Tannic Panic! Issue #42: Pinot Noir, the Ficklest Grape
Value Pinot for the everyday drinker (LIKE ME!)
HAPPY WEDNESDAY you absolute maniacs.
Today we’re catering to your little demands with a varietal you’ve been asking us to cover for years now: Pinot Noir.
This wholesome little grape variety is used to make some of the most expensive wines in the world (a single bottle of 1945 Romanée-Conti sold for $558,000 in 2018, making it the most expensive bottle ever sold), and many people consider the finest wines of Burgundy to be the global pinnacle of quality in wine; but with the price tags associated, most people will never touch a drop of the stuff (LIKE ME!).
Does that mean you have to be a billionaire to drink good Pinot? No. But we’ve done the research and it turns out that you do have to be a total asshole to spend half a million dollars on a single bottle of wine (citation needed).
Our goal here this morning is to learn you a little something about this popular and unique varietal, and to give you some recommendations (for and against) a handful of bottles that you can go out and try today. And the “good” news is you won’t have to put a reverse mortgage on the family emu to afford them.
Pinot Noir
Presumed to originate from Burgundy, France, Pinot Noir stands as one of the oldest grape varieties grown for “winemaking,” with evidence of cultivation dating back to the Roman era.
This grape is notoriously finicky (LIKE TODAY’S YOUTH), being highly sensitive to factors like climate, terroir, and winemaking techniques. Pinot Noir thrives in cooler climates that allow for slow ripening, where its delicate character is intricately shaped by the precise balance of sun exposure and the unique “terroir” of its vineyard surroundings. These factors determine the complexity and depth of Pinot Noir wines from different regions around the world. Cultivating and transforming this thin-skinned little “grape” into “wine” is a challenging “task” due to its susceptibility to diseases and its requirement for specific climatic conditions (LIKE ME!).
The winemaking process for Pinot Noir typically involves careful handling to preserve the “delicate little flavors” of this temperamental little berry. Fermentation in small batches, use of oak aging to add complexity and structure, and bottling with minimal filtration are practices commonly used to maintain the quality and unique characteristics of this temperamental little grape.
Where’s it at?
Pinot Noir can be found living the dream in diverse wine regions globally, including (BUT NOT LIMITED TO) Burgundy (France), Central Otago and Marlborough (New Zealand), Sonoma Coast and Central Coast AVAs in California, and Willamette Valley AVA in Oregon.
This grape variety is renowned for its ability to produce complex wines with a broad range of aromas and flavors, spanning from red fruits like strawberries, raspberries, and cherries to earthy and floral notes such as cola, forest floor and violets. With bottle age, Pinot Noir wines can develop ‘intriguing’ characteristics (TO PUT IT POLITELY) like mushroom and distinct STINKY barnyard notes that are “appreciated” by many “esteemed wine enthusiasts” (WHO AREN’T US).
DID YOU KNOW… “Pinot Noir” gets its “name” from the French words for "pine" and "black" alluding to the grape variety's tightly clustered, pine cone-shaped bunches of dark fruit.
Old World vs. New World “Styles”
The distinctions between "Old World" and "New World" styles of Pinot Noir are exemplified by regions like Burgundy representing the “old world tradition” and regions like California and New Zealand as prominent new world examples. Old World Pinot Noirs from Burgundy are renowned for their lighter body, higher acidity, lower alcohol content, and nuanced “earthy” notes. In contrast, New World counterparts from California and New Zealand are characterized by their fuller body with more prominent primary fruit characteristics, higher alcohol levels, lower acidity, and vibrant flavors. Winemaking practices further differentiate the two styles, with New World regions like California often favoring some new oak aging techniques while Old World regions like Burgundy typically opt for neutral wood. Moreover, labeling conventions vary, with Old World wines commonly identified by region and New World wines frequently labeled by grape variety. Neato!
Cost of Production
In contrast to more “adaptable” grape varieties such Cabernet Sauvignon, it’s not as easy to get your shaky little meat hooks around a “good bottle” of Pinot Noir for a half decent price.
Well-made Pinot Noir wines are generally more expensive than “other wines” due to a combination of factors. The grape's challenging nature, including its thin skin, tight clusters, and late ripening, leads to lower yields and higher production costs.
