by Fergal Gleeson

The sun was twinkling on the water like Tiffany Diamonds. It was a long weekend, the Wallabies were rampant in Twickenham and Dee Why Beach had never looked better.

It was 34 degrees and incredibly the minions were playing nicely with each other. I was feeling content with the world and thought to myself tonight is the night for a special bottle of wine! It was time to break out the Etude!

We don’t see a lot of American wine in this part of the world. With a huge local market, US winemakers don’t worry too much about exporting but I’m glad this one made it out alive! Etude Pinot Noir smells of fruit cake and pudding.

After a medium bodied entry the power builds in the mouth to a long firm finish. It’s powerful enough to convert a Shiraz drinker but has enough subtly to keep Pinot-philes happy. It’s the David Pocock of Pinots! This Napa wine is worth seeking out.

Available from www.wineonline.com.au. Price: c $58. Rating: 4.5/5.  Drink and be merry!