I admit it. I’ve often typecast New Zealand as offering only sauvignon blanc when it comes to wine. But there’s no basis for that, other than the fact that they produce some excellent sauvignon blanc and that just happens to be what I think of when I think about New Zealand. Plenty of other good wines are produced there too, such as pinot noir.
This Mud House pinot noir comes from the Central Otago region of New Zealand — a region where pinot noir is the most planted vine. It is one of the southern-most wine growing regions within New Zealand and they’ve been producing pinot noir there since the 19th century.
Cherry, raspberry, toasted oak and a touch of nutmeg make up the aromatics on this wine. The palate brings well-balanced raspberry, cherry and spice flavors with a nice, silky mouthfeel. The acidity is spot on. This is a lively pinot noir with fresh fruit flavors and good vibrancy. Simply put, it’s delicious!
The producers suggest it will age well for five to six years, but in my opinion it’s fantastic to drink right now.
Wine: Mud House, Central Otago Pinot Noir
Varieties: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2014
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 91
Average price: $19.99
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.
Find Mud House, Central Otago Pinot Noir with Snooth
Can you suggest a pinot noir for someone who doesn’t really like the taste of alcohol and would like a lower alcohol content than is typical. I want pinot noir for its health benefits, mostly for anti-Alzheimer properties.
That’s a tough one, Randi. I’m not familiar with any, although there may be one out there somewhere. All the pinot noir I’ve ever found is between 12 – 15% ABV.
Thank you for taking the time to answer. I’ve researched it a bit and found that Rex Goliath is 12.5, Gia by Gia is 11.5 and Appentaler is between them. I have read that some French red wines (Burgundy) have pinot noir in them and are lower in alcohol. I don’t know if that’s true or how to identify them.
There may be some Burgundy out there with lower ABV. By law all wines must have the ABV printed on the label, so if you find a wine shop with a wide selection you could look through them to see what you find. Although you may need a magnifying lens as it’s often printed extremely small.