Limited supply and rarity, along with the influence of vineyard location and terroir from renowned regions like Burgundy coupled with high demand due to the “prestige factor” contribute to the higher price tags. Low-yields, winemaking techniques, longer aging periods required for flavor development, and overall production costs such as labor and equipment further elevate the price of these “high maintenance” red wines. Nevertheless… “we’re here” to save your already depleted wallets using our unparalleled expertise and willingness to “taste through” a smattering of Pinot Noirs from our local Zeus Juice retailers in hopes of providing you and your frugal little friends a few moderate to severely drinkable Pinot Noir recommendations at a less than ultra-premium price.
So let’s get into it.
… AND NOW FOR THE REVIEWS (IN ORDER OF PRICE):
2021 Familia Nueva Liberte Pinot Noir, San Luis Obispo County, CA / 86 Points / $10
Profile: Strawberry, raspberry, violet, wet stone, leaves
Palate: Dry, low tannin, medium acid, light body, medium finishFruit forward with pretty juicy flavors and decent balance. Very little to disrupt the drinking experience in terms of unpleasant flavors. I was surprised to find something so drinkable in the Pinot category at this price point.
86 Points.
$10 at Trader Joes.
2021 Prisma Pinot Noir, Casablanca Valley, Chile / 88+ Points / $15 [VALUE PICK!]
Profile: Cherry, strawberry, chocolate, fresh leaves, a hint of gasoline on the nose that really dissipates as it opens up
Palate: Dry, medium tannin, medium acid, medium body, medium finishA bit jammy with layers of red fruit flavors alongside some subtle green character and a hint of chocolate. Let this one breathe and you’ll have a great time, especially at this price point.
88+ Points.
$15 at Whole Foods.
2021 Argyle Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon / 87 Points / $18
Profile: Cranberry, strawberry, earth, musty basement, roasted mushroom, smoke.
Palate: Dry, medium- tannin, high acid, light body, medium finishA decent effort for the modest price (especially in the Pinot Noir “category”). This is a light bodied style of Pinot Noir that comes across as more “Old World” in style, despite its “American” (the prominent earthy notes are not uncharacteristic of Willamette valley Pinot Noirs in general)
Widely available in stores — we found it for under $20 but listings online show a range of prices, some more expensive.
87 Points.
2019 Criterion Pinot Noir, Central Otago, New Zealand / 88 Points / $19
Profile: Cherry, raspberry, strawberry, iodine, sassafras, cola
Palate: Dry, medium- tannin, medium acid, light body, medium+ finishAll around a really pleasant wine, drinks well with food or a la carte, and is nicely balanced. Where it falls short of exceptional is in flavor concentration and complexity. Still, a nice entry point into the Central Otago style.
88 Points.
$19 from Whole Foods.
2021 Au Bon Climat Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County / 91 Points / $22
Profile: Red cherry, raspberry, plum, cola, licorice, vanilla, dill, chocolate
Palate: Dry, medium tannin, medium+ acid, medium body, long finishA very well made and “delicious” New World Pinot Noir from a classic Santa Barbara county producer showing a good balance between red fruits, spice and oak.
91 Points.
2019 Domaine Faiveley Mercurey “Vielles Vignes,” Burgundy, France / 93 Points / $35
Profile: Black cherry, black plum, baked strawberry, forest floor, rose petals, leather, tobacco and chocolate.
Palate: Dry, medium+ tannin, high acid, medium+ body, long finishA beautifully balanced and concentrated old vine (“Vielles Vignes”) Pinot Noir from the stellar 2019 vintage in Burgundy. This wine showcases ripe, yet precise red and black fruit flavors along with earthy, floral and spicy complexities and well integrated oak. Despite the wine being a so-called “Old World” Pinot Noir, this has enough primary fruit concentration and ripeness to appease those of you who prefer the new world style, yet enough structure, acidity, “terroir” and tertiary “complexities” to appease those of you who prefer the more classic “Burgundian style.” WONDERFUL STUFF!
93 Points.
Some Pinot Noir options we tasted and disliked enough to suggest you pass on:
2021 Oyster Bay Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand / $14
• coffee yogurt, cherry cola / a little bitter, fruit flavors overpowered by mocha and it isn’t very compelling
2021 Caretaker Wines Pinot Noir, Central Coast, California / $10
• Tar, brine, arm pit, red fruit, mocha / off dry yet bitter
Pinot, Pinot, Pinot, Noir, Noir, Noir.
The grape, the wine, the zeus juice.
Until next time — HAPPY DRINKING PEOPLE.
Cheers!
Isaac & Zach
I love this paragraph: "Does that mean you have to be a billionaire to drink good Pinot? No. But we’ve done the research and it turns out that you do have to be a total asshole to spend half a million dollars on a single bottle of wine (citation needed)."
Another thoroughly entertaining and very informative blog!