Varietals - Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir may be the world’s most distinguished red grape. For many centuries the Burgundy red wines made from Pinot Noir have been among the most esteemed reds in the world. Pinot Noir has mutated into many of the world’s most admired grapes, both red and white: Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Meunier, Aligoté and Gamay Noir, the red grape of Beaujolais.

Pinot Noir is genetically unstable. There are more registered clones of Pinot Noir than any other varietal, and Pinot Noir continues to take on new characteristics. Take a Pinot Noir cutting from a French vineyard and plant it in California and you will find a very different set of characteristics. Pinot Noir cuttings from the Romanée-Conti vineyard in Burgundy have been planted in a number of California vineyards, all with outstanding potential, but no competitors to the original Pinot Noir have emerged.

The Pommard Pinot Noir clone, planted in California in the 1980s and 1990s produced very good Pinot Noir wine. But when planted in the hills above Oregon’s Willamette Valley, world-class Pinot Noir wines emerged.

Pinot Noir is prized for several characteristics: medium body, intense aromatics reminiscent of cherry and spice, and low tannins. All-in-all, Pinot Noir is easy to drink and enjoy even in its youth. Pinot Noir is very food-friendly and pairs well with a wide variety of foods.  It’s a wine of choice for grilled salmon or Boeuf Bourguignon. While not many cooks today would choose to dump a full bottle of expensive Pinot Noir into a beef stew, that’s the classic preparation.

Pinot Noir wines from Burgundy

Pinot Noir wines from California

Pinot Noir wines from Russian River

Pinot Noir wines from Oregon