Pinot Noir is probably the most frustrating of all grapes to make quality wine from. However when successful, it can produce some of the most heavenly wines. This thin-skinned grape grows in small, tight bunches and grows best on well-drained, limestone based subsoils found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or.
TASTING CHART
Young Pinot Noir has a nose of sweet, freshly crushed raspberries, cherries and redcurrants. When mature, the best wines develop a sensuous, silky mouthfeel with fruit flavours deepening and earthy nuances emerging.
BODY AND COLOUR
Due to the thinness of the skins, Pinot Noir wines are lighter in colour, body and tannins. However the best wines have grip, complexity and an intensity of fruit seldom found in wine from other grapes.
PINOT NOIR FOOD PAIRING
Pinot Noir pairs well with a wide range of foods—fruitier versions make a great match with salmon or other fatty fish, roasted chicken or pasta dishes; bigger, more tannic Pinots are ideal with duck and other game birds.
The best examples are still found in Burgundy, although Pinot Noir's key role in Champagne should not be forgotten. It is grown throughout the world with notable success in the Carneros and Russian River Valley districts of California, and the Marlborough, Martinborough and Central Otago regions of New Zealand.
