To kick off my reviews of the wines on promotion at O’Briens this winter, here’s a look at four Pinot Noirs, four from Burgundy and one from the USA.
Why Pinot Noir
In terms of seasons, Pinot Noir is more autumnal than a classic winter red variety. Compared to Bordeaux and Rhône varieties, Pinot Noir is lighter and, while often great with food, is easier to drink on its own. This makes it a great choice as a sipping wine, especially as it very rarely comes with a blockbuster alcohol content.
What it does have is the combination of lightness and fresh acidity which makes it perfect for pairing with both red meat and poulty at the table (and plenty of vegetarian options, for that matter.) Here in Ireland the most common Xmas dinner is turkey and ham with all the trimmings, so Pinot is perfect.
For the wine geek there’s an additional attraction; Pinot Noir is very expressive of the place in which it is grown, just as Riesling is among white varieties. Pinot was one of the two varieties which Burgundian monks used to map out the demarcations of vineyards by the differences in character in the wines that they yielded. This terroir transparency is increasingly utilised in the new world, though has a long way to catch up.
So now onto the wines themselves:
Seguin-Manuel Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2022
Having talked about the terroir-transparency of Pinot Noir, it’s also important to note that the producer of a particular bottle is also key in Burgundy. Domaine Seguin-Manuel was founded back in 1824 and today has a compact and bijoux eight and a half hectares of vineyards across the Côte d’Or. The Domaine was bought by Thibaut Marion – himself a tenth generation winemaker – in 2004, with a focus on continuously improving quality and expressing the local terrior.
This simple Bourgogne includes fruit from more prestigious appellations. Declassifying fruit like this improves the quality of the posher wine (only the best berries are kept for that) and the humbler wine (as the grapes blended into the basic cuvée are still better than those from the basic appellation. This is the Burgundy equivalent of the second (and sometimes third) wines of the Médoc’s top chateaux.
The result in the glass is a red Burgundy with more structure and depth than we’d have any right to expect. It has floral and red fruit notes on the nose, with a juicy and thick palate. This is definitely more of a winter Pinot than a summer Pinot – and all the better for it in my opinion.
- ABV: 13.0%
- RRP: €27.99 down from €29.95 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
- Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie
Domaine Antoine Olivier Santenay Temps des C(e)rises 2023
Santenay is an appellation surrounding the village of the same name in the Côte de Beaune, the southern half of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or. Around 85% of production is red and the balance white, with the usual Pinot Noir and Chardonnay taking the respective lead roles. What is relatively unusual is that the AOC regulations allow Pinot Blanc to be used for whites, and up to 15% Pinot Blanc and / or Pinot Gris used for red wines. There are no Grand Cru climats within Santenay and a dozen Premier Crus.
Antoine Olivier follows in the footsteps of his winemaking father and grandfather, taking over in 2003. The Domaine has been slowly expanded to include sites in the nearby villages of Savigny, Pommard and Rully, and has included replanting in previously abandoned vineyard sites. Antoine is now the most significant producer of Santenay Blanc.
This Santenay Rouge has a lifted, floral nose with fragrant red fruits. The titular cherries appear on the palate, along with strawberries and raspberries. This is the proper Burgundy experience in a glass. It’s not cheap, but you pay for the elegance and delight in it.
- ABV: 13.0%
- RRP: €34.99 down from €40.99 from 28th Oct 25 to 5th Jan 2025
- Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie
La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2022
Sideways fans will think of the Santa Barbara area for California Pinot, but the Sonoma Coast also does well with the variety. The AVA is at the western part of Sonoma County, running along the Pacific coast. There are nine sub-regions of which the Russian River Valley AVA is the most well known. Cool coastal breezes and banks of chilly fog both help to reduce temperatures compared to further inland.
La Crema makes wines in five regions in the northern half of California – from Monterey up to Anderson Valley – plus Willamette Valley in Oregon. Their Sonoma Coast wines include “regional” bottlings of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, topped by single vineyard expressions of each variety.
This Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is intensely aromatic, with punnets of fresh red fruits and a few black berries too. The palate is also complex, with bright fruits and mocha notes. There’s spice here too, though everything is well balanced and harmonious. If your opinion of California wines is that they lack subtlety then you owe it to yourself to try this wine.
- ABV: 13.5%
- RRP: €30.99 down from €40.99 via the O’Briens app in December
- Source: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie
Seguin-Manuel Nuits-Saint-Georges “Vieilles Vignes” 2021
Seguin-Manuel bottle over 50 different wines, including seven Grands Crus. This old vine Nuits-Saint-Georges sits somewhere around the middle of the range in terms of quality – but this is no middling wine. The vines are over 30 years old and sit on clay and limestone soils south of the town itself. After hand harvesting, the grapes are pressed and allowed to ferment over two and a half weeks. The young wine is then matured for 14 months in a mix of new (25%) and older (75%) oak casks.
Just a sniff of this wine is enough to let you know it’s the real deal. When wine geeks talk about the chase for great Burgundy, this is what they mean. Everything is lifted, heightened, powerful, yet purposeful. It tastes just heavenly, but the experience is more about how it makes you feel – special. This is a special wine that would make an amazing Xmas treat.
- ABV: 13.0%
- RRP: €65 down from €79 in the O’Briens December Fine Wine Sale
- Source: O’Briens stores
Conclusion
These wines are all at appropriate price points, and you really do get what you pay for. The La Crema is a total bargain at the promotional price, but the Nuits-Saint-George is a really special wine that would make an amazing gift for any Pinot fan.
