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The Seduction of Pinot Noir
No wine can seduce like Pinot Noir or Burgundy. Sure you can be overwhelmed by a rich full-bodied Cabernet or teased by a coy fruity Chardonnay or even tickled silly by an unctuous, honeyed Sauternes. But none, at least in my experience, has Pinot’s sensuousness: the perfumed nose of red berries and violets, the ruby red colors, the silky body, the rich tastes of raspberry, strawberry, black cherry, and vanilla. And, if you’re lucky, a finish that makes you long for more.
It may be for this reason that wine makers struggle with this most temperamental variety of grapes that needs cool temperatures, strict yield control, and gentle coaxing to produce a great wine.
In France, Pinot Noir is the only grape that can be used to produce red Burgundy and it is often regarded as the canvas for displaying the region’s terroirs—the distinctive characteristics of the vineyards’ soils. In fact, it is the pride taken in terroir that accounts for Burgundy's complex classifications that require considerable time, study, and tasting to understand. (If you want to know more about Burgundy, check out Robert Parker’s massive tome, Burgundy, Clive Coates’Cote d'Or A Celebration of the Great Wines of Burgundy, or Matt Kramer’s Making Sense of Burgundy.)
In the United States, excellent Pinot Noir is produced both in California and Oregon. However, do not confuse California Pinot Noir with California Burgundy. The latter is often a jug wine made from a blend of grapes that might not contain any Pinot Noir whatsoever. I would also hesitate to compare American Pinot Noir with French Burgundy, since the unique characteristics of terroir that manifest themselves in the French will never be found in the American. Nonetheless our Pinots can be magnificent, especially those from some of the leading producers (such as Calera, Saintsbury, and Williams-Selyem in California and Adelsheim, Eyrie, and Ponzi in Oregon.)
Pinots and Burgundies can be expensive largely because the demand is considerably greater than the supply. That does not mean, however, that those of us on limited budgets cannot experience the delight of these wines. In fact, some fine generic and village Burgundies can be found for under $20 and some excellent Pinot Noirs can be had for as little as $10. These wines can be a great introduction to this varietal and that is why we have chosen to review a sampling of them here.
We decided to taste these wines first by themselves and afterwards with a roasted leg of lamb that was seasoned only with salt and pepper and basted with rice vinegar and mint leaves. Interestingly enough, we found that many of the wines which were at best adequate, when tasted alone, blossomed beautifully when accompanied by the roast. We also sampled some of the fuller bodied wines with a nutty Gruyere for dessert and found them to be most compatible.
I always enjoy Pinot with lamb, but have also found it to be an excellent match with turkey and duck. I hesitate to recommend it with fish or seafood.
We began our tasting with the least expensive and ended with the most.
1996
Cartlidge & Browne Pinot Noir ($9.99). We
started off with this wine, which is ruby in color with long legs. Its
bouquet, a melange of berries with hints of vanilla, is subtle and pleasant.
One taster described the nose as "clean and fresh." The wine
is smooth on entry and delivers cherries on the palate with mild tannins.
When tasted alone, we found the wine a little thin without much of a finish.
However, when tasted later on with the lamb, this wine blossomed and was
outstanding with the meat. For the price, this wine is a definite "must
buy." Give it a little breathing time before serving.
1995
Q.C. Fly Pinot Noir California ($9.99). Ruby
color, good legs, and an earthy nose promise more than this wine delivers.
Vapid on the palate, the wine is thin and tannic. What small flavor the
wine has vanishes quickly. Even with the lamb, this wine did not show
well. As one taster noted: "The best thing about this wine is the
label."
1997
Echelon Pinot Noir Central Coast ($12.99). This
wine produced by Chalone Wine Estates was truly outstanding. Ruby to deep
maroon in color, with very long legs, it has a nose rich with black cherries.
Its silky entry is followed by mild tannins and good acidity. Full bodied,
its flavors are clean and distinctive, with vanilla and currants predominating.
It also has a good finish. A perfect match with the lamb as well as with
the Gruyere. Try this wine.
1997
Estancia "Pinnacles" Pinot Noir Monterey
($12.99). Ruby colored with long legs, this wine has, what one taster
called, a "very berry nose." It's smooth on entry, with cherry
flavors and a good mid-palate but a little disappointing on the finish.
When tasted alone, we all thought the wine promised more than it delivered,
but when tasted later with the lamb, this entry was like the wall flower
that becomes the belle of the ball. It was "explosive" with
the food and its flavors stood up well. Once again, Estancia provides
a real value.
1996
Alderbrook Pinot Noir Russian River Valley Sonoma County
($16.99). This wine is dark ruby with good legs and a big nose mostly
of cherries and raspberries but also with some herbaceousness. Full bodied
with good acidity, the wine delivers more earthy than fruit flavors wrapped
in mild tannins. It has both a good mid-palate and a long minerally finish.
It was especially good with the Gruyere.
1997
Calera Pinot Noir Central Coast ($15.99). Deep
garnet in color with good legs, this wine has a complex nose of berries
(maybe even boysenberry), tobacco, and earth. The wine is very smooth
on entry and full bodied with nice fruit and vanilla on the palate. It
has an excellent finish. Calera also makes some excellent single vineyard
wines, but they are a little too expensive to include on this page.
1996
Joseph Drouhin Cote de Nuits-Villages ($19.99).
This is a lovely wine. Ruby in color with long legs and a berry nose with
hints of violets, this wine has a smooth, silky entry. On the palate,
it's dry, a little tannic, with flavors that range from peach to bitter
almond. It has adequate body but is a little short on the finish. With
time, the flavor opens to reveal cherry nuances.
1996
Leroy Bourgogne ($19.99). This generic rouge
from one of Burgundy's most exclusive and priciest houses is deep ruby
in color with good legs and a big nose of black cherry and earth. This
is a substantial wine that bursts on the tongue with full flavors of black
cherry and bitter chocolate and it ends with a good finish. The wine was
even better with the lamb. Definitely one of the stars of this tasting.
You might use this wine as an introduction to Burgundy. But watch out,
since this maker's grand crus fetch prices in the hundreds.
1996
Chehalem Pinot Noir "3 Vineyard" Willamette Valley
Oregon ($19.99). Deep ruby colors and good legs characterize
the appearance of this wine, whose name comes from a local Indian word
for "valley of flowers." It has a beautiful nose of peach, cinnamon,
and vanilla . It begins with a smooth, silky entry followed by good acidity.
Dry and full bodied, it's packed with raspberry and earthy flavors and
ends with a long finish. This was one of the best wines with the roasted
lamb and perhaps the star of the tasting. You will not be disappointed.
I might even try this one for Thanksgiving.
If you have any suggestions for future tastings, drop us a line at the address below.
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