Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pinot Noir Review

I shared this Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Valle de Aconcagua pinot noir with a friend on the day of the Wimbledon 2017 final. We weren’t watching the tennis (we were watching Twin Peaks — a much more red-wine-friendly experience), but my mate still managed to compare the wine to a tennis tournament.

Giving it an overly theatrical swirl, he said “this is a French Open wine. Definitely clay court. Not Wimbledony like a rosé.” He was only messing about, but it was a pretty good review, I thought. Original, at least. Accurate too. This is a typically earthy pinot noir; light, with delicate red cherry aromas, yet somewhat… foresty.

Regular readers might have spotted that I’m a fan of Chilean wine. I find they always give good value and this one, from the popular Aconcagua Valley region just north of Santiago, fits my stereotype. Pinot noir has been the “cool” grape to like for years now (partly popularised by the merlot-hating wine snob in the film Sideways), but it’s easy to get wrong. This one plays it safe, and doesn’t fall into the trap of over-oaking like some cheap versions.

So… good value if you fancy a light but boldly flavoured red. Just don’t pair it with grass-court tennis — you’ll want sauvignon blanc for that.

Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference 2016 Pinot Noir: £8

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