6 Pinot Noir Flashcards
Pinot Noir GI
France: Bourgogne/Burgundy, Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Beaune, Pommard
USA: California (Sonoma, Carneros, Santa Barbara County), Oregon
Chile: Casablanca Valley
South Africa: Walker Bay
Australia: Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula
New Zealand: Martinborough, Marlborough, Central Otago
Pinot Noir Climate
Cool
Moderate
Is Pinot noir thick-skinned or thin-skinned?
Thin-skinned
What happens to the flavors of Pinot Noir if it’s grown in a climate that’s too warm?
Flavors will lose their fresh fruit flavours, and taste unattractively cooked.
Is Pinot Noir considered very hardy or is it prone to rot and disease?
Pinot Noir is prone to rot and disease, primarly because of its thin skin.
Pinot Noir
2,5,6,8(Age),9,10
2 Pale to Medium
5 High
6 Low to Medium
8 Red fruit flavours (Strawberry, Raspberry, Red cherry)
Range from fresh to cooked depending on the ripeness of the grapes.
Age = Forest floor, Mushroom
My take several years to show their full potential.
9 Lightly oaked
10 Single (Some sparkling wines such as Champagne can be blended.)
Oak aging for Pinot Noir is most often done in ___ barrels.
What flavours does it add?
Large and/or old barrels
Because small, new-oak barrels can overwhelm the delicately flavour of Pinot Noir. and larger/older barrels are often used as they impart less flavour.
Smoke, Cloves
Burgandy Climate
Cool in the North to moderate further South
In Burgundy, which direction do the best vineyards face?
Why?
South and southeast
To take benefit from extra sunlight and are capable of producing concentrated and complex wines stable for bottle aging.
The most celebrated vineyards of Burgundy are found in a particular part of the region called the ______.
This is divided into 2 sections: a northern half and a southern half.
What are the names of those 2 sections?
Côte d’Or
Northern half: Côte de Nuits
(Gevrey-Chambertin, Nuits-Saint-Georges)
Southern half: Côte de Beaune
(Beaune, Pommard)
Bourgogne Pinot Noir
3,5,6,8
3 Light to Medium
5 High
6 Low
8 Fresh red fruit
List the appellation hierarchy of Burgundy from lowest to highest.
Bourgogne AOC
Village
Premier Cru
Grand Cru
Describe the differences between a Bourgogne AOC wine and a Village wine.
Bourgogne AOC will show lighter body, less intensity, and less longevity vs. a wine at the Village level.
Village wines show flavor intensity, good complexity and length.
Most Village-level vines are planted in vineyards with better-draining soils and beneficial slopes and aspect vs. Bourgogne AOC vines.
Name 2 famous villages for Pinot Noir in the Côte de Nuits.
Gevrey-Chambertin AOC
Nuits-Saint-Georges AOC
Name 3 famous villages for Pinot Noir in the Côte de Beaune.
Pommard AOC
Beaune AOC
How do Premier Cru and Grand Cru wines compare with Village and Bourgogne AOC wines?
Premier and Grand Cru wines are the best of the best. They are the most complex, the most concentrated, the most intense wines with the greatest potential for aging.
These wines command exceptionally high prices due to their quality and rarity.
Which area in California is the best for Pinot Noir?
Near the coast where it’s cooler.
Fog and coastal breezes help keep these coastal areas cool.
Morning fog created by this body of water cools down Carneros.
San Pablo Bay
Western part of Sonoma is cooled by ___.
Pacific ocean breezes
Santa Barbara County is cooled by ___.
Sea breezes coming from the west and south
Describe the main differences between Pinot Noir from Oregon and Pinot Noir from California.
California:
Ripe red fruits
Higher use of new oak (vanilla)
Oregon:
Fresh red fruits
Subtle use of oak (clove, smoke)
Climate of Oregon compared to California.
It is cooler and has a mostly moderate climate (Due to its northerly latitude and exposure to the Pacific ocean).
Casablanca Valley is cooled by___ and ___.
Sea breezes
Morning fog