Harvey Nichols Pinot Noir 2010 (Framingham), Marlborough, New Zealand (£18.00 Harvey Nichols)
Reasonable plummy strawberry flavours with a touch of spice, but there’s also a stewed edge that speaks of slightly heavy-handed winemaking and just-too-ripe fruit. B(-)

Louis Latour Mercurey Rouge 2009, Burgundy, France (£16.99 slurp.co.uk, The Wine Cellar, T Wright, Wine House of Penrith, Continental Wines, FL Dickins, Edward Sheldon, Flagship Wines)
Bit of a pup, still with its framework of slightly stalky tannin and fresh acidity, but there’s enough perky cherry and red berry fruit to flesh it out. Juicy and ripe, but always fresh. S-

Marimar Estate Don Miguel Vineyard Pinot Noir ‘La Masía’ 2008, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California (N/A in the UK – contact JE Fells for details)
The warm, generous, plummy berry and liquorice aromas and touch of spice are almost Rhône-like, but it’s just too ripe and obvious for real class. B

Marimar Estate Don Miguel Vineyard Pinot Noir ‘Cristina’ 2007, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, California (N/A in the UK – contact JE Fells for details)
Certainly fresher and more confident than the above, with less of the liquorice, but then the heat of alcohol kicks. Juicy and rounded, but top heavy, and lacks the allure or good Pinot. B+