The Great Grapes – No1 – Pinot Noir

Great wines are made from great grapes – and of all the great grape varieties that have migrated around the world none seem to excite wine producers and wine connoisseurs as much as Pinot Noir.

It seems that such is the passion for these particular grapes that most wine producers confess that they would love to produce wine from this wonderful grape at some stage in their career.

Pinot Noir is the only grape permitted in the great majority of red Burgundy and is therefore at the pinnacle of the Pinot pyramid of the Grand Cru’s that offer sumptuous richness, but at a price.

Although the Pinot Noir grape is capable of producing some of the world’s greatest wines it can also be extremely frustrating to produce. This is because, for a number of reasons, it doesn’t seem to travel well and rarely seems to produce the same quality of wine when removed from its native Burgundy.

The Burgundy area itself is cool and wet and prone to spring frosts and even hailstones. This micro climate in combination with the limestone rich soil conditions seems to suit the Pinot Noir grape whereas in other parts of the world this almost intangible series of elements seem to be missing. In the USA, Australia and New Zealand many attempts have been made to emulate the wonderful wines from Burgundy but to date few have managed to attain the quality and status of their French counterparts. In recent years though, a dedicated hard-core of growers in the USA have started to reap some success.

When conditions are perfect however, this thin-skinned grape is capable of producing outstanding wine. The taste of a good Burgundy can be a memorable experience at six or seven years old, though the best will continue to improve substantially longer. Pinot Noir also plays an important part in the production of champagne and other sparkling wines where it adds depth and longevity. When it is young it displays an aroma of crushed fruit which evolves over time to a meatier and a more ‘game like’ type of aroma.

Generally, the Pinot Noir grape does not blend well with other grapes as its finesse is sometimes lost in the process and many purists prefer it unblended. For many connoisseurs therefore, the Burgundy grown Pinot Noir represents one of the finest wines on the planet.

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