Paradox - white Pinot Noir 2021
This unusual and quite rare still white wine is made by pressing (red) Pinot Noir grapes very gently so as not to extract colour from the skins - the flesh itself is green-white. It was fermented and aged for 10 months in old (mellow) oak barrels. The resulting wine, which is a lovely light copper colour, has notes of baked apple and pear, some red fruit and roses, spice and something a bit more ‘earthy’. The palate is fairly full with a hint of creaminess, and balancing but not overbearing acidity. It will age well, and certainly will develop over the next year or two. It is very much a ‘food wine’ see below for suggestions.
Only just over 1000 bottles were made, and the number of bottles per tonne of fruit is much lower than most wines. The grapes came from two Essex vineyards, Martin’s Lane and Bromley Brook. It is a fascinating, unusual and beautiful wine.
12.5% alcohol, sold in 75cl bottles. Contains sulphites.
Food matches and serving notes.
Currently it’s a young wine, so will benefit from being opened an hour before drinking, and ideally decanted to let the wine fully express itself. Serve at about 12 degrees c, certainly not ‘fridge cold’ if you can avoid it.
Food matches: pork and white game will play well with the baked apple and earth notes, and the acidity will allow it to match reasonably fatty or rich foods such as a wild mushroom risotto or even (being seasonal) goose. I recently had it with a whole baked brill with anchovy butter sauce - an excellent match. It is a perfect accompaniment to a range of cheeses. The hint of a ‘red wine’ quality also allows it to balance dishes where you might use a light, fruity red wine. If you like steak but prefer not to drink red wine - this could work for you -but without any heavy sauces.