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National Pinot Noir Day

Pinot Noir in its many guises…

It has been said that the only place that Pinot Noir grows well is in Burgundy and that the only Pinot Noir wines worth drinking are Red Burgundies. As a result, many Pinot Noir winemakers in New Zealand and elsewhere wanted to build the same reputation for their Pinot Noir based wines as the Burgundians and started to compare their wines, emphasizing similarities and develop wines with similar character. Pinot noir grapes are grown around the world, mostly in the cooler climates, and the grape is chiefly associated with the Burgundy region of France. Pinot Noir is widely grown around the world, and is used in Champagne, sparkling white wines such as the Italian Franciacorta, and English sparkling wines. It has developed a reputation for excellent wines the US, South Africa and Australia as well as in wine regions of New Zealand.

Amongst the Burgundy fans it is great to find other winemakers happy to make wines that reflect their provenance and offer great tasting wines at more affordable prices than Burgundy but still tasting of the grape variety with the New Zealand twist of a sprinkling of pepper and spice with a bit of backbone or Chilean warmth, or South African blend of elegance and rusticity.

Pinot Noir is a frustrating and infuriating grape to grow as it is thin-skinned and therefore susceptible to rot. Pinot Noirs are often lighter in colour, body and tannin although the best wines have grip, complexity and an intensity of flavour seldom found in wines from other grapes. The name is derived from the French words for pine and black. The word pine alludes to the grape variety having tightly clustered, pinecone-shaped bunches of fruit.

There are distinct regional differences appearing in contemporary New Zealand Pinot Noirs offering a range of styles and these are currently being promoted (mainly in independent wine merchants) to show off the caliber of these wines. Pinot Noir is a major grape variety grown in three regions – Marlborough, Central Otago and Martinbrough. Marlborough Pinots have a lovely softer sightly sweeter strawberry fruit note and perhaps the least like the Burgundian example, though the Auntsfield Pinot from this region has a lightness of touch and a hint of spice. Seifried Estate in nearby Nelson make a leafy more elegant version due to their less maritime climate.

In Martinborough in North Island the soft velvety mushroom Pinot Noir notes are evident and enhanced by a subtle vibrancy with a hint of spice as shown off by the King of Pinot, Larry McKenna in his Escarpment Pinot range. At the very Southern tip of South Island in Central Otago near Queenstown winemakers such as Two Paddocks’ renowned film director and actor, Sam Neill, is making stylish, elegant wines with more obvious but balanced tannins, spice, pepper and ripe fruit.

Like Central Otago, Tasmania is building a reputation on quality wines made from Pinot Noir and though never cheap they offer value. A delicious example is the Dalrymple Pinot Noir from the Pipers Brook area of Tasmania which is full of vibrant fruit with lingering complex savoury notes.

Until recently Chilean producers seemed to miss the spot in terms of producing quality wines from Pinot Noir with green fruit notes and an overwhelming burnt rubber syndrome affecting many of them. Now wineries such as Ventisquero and Montes amongst others are producing wines with varietal character supported with a peppery spice.

…and of course there are also the easy drinking soft ripe and fruity Pinots from Romania, the south of France and more. So many styles worth a try to find your own favourite.

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