Chapter 6 - Pinot Noir Flashcards
What are basic characteristics of Pinot Noir wines?
- Wines are fruity, refreshing, easy to drink when young
- Finest wines benefit from long maturation and develop complex flavours
What is the colour of Pinot Noir wines?
- Pale to medium colour
What is the palate/flavour of Pinot Noir wines?
- High acidity
- Low to medium tannins
- Red fruit flavors (strawberry, raspberry, red cherry)
- Changes from fresh to cooked fruit depending on the ripeness of the fruit
- Very good Pinot Noirs develop complex tertiary flavours (forest floor, mushroom)
Characteristics and climate of Pinot Noir grape?
- Black grape with a thin skin
- Cool to moderate climate necessary
- If climate too warm, cooked flavours may come out
- Prone to rot and disease
- Difficult to produce even small quantities in difficult years
How is Pinot Noir blended in a wine?
- Typically single-varietal wine
- Sparkling wines/champagne are exceptions
How if Pinot Noir matured?
- Often matured in oak, but strong new-oak barrels can overwhelm flavours
- Older/larger barrels are often used that impart fewer flavours
- Most Pinot Noirs are supposed to be drunk when they are young
What are the most important regions to grow Pinor Noir?
- Bourgogne,
- California
- Oregon
- Chile
- South Africa
- Australia
- New Zealand
What are characteristics of suitable growing conditions in Burgundy?
- Moderate climate areas
- ## South- and south-east-facing sloped particularly well-suited
What are the most famous areas in Burgundy for growing Pinot Noir called?
- Côte d’Or
- Northern half: Côte de Nuits, southern half: Côte de Baune
What are characteristics of Bourgogne AOC wines?
- Light- to medium-bodied wines
- Low tannins
- High acidity
- Fresh red fruit flavours
- Due to demand even basic Bourgogne AOC command high prices
What are characteristics of Bourgogne Village wines?
- Better situated
- More flavour intensity, complexity, length on the finish than Bourgogne AOC
- Most famous villages are in the Côte d’Or
What are the most famous Bourgogne Village appellations?
- Côte de Nuits: Gevrey-Chambertin AOC, Nuits-Saint-Georges AOC
- Côte de Beaune AOC, Pommard AOC
What are characteristics of Bourgogne Premier Cru/Grand Cru wines?
- Commonly found on slopes
- Extra sunlight and warmths
- Concentrated fruit flavours (strawberries, red cherries), subtle oak aromas (cloves, smoke), tertiary flavours (forest floor, mushroom)
What are Pinot Noir growing regions in California?
- Most of California is too warm for Pinot Noir
- Northern California (Carneros - cooled by morning fog), Sonoma (cooled by Pacific Ocean), Santa Barbara County (cooled by see breezes)
- Ripe red-fruit flavours (strawberry, red cherry), notable oak flavours (vanilla)
- Finest wines can develop tertiary flavours (forest floor, mushroom)
What are characteristics of Pinot Noir from Oregon?
- Cooler climate than California
- Complex, fred red-fruit flavours
- Subtle oak flavours (smoke, cloves)
- Can develop tertiary flavours (earth, mushroom)
How does labelling work in Burgundy?
- Regional appellation (e.g. Bourgogne AOC, broadest appellation, whole of Burgundy)
- Village Appellation (e.g. Gevrey Chambertin)
- Premier Cru Vineyards (high-quality vineyards within villages are premier cru, e.g. Gevrey Chambertin Clos Saint Jacques)
- Grand Cru Vineyards (Grapes grown in a handful of vineyards, e.g. Le Chambertin Grand Cru)
Where is Pinot Noir in Chile grown?
- Coastal sub-region of Casablanca Valley (north of Santiago)
What are characteristics of Pinot Noirs from Chile?
- Cooled by morning fogs and sea breezes
- Fruity flavours, cooked strawberries
- Good value for money
What are characteristics of Pinot Noirs from South Africa?
- Grown in coolest coastal areas like Walker Bay
- Vibrant red-fruit flavours
What are characteristics of Pinot Noirs from Australia?
- Only grown in a few climates that are not too warm
- Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula have cooling breezes from the Ocean
- Light and fragrant wines to riper wines with cooked red fruit flavours (red plum, strawberry) and medium tannins
What are characteristics of Pinot Noirs from New Zealand?
- Premier black grape variety of New Zealand
- Martinborough and Marlborough produce some of the best Pinot Noirs
- Central Otago produces some of the ripest and most powerful Pinot Noirs. Medium to full-bodied wines with medium tannins and pronounced fruit flavours (strawberry, red cherry)
What is Pinot Noir known for today?
- Small changes in vineyard location can lead to subtle changes in the wine (e.g. Burgundy)
- Ripe and very alcoholic wines from warm climates are often inexpensive and lack the quality of Pinot Noir from rather moderate climates
