BOURGOGNE PINOT NOIR

Pinot noir, specifically the red wines made from the variety in Burgundy, does funny things to otherwise sane people. There's something about the flavours –sometimes floral, sometimes earthy, sometimes just barely perceptibly animal – and the texture – like the sheerest silk –that triggers compulsion, or amour fou, in those who have had their heads turned by the best bottles. It can be a financially ruinous affair. Because it requires exceptional skill on the part of the winemaker, and because it is particularly finicky about where it grows, pinot noir tends to be expensive: it's no surprise that the recently convicted American wine fraudster Rudy Kurniawan focused on top burgundy for his lucrative fakery. As the Burgundians descend on London to show off their latest, small but apparently high-quality vintage (2012) to their British customers ahead of its release, François Raquillet's entry-level 2010 pinot is what passes for a bargain red in the region, offering that inimitable fleet-footed, gliding sensation and fragrant red fruit.David Williams, The Observer (Jan 2014)

We reviewed this excellent Pinot Noir a couple of years ago, when it was – and this is a credit to Lea & Sandeman – exactly the same price. It's gained a point in our estimation since then, however, since it's retained its lovely seam of aromatic red fruit, but gained in silkiness of texture. A very superior Bourgogne Rouge. Rating: 90 The Wine Gang - www.thewinegang.com (Jan 2014)

Fragrant, fresh, sleek and elegant, with perfumed cherry fruit, a delicate nuttiness and a hint of incense. Very seductive. Just what you hope for, but often don't get, from basic Bourgogne rouge. Rating: 89 The Wine Gang - www.thewinegang.com (Mar 2012)