Old World vs. New World Pinot
by Ellen Clifford April 2020 (abridged version)
Pinot Noir .
Oh yes.
The esteemed.
The renowned.
The f*cking DRC. I had it once.
Also the grape that got a major glow up from Sideways and unwittingly bullied California Merlot into obscurity sure as Macavity clawed Grizabella into the gutter.
Oh wait Cats metaphors—too soon or too real? Also I loved Cats. Stage and movie versions. Also real life cats. My lord I need a kitty.
Wait. Wine. Pinot Noir. Meow.
If you are quarantining, I suggest stocking up and playing along as this article is gonna be a two-parter.
This article comes with the disclaimer that for every country and region, heck, for individual vineyards of Pinot I could write a whole tome and not be done. Pinot is ever so nuanced. It’s also worth mentioning that in addition to terroir, the clone of Pinot can make quite a difference. That could be another friggin’ book—did you realize that Pinot Gris/Grigio and Pinot Blanc are just clones of Pinot Noir? But let’s get the basics covered before we worry about dirt and clones. And drones. They also worry me but not today, Satan.
Pinot Noir’s origins remain mysterious, as Jancis Robinson’s “Wine Grapes” points to many “dubious” origin stories. So we won’t dwell on that. Just know that “Pinot” is considered one of the three main grapes from whence came pretty much everything we drink now. The other two “founder” grapes are savagnin (also called traminer) and gouais blanc. The reason you mostly find Pinot Noir grown in cooler climates is that it ripens early, so it needs cool air to prolong the ripening process long enough for the grape to develop some complexity.
Pinot Noir’s biggest tasting note to me—beyond gentler tannins—is cherries. Of all types. Red, black, bing, and so on, Pinot Noir almost always has something cherry about it. It partners well with oak, so you often will find telltale vanilla and baking spice. All of this adds up to it sometimes tasting like one of humanities biggest gifts to our taste buds: Cherry-Vanilla Coke. But give it some time and Pinot Noir gets enchanting herbs and—oooh baby! Earth. Truffles! But also dried flowers and suddenly (in your mind) you are dancing naked and barefoot on a dewy lawn drinking boozy Cherry-Vanilla Coke.
Don’t wine-kink shame me. We all have our thing.
I love this grape, fickle as it can be. In every region I tasted there were bland lightweights and/or cooked fake jammy examples. Pinot is at every level enjoyable, but unlike fries, which excel in the cheap versions, Pinot does not necessarily. That being said, I tried in these columns to find at least a couple more budget friendly ones.
Here’s one more thing. Goodness, Pinot Noir needs a lot of disclaimers it seems. I felt it sacrilege to even try to give Burgundy a run for its money.
Burgundy is one of the most beautiful things on earth. And don’t you ever forget it. So this week, off to the New World. Then we will explore Burgundy. Not only am I beginning with the New World but I’m starting in the southern hemisphere. Keeping it fresh in #quarantine2020.
—————————————
OREGON
Ah, Oregon, the Pinot Noir that can confound the blind taster for its tendency toward being Old World-ly. I had the good fortune to attend a dinner in honor of the (now canceled because Corona) Willamette Valley Wine Pinot Noir Auction. But don’t you babies worry, I tasted wines I selected of my own accord too, to curate my recommendations. Even just within the Willamette Valley there is a range of subregions with varied soils making a range of Pinot expressions. When I can travel again, it is at the top of my wine travel wishlist. I have to give honorable mentions here too, to Gothic and Eyrie —love them. Always will, but I wanted to give some new-to-me guys some love.
2017 Portland Wine Company “Love and Squalor” Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
How I do love this! Not just for its mischievous drying laundry label, but…well the first time I tried it was when my boyfriend blinded me on it. By which I mean he poured it, and I tried to deduce what it was. I have a lot of kinks but losing my vision isn’t one of them. I found it indelibly Pinot Noir but was it Old World? New? I was confounded. Either which way it is damned delightful and a comparative bargain. Rich red fruits and pencil box. No, not pencil lead and cigar box but pencil box—that medley of pencils, crayons, erasers and cedar AND maybe a rebel student has a cigarette hidden in there. Would that be me? Not until 8th grade whoops. It is an excellent Pinot.
