…God made Cabernet Sauvignon, whereas the devil made Pinot Noir.-winemaker André Tchelistcheff
It is possible that you have had more Pinot than you know. In the US and New Zealand, two countries known for their fine Pinots, the wines are labeled with the name of the grape, and so are easily identified for what they are. However, many people do not realize that Pinot Noir is a componant of Champagne (along with Chardonnay and Petit Meunier). A Champagne made from 100% Pinot Noir is called a “Blanc de Noirs” (white from black). A French red
Burgundy is Pinot Noir (except when it is a Gamay
Beaujolais), be it a villages, Premier Cru or Grand Cru bottling. Blauburgunder from Austria is Pinot Noir, Spatburgunder is German Pinot Noir, and Pinot Nero is what they call it in Italy.
Inevitable Sideways Reference
-Miles, from
Sideways
It is legendarily difficult to do well, and there are only a few winemaking regions known for crafting a fine version of the wine. Those regions include France (Burgundy and Champagne), parts of the US (California and Oregon primarily), New Zealand, and increasingly, Austria. In Austria, the best Pinot Noirs come from the Burgenland region, but recently also from the Thermenregion and Carnuntum. Because of its high susceptibility to rot, it must be planted in a location with good air circulation.
Pinot Noir has me in its velvet grip. Pinot Noir is sex in the back seat of dad’s station wagon, or on the front of your boyfriend’s ‘65 Corvette. It’s the best sex you’ve ever had. Pinot Noir is the James Dean of wine; it’s the wine women who love too much can’t drink. -wine writer Michele Anna Jordan
Of all red wines, Pinot Noir is arguably the sexiest. When described, words like “supple”, “silky”, and “velvet smooth” crop up again and again. Even that very American description of it being a “fruit bomb” brings to mind the more common expression “
sex bomb“. Perhaps that last example was a stretch, but the point is that many of the notes in your typical Pinot Noir are pretty sexy: cherries, plums, damp earth, sweat and worn leather.
But location, and therefore terroir, is the ultimate predictor of what style and shape this red wine takes.
Those American fruit bombs, which hail primarily from Oregon, parts of California, and Washington, are loaded with full-on jammy notes, whereas those from France are most often described as specifically having notes of cherries as well as fine spices and even a dash of pepper.
The Pinot Noirs from Austria lean towards less overt fruit, but do show some notes of raspberries and the like, and they also roll in notes of forest floor (think pine and a wonderful earthiness). Other notes used to describe Pinot Noirs from around the world include strawberries, black currants, figs, prunes, violets, chocolate, cigars, truffles and smoke.
FOUR AUSTRIAN PINOT NOIRS TO GET YOU STARTED:
Braunstein Pinot Noir 2004
Gsellmann & Gsellmann Pinot Noir 2002
Preisinger Pinot Noir 2004
Wenzel Kleiner Wald Pinot Noir 2004
OR TRY OUR PINOT NOIR TASTING CASE AT A 15% DISCOUNT
Thank you for a most engaging introduction to Pinot Noir. I’m going to rush out and buy a bottle.
Steve,
You need only rush as far as your keyboard. Our Pinots are but a click away from landing on your doorstep!
Cheers!
Do you ship Canadian orders?
Hello Amanda,
Unfortunately, we cannot legally ship to Canada. However, many of the wineries that we import into the US also have a Canadian importer. You can try searching on the webpage for the winery, or let me know which wines interest you and I would be happy to look into it.
This was so interesting. I’ve wanted to taste a Pinot Noir ever since I saw Sideways, particularly because my parents so enjoy a good wine. But they are kinda tricky to track down in Venezuela. Do you happen to know if there is a winery that sells them down here? Thanks in advance!
http://www.squidoo.com/Thompson-Cigar
In the United States, authentic Cuban-made cigars often carry a mystique among some aficionados for being perceived as “the best smoking experience” of all cigars, and for being “forbidden fruit” for Americans to purchase.