By The Glass
JAY KAM
Fickle, complex Pinot Noir
‘the queen of red wines’Pinot Noir is sometimes a difficult wine to understand, but if you talk to serious wine drinkers, most will tell you that nothing beats a great Pinot. As my dad says, "Every great palate will eventually end up in Pinot Noir."
Pinot Noir is hard to understand because when you taste it next to a Cabernet, Merlot, Zinfandel or Syrah, it is the lightest and most delicate of the red varietals, and tends not to stand out against the bold flavors of the other wines.
Second, while with most other grape varietals you can find some decent bottles under $10, it is very difficult to find a good quality Pinot Noir for under $15. Third, you can pay big money for a Pinot Noir from a great vintage and pedigree and still be disappointed. Fourth, it takes some research to understand how wines from Burgundy -- where the best Pinot Noir is made -- are labeled, by vineyard source as opposed to the simplistic grape varietal designation we see in the United States.
Pinot Noir is the most fickle grape. It has the thinnest skin of the major varietals, which makes it more susceptible to weather changes, pests and other influences. To make good quality Pinot Noir, yields must be kept to 2 tons per acre, compared to the average yield for Cabernet of 3.5 to 4 tons per acre. While with other red wines it is acceptable to blend several grape varieties (e.g., Cabernet with Merlot or Syrah with Grenache), Pinot Noir is almost invariably 100 percent. Thus it is more difficult and expensive to make good quality Pinot Noir than other reds.
So, why all the fuss over Pinot Noir? It is sometimes called the "queen of red wines," prized for its rich, complex character and sumptuous texture, although the wine ranges in style from fruity and light/medium-bodied to rich, full and age-worthy.
When you do find a great Pinot Noir, there is nothing like it. No other wine can match its elegance, balance, complexity, soft mouth feel and persistence. It is beyond words.
Pinot Noir is easier to match with foods because it tends to complement and enhance food as opposed to overpowering it. Most wine aficionados have their wine epiphany with a bottle of Pinot Noir.
Here are some suggestions of reasonably priced Pinot Noirs in different styles that can help you gain an appreciation for this fascinating type of wine:
1999 Louis Latour Valmousine Burgundy ($13.50): One of the few low-priced Pinots that actually resembles a nice red Burgundy. It has the perfumed nose associated with great Pinot Noir with a light and pretty style that has incredible elegance, texture and length.1999 Drouhin Chorey les Beaune Burgundy ($17.99): Chorey les Beaune is a small commune in Burgundy which often is overlooked because it tends to make simple but pleasant wines rarely imported into the United States. At a preview barrel tasting earlier this Spring, this wine showed cherry fruit, a nice mouth feel and a youthful exuberance. One of the best Chorey les Beaune wines I've had.
1999 Selby Pinot Noir Star Ruby California ($17.99): Cherry is the typical fruit flavor you get in Pinot Noir. Sometimes it is red cherry, sometimes black. This wine leans towards black cherry and a heavier style prevalent in California.
1999 Benton Lane Pinot Noir Oregon ($19.99): Oregon Pinot Noirs tend to have a lighter color and a lighter style. Most often you get red cherry fruit and a silky texture. This has all those qualities.
1999 Robert Groffier Bourgogne Rouge Burgundy ($26.99): A good example of a heavy style Pinot Noir with dark cherry fruit. It is fleshier and more full-bodied, a natural with heartier style dishes such as braised meats and red meat fowl.
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.
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