September’s Twelve
Pinot Noir and BSDM. Why not.
Pinot noir is a noble red grape upon whose shoulders the world’s most prized vintages stand. In Burgundy, the varietal makes for cellar-bound bottles of sensuously perfumed, complex wine. In Champagne, it’s gently pressed into a lithe-bodied juice that is blended with Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.
Just pressed, the juice is a cheery ruby color. Young Pinot noirs sometimes show hues of red and violet. The bouquet is often faceted with black currant, cherry, pepper, cinnamon, coffee, and smoke. In the mouth, the thin-skinned grape provides fine tannins, and the bright edges of the short-seasoned varietal are easily softened with a little age.
As Pinot noir ages, its color loses intensity and the juice can take on a venerable-looking brick red color. Some vintages, however, never lose their ruby vibrancy. As the years go on, fresh fruit flavors roll into the territory of jam and kirsch – cooked fruit flavors. Sought-after notes of truffle and bolete take hold, and it isn’t surprising for older bottles to produce a spank of leather and a brush of fur.
The varietal has been putting humankind through its winemaking paces for over 2,000 years. In both the field and the cellar, Pinot noir demands attention. Genetically irascible, the varietal enthusiastically mutates. Pinot noir’s mutations are the most cataloged of the vitas vinifera grapes. This unstoppable ability to mutate directly benefits both winemaker and the grape’s legacy.
Infamously prone to root rot, fungus and mold, Pinot noir’s vast variety of clones offers a breadth of disease and blight resistant genetics. Growers select clones for a specific resistance or for the site’s soil, microclimate and acreage.
Different clones grown in the same vineyard will vary in flavor, color, yield size, and cluster density. This variety works to the advantage of the winemaker, and it is not uncommon for winemakers to create an assemblage using wines from a number of Pinot noir clones to play off each other’s characteristics.
Where once all Pinot noirs were judged by the Burgundian ideal, it is now accepted that Pinot noir is its own grape in its own land. A tour of Pinot noirs from different regions is a tour of terroir – be it established or emerging. Oregon Pinot noir wines are reflective of their Burgundian roots. In Germany, where it reigns under the name of Spätburgunder, wine made from German Mariafeld clones is known for being red, herbaceous, and bright. In New Zealand, Dijon clones grown away from the coast produce wines with a dark rumble of berry.
Dijon clones fail to thrive in the sandy clay and decomposed granite of Chile where the warm nights are broken by cool mornings. Yet the full canopied clones #9 and #16 ( the same clones that are grown in California) promise stony black cherry notes that translate oak with purple-red finesse.
Are you looking for a Pinot noir to remember or a rosé structured like no other? Use Wine Enthusiast’s online Buying Guide to find the top-rated Pinot noir wines among our extensive Pinot noir wine reviews and easy-to-use database. Our wine reviews will give you a general idea what to expect from wines made from Pinot noir and will help you find one that best suits your needs.
