Domaine du Château d'Eau Pinot Noir 2005 Tasting Notes

A clear, light purple, the $10 Pinot Noir brings an initial note of mineral earth to the nose with aromas of plum, cherry and violet.

The wine is dry on the palate, fairly light bodied, but with chewy tannins and mid-level acidity. The earth notes on the palate bring vegetal elements of mushroom and black olive. Plum, cherry and strawberry form the bulk of the red fruit, with help from orange rind, a sprinkle of white pepper, violet and some mountain laurel.

This is an enjoyable wine, easy to drink and yet incorporating some authentic Burgundian seriousness despite its transplantation to the south of France. The earth and vegetal elements seem a proper Burgundian touch, and yet the wine evinces both the stimulating tang and softness in the mouth that have made Pinot Noir a grape in demand lately in the American market. We well know that high demand has yielded lower end Pinot Noirs of questionable pedigree, a fault not shared by this well-thought-out wine. Though the wine is young, it is ready to enjoy now, although it could certainly benefit from a reasonable decanting.