I have a conundrum [thankfully it’s not a bottle of wine]:
Leg of lamb is a great winter dish.
Lamb goes great with Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir, at least the ones I prefer, are not winter-weight wines.
I’m going with a Syrah-based Roussillon.
What would you do?
Before I even finished reading your post I was saying “syrah” in my head.
I prefer Syrah with lamb over all others.
I feel like most Pinot is too light for leg of lamb. Syrah, Cabernet, GSM blends would be my choice
Mourvedre or Syrah.
Joining the Syrah chorus, but also like Bordeaux and Rioja with lamb. Never actually think of PN with lamb.
Pauillac + lamb is the classic of course, but all depends on how you’re prepping it.
The premise is off. Pinot Noir is never the best leg of lamb pairing. In any weather. Bordeaux, older CA cab, followed by the right mature Rhone.
Thanks to all for their replies. Syrah has always been my next choice for lamb. I also like the Rioja idea and of course Bordeaux and/or any aged Cab has been something people have enjoyed with lamb for centuries.
Sarah, we’ll agree to disagree. In the summer, I grill a leg of lamb and enjoy it with a youngish Cote de Beaune and/or an Oregon or Santa Cruz Mountain Pinot Noir. Mount Eden is a pinnacle for me.
Or RdD Reserva with some age would do well. Have had some killer lamb in Roa.
Lamb always pushes me towards Syrah, but I also really enjoy it with malbec. Especially a more old world styled malbec with some mushroomy earthiness(Cohors or a Mendoza with some age). I also recently had some herb crusted lamb with a Ridge Rousten Cab Franc and they paired beautifully.
I also feel that a pinot can be a bit light for lamb. If you do go with pinot definitely pick one that has some more spice and stem inclusion, don’t go too ripe.
I’d of course go with burgundy, but probably a bit heavier bodied burg.
What would I do? Move south…oh wait I already did, ha! 
I struggle to see Pinot working with leg of lamb.
Syrah is definitely the better bet. My personal favorite with lamb is Corison Cabernet Sauvignon. I suppose any lower ABV Bordeaux varietal would work, but Corison, in particular is a perfect pairing to almost any lamb dish.
Open a Syrah and a more ‘reticent’ zin, like A Rafanelli.
Mmmm, whatever you drink, let us know and I hope it’s great for you!
Chateau Musar comes to my mind . . .
I raise sheep and eat lamb all the time. Other than PN, the correct answer is Nebbiolo every time. There is no conundrum.
How is it being cooked ? Roast , rosemary minimal garlic, or BBQ w kicking sauce?
Mature Pauillac or Syrah are classic. I wouldn’t kick CdP out of bed either with the roast.
Not a fan of Pinot here but that’s just me. With BBQ the sauce is a big factor. Match the weight of the sauce first.
Syrah or GSM blend! Making me hungry!
My wine pairing choices are often perhaps idiosyncratic, as I like red wine with many fishes including salmon, tuna, swordfish and mackerel. But no way I could enjoy the pairing of pinot noir with lamb. Such a highly flavored red meat to me calls out for a bold syrah or cabernet. Pinot noir would, it seems to me, disappear into the background. Others obviously disagree.
The whole business of pairing wine and food seems a bit fraught to me, as personal taste plays such a huge role. I know people who like chardonnay with steak, which makes my skin crawl.