Pinot Noir

Directions

It is, of course the quintessential ingredient of Champagne, and will ALWAYS be celebrated and revered as such, but in this issue, WineDown explores Pinot Noir in all its single-variety glory. And caution is urged.

Bewitched

Seduced by a light, silken kiss... spellbound by sweet, youthful cherry... smitten with spicy perfume. This is how it begins. As the affair progresses, sufferers find themselves fixating on more feral flavours: fascinated by forest floor... mad for mushroom... gaga for a bit of game. This is the shadowy world of the Pinotphile.

They do not deserve our derision: They are, after all, hopelessly devoted to this most fickle and demanding of varieties – notoriously difficult to grow, and famously tricky to vinify. As a result, their addiction is likely to be a fiendishly expensive habit to support, and they may experience as many disappointments as they will delights.

Delicate

Pinot Noir is an ancient variety with a delicate constitution. Its thin skin (and tight berry clusters) makes it susceptible to fungal attack and viruses, while its propensity for early budding leaves it vulnerable to spring frosts. It’s also given to throwing the odd genetic mutation, which is how the Pinots Blanc, Meunier, Gris, and quite a few others came into existence.

Nobody knows where the Pinot Noir variety originated – and in any case, what’s far more interesting is where it chose to flourish. It likes calcareous (limey/ chalky) soil, and a relatively cool climate, where it can ripen slowly (and so gradually build up those unique aromas and flavours). It found those qualities in abundance southeast of Paris, in the east-central region of Bourgogne.

Burgundy

In 51 BC, when the Romans stomped all over Gaul, vineyards were already established (which would have pleased the conquerors no end). After their Empire disintegrated, and the Franks and Vandals had sacked and vacated, the vineyards remained. During the peaceful reign of Charlemagne, Burgundy’s reputation as a producer of fine wines was established as nobles, peasant farmers, and monks (Benedictines – the fun ones) tended the vines side by side. They were joined some years later by ascetic Cistercian monks, who, though lacking a funny bone, brought diligence, skill, and record-keeping to the table, further cementing Burgundy’s status. In the Middle Ages, land grabs by unscrupulous nobles saw peasants stripped of their property, but the French Revolution returned vineyards to the people (vive la revolution!!), and Napoleon’s Code of Inheritance ensured they remained there.

Today, Burgundy comprises a multitude of tiny landholdings, worked by grower winemakers, many of whom produce domaine-bottled Burgundy. Jancis Robinson describes it as a ‘...Small, expensive, infuriating, complicated region that delivers paradise in a bottle with increasing frequency.’

New World Pinot

It was the late 1960s when (then) corporate lawyer, James Halliday, fell under the spell of the red wines of Burgundy. He wasn’t alone. Across the New World, wine producers were hell-bent on recreating some of that Burgundian magic on their home turf – and were frequently humbled in the attempt. But persistence pays off. Today, Pinot Noir is successfully grown in the USA (in Oregon and California), in the cool hinterland of the south coast of South Africa, on the green and chully hillsides of New Zealand’s Central Otago and Martinborough, even in some breezy parts of Chile (although South America is generally too warm).

That was the problem here in Australia too, for early plantings of Pinot Noir. (James Halliday recalls his disastrous cracks with Pinot Noir in the warm and humid Hunter Valley. What was he thinking?!!) Yarra Valley distinguished itself early in the days of experimentation, as did Mornington Peninsula, and they have subsequently been joined by Geelong, Gippsland, and the Macedon Ranges as quality producers. And Pinot is understandably very happy in the cool and complex terroirs of Tasmania.

The Road to Perdition

Youthful Pinot Noir is a delectable tangle of perfume and muddled red berry flavours, delivered on a raft of smooth and silky tannins. Brightly textured and mid-weight with a long, spicy finish, it’s an irresistibly appealing mouthful for beginners. Uh oh...

Here come complex, savoury notes: elegant sour cherry, satsuma plums and a touch of earthy anise with subtly integrated oak. Oh no! you’re falling...

Rich and sophisticated, with hints of dried herb, smoked meats, and an intriguing aroma of... hang on... is that... truffle?

Goner!