Of all the world's vineyards, none is more blessed than those few precious plots beneath a limestone ridge that make up the Cote d'Or in Burgundy.
In a good year and in the right hands, some of these vines can be coaxed into producing red wines that will thrill you to your soul.
Burgundy wines are not really of this world. Such is their rarity, they are virtually invisible and priced beyond reach. So I have been on a quest to find an affordable glimpse of greatness from the same black grape - pinot noir.
The obvious starting point would be in neighbouring vineyards, not quite as blessed as the grand cru sites of the Cote d'Or, but sharing the same sunbeams and clouds. The soil appears similar on the surface, but underneath there are myriad differences that are transmitted via the roots and the grapes to the glass.
No other variety is quite as sensitive to its environment as pinot noir, and the wines have a naked quality where any deficiencies cannot be hidden beneath oak and alcohol. Red burgundies under £20 are often disappointing and eclipsed by rivals whether they come from Chile, New Zealand or wherever. Even above £20, burgundy is a real lottery unless you know a good deal about vintages and the individual producers.
Beyond France, every serious corner of planet wine is trying it on with pinot noir. Yet producers face a dilemma - do they make something in burgundy's image or do they strike out for something different? Winemakers will invariably tell you their wines are unique expressions of their homeland, but no doubt they would love them to be mistaken for a grand cru.
Styles vary from the purple-hued, primary fruit flavours you can find in the New World to the pallid, savoury pinots of Germany or Italy, but there are too many exceptions to generalise.
Clear colour differences in the glass can be impossible to spot in a dark bottle, but alcoholic strength provides a clue.
I hope these three pinots give plenty of joy.
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