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 Pinot Noir Wine

 
 

Pinot Noir is the red wine grape of Burgundy, now adopted (and studied) in wine regions all over the world. The variety's elusive charm has resulted it being transplanted in vineyards all over the world, from western Germany and northern Italy, to Chile, South Africa, Australia, the United States and New Zealand. It is the patriarch of the ‘Pinot’ family of grape varieties.

The identifying characteristic of Pinot Noir wine is its strawberry and cherry aromas – fresh red cherries in lighter wines and deeper-colored black cherries in weightier versions. These notes are often complimented by hints of undergrowth, known as sous-bois in French. Well-built Pinot Noirs, particularly those from warmer harvests, also exhibit notes of leather and violets, sometimes approaching the flavor spectrum of Syrah.

Pinot Noir prompts more discussion and dispute in the wine world than almost any other grape variety, perhaps only rivaled only by its white Burgundian stablemate, Chardonnay. Most of this debate centers around the wine style that best represents the ‘true’ Pinot Noir. However, Pinot Noir from Central Otago, in New Zealand, is so distinct from Pinot Noir from Santenay in eastern France, that even those with untrained palates can them apart – and yet both are unmistakably Pinot Noir.

It is this strength of character which has made this temperamental vine so popular, producing at worst a watery, acidic candy water but, at best, some of the richest, most intensely perfumed wines on Earth. The grape is well-known for promoting what verges on an obsession among collectors and connoisseurs, particularly after the 2004 film, Sideways, brought Pinot Noir to the consciousness of millions of Americans. While this Pinot fanaticism has its roots in 1980s California, there are now devoted Pinot fans over the modern wine world.

In Pinot Noir’s homeland (the Cote d’Or and particularly the Cote de Nuits), the traditional vigneron has focused less on the intrinsic qualities of the grape itself, but the nature of the soil and climate in which it grows. Although many may find it hard to believe, there are consistent, perceptible differences between the Pinot Noirs of Volnay and those of Pommard, even though these two villages are less than a mile apart.

For decades New World wine regions held red Burgundy up as their target style, but winemakers in the western United States and New Zealand (first Martinborough, then Central Otago) have this century, begun finding their own idiocyncratic expressions of Pinot.

Pinot Noir is typically used to make varietal wines, with particular emphasis on regional nuance. In its purest form, this may manifest as fruit from just a handful of rows from a single vineyard. Other producers may prefer to blend selected parcels from multiple vineyards to create a proprietary winemaker’s blend (often labeled as Reserve in the New World).

In Champagne, Pinot Noir is blended with Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier to produce the region's famous sparkling wines. (In the cool, northern French climate the berries rarely attain optimal ripeness and so non-sparkling Pinot Noir is rarely produced there.) The success of the Pinot–Chardonnay blend has been so successful it has been used as a model of sparkling wine production in regions as far apart as Alsace, France and Tasmania, Australia. The grape is even used to make still white wines (Colli Pesaresi), although only rarely.

The issue of using oak in Pinot Noir is a frequent discussion point, as is the length of fermentation and the option of a pre-ferment maceration, or cold soak. (Cooler temperatures result in fresher fruit flavors, while longer, warmer fermentations and pigeage result in more wines with greater tannic structure.)

In order to retain as much ‘Pinot’ character and believing that the phosphorous and nitrogen fertilizers interfer with the grape's natural flavours, many Pinot Noir producers have now turned to biodynamic viticulture.

Popular blends include: Champagne blend, Chardonnay – Pinot Noir, Gamay – Pinot Noir

Synonyms include: Pinot Nero, Pinot Negro, Spatburgunder, Blauburgunder

Related grape varieties include: Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay

Food matches include:
Europe: Beef bourguignon, mushroom risotto with truffles, rabbit stew
America: Grilled salmon, dark chocolate truffles, roast pork belly
Asia: Peking duck pancakes, seared yellowfin (Ahi) tuna
Australasia: Grilled venison (Cervena) fillet, seared kangaroo salad

Where it's used: Expand/collapse
 

Click on a listed Pinot Noir wine below for price and wine store information.  

We have found 14,417 wines made from this grape variety, only the first 500 will be shown. Displaying 1 to 25.
Wine Name (by Search Rank, sort by Name) Region   
1. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Conti Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France Romanee-Conti   $11,586
2. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti La Tache Grand Cru Monopole, Cote de Nuits, France La Tache   $2,629
3. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Richebourg Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France Richebourg   $1,605
4. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Romanee-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France Romanee-Saint-Vivant   $1,130
5. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Echezeaux Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France Echezeaux   $893
6. Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue Musigny Cuvee Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France Le Musigny   $755
7. Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils Chambertin Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France Le Chambertin   $842
8. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Grands Echezeaux Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France Grands-Echezeaux   $1,076
9. Mommessin Clos de Tart Grand Cru Monopole, Cote de Nuits, France Clos de Tart   $365
10. Domaine J-F Mugnier Le Musigny Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France Le Musigny   $830
11. Kosta Browne Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, USA Sonoma Coast   $155
12. Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Assortment Case, Cote de Nuits, France Cote de Nuits   $5,944
13. Domaine Ponsot Clos de la Roche Grand Cru Cuvee Vieilles Vignes, Cote de Nuits, France Clos de la Roche   $452
14. Domaine des Lambrays Clos des Lambrays Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France Clos des Lambrays   $137
15. Domaine Georges Roumier Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France Bonnes-Mares   $741
16. Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils Chambertin Clos-de-Beze Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France Chambertin Clos-de-Beze   $853
17. Domaine Armand Rousseau Pere et Fils Clos Saint-Jacques, Gevrey-Chambertin Premier Cru, France Gevrey-Chambertin Clos Saint-Jacques   $414
18. Domaine Comte Georges de Vogue Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France Bonnes-Mares   $414
19. Domaine Georges Roumier Musigny Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France Le Musigny   $3,508
20. Domaine Dujac Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France Clos de la Roche   $442
21. Domaine Georges Roumier Les Amoureuses, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, France Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses   $1,348
22. Domaine Marquis d'Angerville Clos du Ducs, Volnay Premier Cru, France Volnay Clos des Ducs   $120
23. Domaine Faiveley Corton 'Clos des Cortons' Faiveley Monopole Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France Corton Grand Cru   $137
24. Emmanuel Rouget Cros Parantoux, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, France Vosne-Romanee Cros Parantoux   $1,038
25. Belle Glos 'Meiomi' Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, USA Sonoma Coast   $21
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