13€ and I think more recent vintages are about the same price, but I don’t know if they are as good.
2015 Domaine Henry Pellé Menetou-Salon Morogues Les Cris
Floral notes of peonies, also rosehip, plums and blackcurrants, then a very winsome blend of plums and blackcurrants on the palate, with the latter increasingly prominent over the course of the evening. Dark raspberries dominate the middle section and the finish is persistent but fresh. Very successful. Great value at 18€.
From a much more renowned producer, this was very impressive, but…
I don’t drink much Pinot Noir so it was fascinating to taste these two together. I was confidently expecting the Pellé to put the Ampelidae in its place…but it didn’t. I slightly preferred the blackcurrant profile to the blackberry one of the Ampelidae, but I can’t say the Pellé was actually better. So one of those occasions when comparing wines is very useful, and when it is important to ignore the label. I’d give them both a solid 92 pts.
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