According to Arthurian legend, there existed a chalice or grail believed to contain magical powers. The term 'Grail' itself is believed to originate from the Latin 'gradale' meaning a dish used during a meal.

As its mystical power grew through the ages, it became known as The Holy Grail, and it was believed to possess the ability to heal the sick, or the mortally wounded; the power to ensure that all who are worthy to approach it remain youthful; and the power to provide sumptuous food of any type except to those who are not yet worthy to eat from it or approach it.

You therefore needed to be brave, bold and worthy to go in search of the Holy Grail, to be able to sip from such a mighty cup.

Much the same could be said for the search for the Holy Grail of the wine world, the perfect Pinot Noir.

The home of Pinot Noir is Burgundy, a long narrow swathe of eastern France. Indeed, Burgundy has now become a generic term for Pinot Noir. Many will argue that the world's greatest wine, certainly the most expensive, is that of the Domaine de la Romanee-Conti (the 1990 vintage was released at $900 per bottle!). So what is it about these wines that leads winemakers on this all-consuming search? According to Jancis Robinson's Oxford Companion to Wine, "it is a tribute to the unparalleled level of physical excitement generated by tasting one of Burgundy's better reds that such a high proportion of the world's most ambitious wine producers want to try their hand with this capricious vine. If Cabernet produces wines that appeal to the head, Pinot's charms are decidely more sensual".

It grows best in cool climates, is prone to disease and virus, and is generally low-yielding, demanding much of both viticulturalist and viniculturalist alike. It therefore demands that only the "brave, bold and worthy" will embark on such a journey.

In local terms, this is underlined by the nature of the few winemakers with the resilience, passion and patience necessary to even start, let alone accomplish such a mission. People such as Anthony Hamilton-Russell, Peter & David Finlayson, Bruce Jack, and Cathy Marshall are the flag-bearers for local Pinots, "bravely going where few dare to tread".

A recent tasting of 6 vintages (1999-2004) of BWC Pinot Noir (Cathy Marshall's Barefoot Wine Company) illustrated the progress which is being made, with meticulous attention to oaking and fruit selection giving wines of finesse and elegance, definitely more velvety and feminine than the robust Cabernets and Syrahs to which we are perhaps accustomed. However, we do not seem to have yet developed the staying power of the Old World wines as the earlier vintages were starting to show their age, albeit still gracefully!

No doubt this will be one of the many challenges that pioneers such as Cathy will face in her search for the Holy Grail. In the meantime, I too have my own Holy Grail, and that is just to one day drink from a chalice containing some of that Domaine de la Romanee-Conti - that will be reward enough.

A selection of leading local Pinot Noirs (Pinots Noir?) is available from all Manuka Fine Wine Boutiques

Stephen Digby
Manuka, Somerset West