Jancis Robinson in her magisterial Oxford Companion to Wine notes that despite Pinot Noir being fickle and demanding of the winemaker, these qualities haven't deterred wine makers from trying to grow it outside its native region, Burdgundy. "It is a tribute to the unparalleled level of physical excitement generated by tasting one

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of Burgundy's better reds...that such a high proportion of the world's most ambitious wine producers want to try their hand with this capricious vine."

Yet, right in line with Robinson's dictum we have these three pinot noirs that come from three different continents. Antonin Rodet comes from Burdgundy, Bethel Heights from Oregon's Willamette Valley, and Te Kainranga from Martinborough in New Zealand. All of them come to the U.S. via the same wine importer, WineSellers Ltd. of Skokie, Illinois.

Diverse terra, diverse results. The Te Kairanga 1999 (that's tee-ky-runger) was the wildman of the bunch. Its nose was bold- smoke, leather...Drink it up and you are clobbered with black pepper, jam, raspberry and leather. We paired it with brie, grill roasted sausage and asparagus, and it more than met the challenge of these full-flavored foods. Big taste for $22. (Rating***1/2)

The Bethel Heights ($35) pinot noirs were a whole different couple of animals. The 1999 Freedom Hill version was the more immediately gratifying of the two. It nosed mildly of cherry and barrel and tasted of cherry, spice and vanilla. Drink now or cellar a couple years. (Rating ***1/2) The Lewman 1999 ($30) version left us scratching our heads. It nosed of rich fruit and a little smoke and must. In the mouth, though, it was edgy- the tannins were hard as hell. Bethel Heights says that despite the weird weather (cold, rainy half the season, sunny the rest) the Lewman is an "excellent vintage." Perhaps- but it seems a bit early to tell whether this one will open and soften into something special or remain austere.

The Antonin Rodet pinot noir, a bargain wine at $11, though, stood above all. It was the most delicate and nuanced of the bunch. Wave this 1999 under your nose and it dishes floral perfume. In the mouth, though, there's nothing flabby about it. The delicacy of the raspberry and flowers is backed by solid tannins. It is dry, sweet, and modest. Bravo. (Rating ****)

For more information on these wines, surf to WineSellers Ltd.

Reviewed 06/15/01