Pinot Noir, Liquid Silk
Jan 26 '01
The Bottom Line Pinot Noir is difficult to grow, difficult to make, but easy to enjoy when done right. Beware kissing lots of frogs trying to find the prince.
Pinot Noir is one of the oldest grape varieties to be cultivated for the purpose of making wine. Ancient Romans knew this grape as Helvenacia Minor and vinified it as early as the first century AD. Recognized worldwide as a great wine grape, pinot noir has many alias and is grown in Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria (called Blauburgunder or Spätburgunder), Brazil, Canada, Czechoslovakia, England, France, Germany (Spätburgunder), Greece, Hungary, Italy (Pinot Nero), Mexico, Switzerland (Clevner, labeled "Dole" when blended with Gamay Noir), the United States, and Yugoslavia (Burgundac).
PINNACLE OF PINOT
The reputation that gets pinot noir so much attention, however, is owed to the wines of Burgundy (Bourgogne), France. For most of wine history, this two-mile-wide, thirty-mile-long stretch of hills, called the Cote d'Or ("Slope of Gold"), is the only region to achieve consistent success from the pinot noir vine.
The quality of Burgundy is due to a number of factors. Its vineyards slope gently down toward the East, providing the vines with long sun exposure yet avoiding afternoon heat. The soil there is very calcareous (chalky; containing calcium carbonate), offering good drainage. Well-drained soils have a higher average temperature, which assists ripening. Pinot noir seems to reflect more pronounced Gout de Terroir, or flavor of the location, than other black grape types, making vineyard site selection a critical factor.
SEND IN THE CLONES
Difficulties plague pinot noir at every step, from propagation to even its bottle-aging characteristics. Genetically unstable, the parent vine may produce offspring that bear fruit that is nothing like the parent's in the size and shape of the berry or cluster and will frequently even have different aromas, flavors, and levels of productivity. Ampelographers estimate there are from 200 to possibly 1,000 clones (genetic mutations) of pinot noir. By comparison, cabernet sauvignon has only twelve identifiable clones.
(The New Zealand Grape Vine Improvement Group has studied six different Pinot Noir Clones and charted the resulting characteristics in much detail, including differences in growth and production levels, cluster and berry size, organoleptic quality and flavor, etc. URL: http://grapevineimprovement.com/vineinfo/pinot.htm)
Nearly every affliction known to affect vines is common among pinot noir vineyards. It is particularly susceptible to Spring frosts, because it is one of the earliest-leafing varieties. The sharpshooter leafhopper finds pinot noir a perfect host. This bug carries Pierce's Disease, which can destroy an entire vineyard in as little as three years. Leaf-roll virus is prevalent in almost all pinot noir plantings over ten years old. The pinot vines are not very vigorous and often lack adequate leaf cover to protect the fruit from birds, which do much damage. Even if the grapes survive the birds, if not picked promptly at maturity, the thin-skinned and tender berries shrivel and dry out rapidly, resulting in a raisiny aroma and neutral flavor.
HOW DID YOU WANT THAT, SIR: BOILED OR ACETIFIED?
Pinot Noir is also one of the more difficult wines to ferment. Partly due to the presence of 18 amino acids, which are naturally balanced in this variety, Pinot Noir ferments violently, often "boiling" up and out of its container, speeding the process out of control. Color retention is a major problem for the thin-skinned berries. Pinot is very prone to acetification and often loses the sometimes promising aromas and flavors it seems to display through fermentation and aging, as soon as it is bottled.
The popular image persists that California Pinot Noir is a light, fruity wine of no consequence, but California vintners over the past twenty years have been improving viticultural methods, site selection, and vinification techniques to increase their record of success.
GETTING YOUR MONEY'S WORTH
Bargains in Pinot Noir are rare, even among the French. Avoid wading through the low end of the market. Better to research tasting notes and find a brand with several recommendations. Spend $30 to have a memorable experience, rather than waste $10 three times and wind up doing a series of double-takes after each taste, to make sure the bottles had corks instead of screw-caps!
The nominees for Best Supporting Appellation in California Pinot Noir are much the same as for Chardonnay: Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County; Russian River Valley, Sonoma County; Carneros (in both Sonoma and Napa Counties); Anderson Valley in Mendocino County; as well as the Pinnacles and a few other areas of Monterey County.
KILLING ME SOFTLY
Great Pinot Noir creates a lasting impression on the palate and in the memory. Its aroma can be intense with a ripe-grape, vaguely pepperminty or black cherry aroma. Ripe tomato, mushroom, and barnyard are also common descriptors for identifying Pinot Noir. It is full-bodied and rich but not heavy, high in alcohol, yet not too acidic or tannic, with substantial flavor. The most appealing quality of Pinot Noir may be its soft, velvety texture. When right, it is like liquid silk, gently caressing the palate.
Pinot does not have the longevity in the bottle of the darker red wines and tends to reach its peak at five to eight years past the vintage (although some will argue this point, since it is a matter of personal preference).
PINOT MENUS
The best food to show off the delicacy and texture of Pinot Noir is a good cut of plain roast beef. Classic French cooking has creations based on Pinot Noir, such as Coq au Vin (chicken cooked in red wine), Boeuf Bourginon (beef done ditto), and Cassoulet (a slow-cooked variety of savory meats and beans). Other main dishes that match well with Pinot Noir include roasted and braised preparations of lamb, pheasant, and duck, as well as grilled meaty fish, such as salmon, shark, and swordfish. Best are foods that are simple and rich. Go easy on the spices, some of which which may mask the delicate flavors of pinot noir and may tend to accentuate the hot taste of alcohol.
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Syd_Kick
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Location: Fresno, CA (very close to Nowhere...)
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Moderation In All Things: You can kiss a nun, but don't get into the habit...
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