J. Moreau et Fils, Pinot Noir, Pays d'Oc

Pinot Noir from France is one of the quintessential flavours that we remember from wine tastings in our earlier days. This is as delightful and catch-all a representation of the myriad versions of Pinot in France as you could find. Bright, fresh, light and juicy and full of red berry, cherry and summer fruits. It's a lovely red that will accompany many styles of food, as well as none.

This is the sort of wine that you need to have about the place - a red that is versatile and feels comforting, but not one that will necessarily send you to sleep having knocked your head off. It's elegant and, to be fair, quite simple, but that's not denigratory in any way. It is what it is and is a lovely version of that. Many a Pinot from posher areas would love to be this good and there are others from posh areas that are not as good and cost a lot more. Moreau are a very fine producer based in Chablis, but under the ownership of Boisset have made wines across France that echo their fresh and clean origins. This volume of work is considerable and is particularly suited to cuisine and sees wines used in many restaurants across France.

This wine is made using traditional methods; grapes from Aude and Hérault are fermented in temperature-controlled tanks and then, partially, aged for 6 months in second use French oak barrels of varying sizes in order not to have too high an impact on the fresh red berry flavours of the Pinot Noir.