PINOT AND PIANO

Last night we had a bottle of Mt Difficulty Long Gully 2007 Central Otago Pinot Noir. It renewed my appreciation of Central Otago wines which had slipped of late. The overblown fruit bomb concoctions from the (too) many producers has disappointed and I have been looking to Waipara and Martinborough to find the best of New Zealand Pinot Noirs. The Mt Difficulty single vineyard wine is right on track. Big and rich it however opens up with breathing to show a fine delicacy. Some nice tobacco, black cherry and minerality all combine to a balanced flavour. This was great drinking and would have cellared well for a few years. It is expensive though (about $80) so I won't be buying a lot to cellar but it was well worth the experience.

I put on Bill Evans Trio 'Time Remembered' CD while we were drinking the Pinot. This CD compilation is a take-out from Evans' 'The Complete Riverside Recordings' and is a selection of some of his most moving and lyrical renditions of classics. The recordings are from 1962 and 1963 when he returned to perform after the death of his friend and bass player a year or so earlier. 'Danny Boy' was my mother's favourite and Evans gives this a long 10 minute beautiful rendition. All through the selections is a feeling of skill and accomplishment with a nice seamless mix of piano, bass and drums.

The opening up of the Pinot Noir with the balance of fruit, wood and tannins seemed to blend sinuously with the cohesive play of the three musicians. Both understated to some degree but with a lurking power that was seductive.