PINOT NOIRS FROM OUTSIDE BURGUNDY

Less than $300

Highfield 2002 pinot noir, $234

Making an elegant, stylish pinot noir is the holy grail of winemaking. Around the world, idealistic vintners struggle to create a pinot noir to match the classic greatness of the wines of Burgundy. There, pinot noir grapes are grown on a narrow, 40-kilometre stretch of hills known as the Slope of Gold. Trying to match the magnificence of Burgundy is an expensive business. That's why this week's selection is more expensive than usual. Famed for its flavour-laden sauvignon blancs, the Marlborough region of New Zealand also produces a number of respectable pinot noirs. The fruit for this intense wine is hand-picked and fermented in open tanks, the way Burgundians have been making the wine for centuries. Adding to the Gallic flavour, the wine is matured in barriques of French oak. The result is a delightful mouthful of plum and cherries.

Wine'n'Things (tel: 2873 5733)

Less than $500

Chalone 2002 pinot noir, $430