The Cellar: Pinot Noirs Worth Grabbing
Friday, March 18, 2011
Pinot Noir is one of the oldest grape varieties to be cultivated for the purpose of making wine. Ancient Romans knew this grape as Helvenacia Minor and vinified it as early as the first century AD, but the reputation that has given Pinot Noir so much attention in the past century is owed to the wines of Burgundy. In many ways, Pinot Noir is a difficult grape to grow and therefore usually carries a higher price tag.
While Pinot Noirs from France, Oregon and New Zealand are the most popular; there are many producers from other parts of the world that produce great Pinot. This week’s reviews highlight three of these Pinots, all of which are available locally for under $15. As a new feature, starting this week, I will summarize my opinion of the wine by issuing the wine a grade. Please remember that this grade will be based on my palate, which may be very different from yours.
2010 La Fortuna Pinot Noir, Lontue Valley, Chile
The background: The first wine is the 2010 La Fortuna Pinot Noir and as is increasingly popular these days, it’s organic. The winery behind this wine handpicks its organic grapes in a vineyard where weeds are
controlled without the use of chemical herbicides. The winery doesn’t allow the use of any chemicals or fertilizers and fungal diseases are prevented with the use of natural sulfur. I have been a big fan of this inexpensive wine in the past. This is my first sip of the 2010 vintage.GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
The wine: It took a while for the wine to open up, but when it did it revealed a very interesting and funky nose. When I sniffed it immediately after I swirled it I got hints of manure(!). There are also some dark cherries in the background. This is a light wine, perhaps too young; the flavors have yet to find themselves or settle. While it shows some nice tart fruit flavors and herbal notes on a smoky backdrop, the flavors stop short and makes for an awkward finish. I like the aromas more than the flavors in this wine but still an interesting wine and for 10 bucks, one I recommend you seek out; if nothing else than to put your nose in. (B-)
2009 Sean Minor Pinot Noir
The backstory: In the nine months following the release of the hit movie “Sideways” in October 2004, United States supermarket sales of Pinot Noir jumped almost 20%. But while many attribute the explosion of Pinot
Noir solely to that movie, the reality is that the varietal’s popularity had been steadily growing long before “Sideways” helped propel the wine into mainstream American awareness. Statistics show the recent explosion, but also the increase in popularity over the past couple of decades. In 2009 California crushed over 150.000 tons of Pinot Noir grapes, more than double the 70.000 tons crushed in 2004 and nearly five times the 32.000 tons crushed in 1990, according to the California Grape Crush Reports.
The wine: One of the many new Californian wineries which has popped up during this period looking to cash in on American newly found love for Pinot Noir is Four Bears Winery established in 2005 and located in Napa County. The winery sources its grapes from the Carneros region of California, between Sonoma and Napa. The 2009 vintage is their third release and is a solid Californian example of a Pinot. If you are used to lean, earth-driven Pinot Noir, you are in for a surprise; this is neither. The wine is aged 9 months in oak of which 15% is new and it shows. I get a lot of toast, vanilla and spices on the palate on a medium to full bodied backdrop, with nice and intense plum fruit flavors that come across ripe to the point where they are almost sweet. (B)
2009 Monte Degli Angeli Pinot Noir Monferrato DOC
The backstory: This week’s third and final wine is made by the Italian brothers Antonio & Paolo Sperone, who own and manage the Monte Degli Angeli estate in Monferrato. The Monferrato DOC (Denominazione di
Origine Controllata) zone is located in Italy's southeastern Piedmont region in the hills of the provinces of Asti and Alessandria. Established in 1994, this DOC allows a range of different native and non-native grape varieties to be used in red Monferrato wine, among them Pinot Noir, or Pinot Nero as it is known there.
The wine: This style of Pinot Noir is very different from the previous Californian example; much more old-world like. The wine is leaner with much brighter fruit and pronounced acidity on the mid palate. It is not as earthy as the first Chilean wine, but more complex with a lot more flavors and well as a nice transition to the finish which is long and delicious. (B+)
Enjoy!
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