Pinot Noir is a grape that has a certain prestige about it, and the notoriously high prices make it sometimes seem a little too inaccessible to the everyday drinker. But as it spreads across the globe, Pinot Noir is becoming more available at different price points, bringing with it a range of different flavours. Pinot Noir is one of the most revered and collected wine styles in the world, especially when you look at bottles from its hometown of Burgundy in France. It is difficult to grow, so when winemakers are successful, it produces some of the most complex red wines around. In this Pinot Noir wine guide, we dive into everything you need to know about this French grape, from flavour profiles and its origin to food pairings.
Pinot Noir wine guide
Pinot Noir is the 10th most planted grape variety in the world and thrives in a cooler climate. The name is derived from the French words for pine and black. The pine comes from how the grapes grow as a tight cluster that looks like a pine cone. The black comes from the colour of the grapes.
Pinot Noir is infamous for how difficult it is to grow and is often said to be the most difficult! The reason Pinot Noir is so hard to grow is that the grapes are thin-skinned and delicate, and only specific climates and soils will produce a good wine. This is one of the many reasons for the high price tag as a good Pinot has a whole lot of effort to get it there!
Origins
Pinot Noir is an ancient grape that was first mentioned in 1375 under the name ‘pinoz’. I can just picture going into a wine bar and asking for their finest Pinoz now. I’m sure that would go down well in modern times!
The origin of Pinot Noir is France’s Burgundy region where it has been grown for centuries. Wines from this region are sold as Burgundy wines rather than Pinot Noir. Burgundy Pinot Noir is notorious for its high price tags (for example the 2005 Romanée-Conti could set you back $20,000 per bottle). At the end of the first millennium, Burgundy was pinpointed as a great wine area. The monasteries in the area spent the next 600 years discovering and refining the process of producing the best Pinot Noir in the world. Thank God for the monks!
In Australia, it’s possible that a clone of Pinot Noir made its way here with the First Fleet in 1788, and it was part of a collection of vines that James Busby established in the Hunter Valley in the early 1800’s. However, over time the production of the best Australian Pinot Noir has moved to the cooler climate southern regions such as Tasmania and Victoria.
Flavour profile
You can generally pick out a Pinot Noir without reading the label by looking at the colour. This thin-skinned grape produces light-coloured red wines, so if it looks lighter, chances are it is a Pinot Noir.
Pinot Noir usually is medium-bodied with fine, soft tannins, making it very smooth to drink. These wines tend to be more delicate and lengthy in their flavours than a heavy red, so look out for the harmony of flavours rather than density.
The terroir heavily impacts the flavour of Pinot Noir. This means that the flavour profile of Pinot Noir is different depending on where it was grown. However, there are some notes you’ll usually find in all of them in varying degrees:
- Floral: rose petals, cherry blossoms
- Fruit: Strawberry, cherry, cranberry, raspberry, plum
- Earth: Mushroom, truffle, forest floor (sometimes you’ll hear people speak about being able to taste the soil in the wine – this is what they are talking about)
- Herb/spice: clove, liquorice, pepper, dried herbs
You’ll find some Pinot Noir is quite heavy on the fruit or has a distinct earthy flavour. Some are also quite spice-driven. It depends on where they were grown, but this is what makes Pinot Noir so fantastic! Each bottle is so different so you’re in for an exciting experience every time.
Where you’ll find it
If you are after the creme de la creme Pinot, and willing to splash out on wine, you should look no further than Burgundy. As the birthplace of Pinot Noir, the wines from Burgundy offer a truly authentic Pinot that can actually be aged for many more years than some of the new world Pinots.
However, if you are like me and don’t have a million dollars to spend on wine (I wish), you’ll be pleased to know that there are plenty of other places you can get great Pinot Noir from! Pinot has grown in popularity in Germany and the US, as well as New Zealand for us Australians. However, if you want to look close to home, plenty of wine regions grow Pinot Noir here. The most notable are Tasmania and Mornington Peninsula, but you can also get great ones from Adelaide Hills, Yarra Valley, the Canberra District and the Great Southern in WA. Pinots from regions outside of Burgundy tend to be bigger and richer in flavour, but you can often get a decently priced bottle.
What to look for
The first thing I can recommend when choosing a Pinot is to look for a Pinot that has come from a cool climate region. Pinot Noir is fickle and thrives in colder climates. If you are new to Pinot and want to try something great stick to these.
For the most part, Pinot Noir should be enjoyed relatively young with cellaring of up to 10 years. Most people prefer younger Pinot Noir with its fresh fruit flavours. As it ages it takes on the characteristics of the forest floor. You’ll find with aged Pinot Noir you have more savoury notes. So if this isn’t your thing stick to wines within four to five years of their vintage date.
Climate, soil and vine age play a very big part in how a Pinot tastes. Especially in the case of Pinot Noire, the best fruit tends to come from mature vineyards with ages of over 15 years. Lower yields also produce more concentrated flavours. So when you are choosing a wine, make sure you look out for these factors on the label and stick to smaller wineries that won’t be mass producing their Pinot.
My best advice is to try a few different regions and wineries with your Pinot Noir. Everyone has a different palate and will enjoy something different when it comes to this wine. So testing and learning to find your favourite is the best way to go!
What to pair it with
Pinot Noir is known for being a food wine, and most foods are a match made in heaven. This means the sky is the limit with this food-friendly wine!
However, the holy grail is Pinot and Duck. These two foods are made for one another, regardless of how the duck is cooked. The flavours of the Pinot go hand in hand with duck. This means regardless of where it comes from this is the best bet.
However, if you’re like me and don’t often eat duck, this wine goes well with salmon or tuna. If it is a heavier-bodied Pinot you can pair it with meat like lamb or beef. For vegetarians, mushroom risotto is also a winner!
If you are pairing Pinot with cheese, look for something like aged camembert or blue cheese. These stronger cheeses go perfectly with the flavours in the wine.
In summary: Pinot Noir wine guide
I truly believe there is a Pinot out there for all tastes. Whether you like light and fruity or deep and savoury, Pinot can offer it all. There’s no wonder it is such a popular grape variety! It can be expensive but it is justified given how hard it is to grow. Luckily the introduction of Pinot across the world has meant that prices have come down!
So whether you are after something truly special to put in the cellar or something to drink on a Friday night, you can be sure you’ll find something delicious to drink in Pinot Noir.