Bottle of the Week

Often described as the winemaker's holy grail, fickle Pinot Noir can be superb on the rare occasions when everything goes right…

Often described as the winemaker's holy grail, fickle Pinot Noir can be superb on the rare occasions when everything goes right - but more often it's a high-price letdown, both in Burgundy and in the New World. Not so Vina Gracia Pinot Noir Relativo, Bio-Bio Valley, 1997 (outlets above, usually £7.99). From a smart new Chilean winery, it has true Pinot character - aromatic, ripe fruit with a vegetal edge, gentle spice and terrific acidity - with reasonable subtlety and length. What value! Enough to make plenty of Pinot-proud producers around the globe blush.