Pinot Noir
The best Pinot Noirs express their terroir with breathtaking transparency. It is, for many, the most thrilling of red grapes, but there are few regions where it truly excels – most famous among them is Burgundy, but even here, Pinot is particularly vulnerable to the vagaries of the climate, with its thin skin. Victoria (Australia), Central Otago (New Zealand) and California's Santa Rita Hills and Sonoma Coast are among the few regions that can hold a candle to Burgundy when it comes to top-quality Pinot, but look out too for excellent examples from South Africa, the Loire and – less expectedly – Essex.
