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By The Glass Jay Kam |
Pinot noirs are expensive,
but bargains can be foundWhen someone says "inexpensive pinot noir" they are either giving you an example of an oxymoron or they have a lot more money in the bank than you think.
While you can find good examples of chardonnay, merlot or cabernet for $10 or less, it is much more difficult to find a "value" pinot. Most good pinot noirs start in the $20 to $25 range and can exceed $400 for some of the top-rated bottles.
Pinot noir is expensive because it is one of the most fickle and delicate grapes to grow. The grapes' thin skins, compared to those of cabernet grapes, make them much more susceptible to weather differentiations.
Furthermore, while cabernet can produce good quality in quantities of 4 tons per acre, to make good pinot noir the yields almost invariably must be kept below 2 tons per acre. Thus, finding good quality, inexpensive pinot noir is very difficult.
But finding a good pinot is very rewarding. Most wine lovers have had their wine epiphany with a pinot noir. Good quality pinot is refined and elegant. Instead of shouting at you, it kind of whispers in your ear.
The cherry, earth and mineral flavors found in good pinot noirs make it a natural match with salmon or any dish featuring mushrooms. Braised meats and stews are also wonderful. And potato and vegetarian dishes make good matches, too.
I was pleasantly surprised recently to taste a handful of good quality pinot noirs that seem to break the rules, price-wise. Any of these recommendations will give you a good sense of what pinot noir is about, without draining your wallet:
2002 Windy Ridge Pinot Noir (California) $10: A shocker. In inexpensive pinot noir you just hope that the wine is varietally correct and has no obvious flaws. This wine goes beyond those basics by actually providing some mineral character in addition to the ripe, but not over-the-top fruit. The wine flows well from beginning to end, and has a good finish. A great effort in this price range.
2002 Cartlidge & Brown Pinot Noir (California) $12: The flavor is rich and ripe, with suggestions of roasted plum and cherry, combined with spice cake, kirsch and Asian spice
2002 MacMurray Ranch Pinot Noir (California) $15: Baby Boomers will recognize the name of Fred MacMurray of the '60s sitcom "My Three Sons." His wine has deep character and brilliant fruit expression. It has rich aromas of plum, strawberry and black cherry, with layers of earthy, complex undertones. The flavors are enhanced by gentle spice and vanilla from minimal wood contact.
2002 Sherwood Pinot Noir (New Zealand) $16: This wine has some characteristics of old-style pinot noirs with its earthy complexity and a good acid structure to give it balance, but it also has characteristics of new-style pinots with lush cherry fruit and a relatively high alcohol level. In this case the wine has taken the best of both styles and blended them.
Babich Pinot Noir (New Zealand) $19: An attractively rich bouquet redolent with cherry-spice and earthy notes is combined with a warm, soft palate full of intense berry fruit and a complex and lingering earthy-smokiness. Nicely balanced and very approachable.
Jay Kam is president of Vintage Wine Cellar.
This column is a weekly lesson in wine pairing written by a rotating panel of wine professionals. Write to features@starbulletin.com