Pinot noir, without pretensions | Print |
Thursday, 05 January 2012

Grape variety flourishes in many countries

Why not start the new year with a look at one of my favourite grape varieties, pinot noir? It's not a very original favourite. It would be clever to say my preferred variety is falanghina or fer servadou. But I always come back to pinot noir because it so often has everything I want in terms of flavour, fruit-acid balance, and texture. And it's versatile with food. Depending on the style it's made in, you'll find a pinot to go with red meats, poultry, fish and seafood, and many vegetarian dishes.

Styles vary according to winemaking and region. Although pinot is primarily associated with Burgundy, there's no one "Burgundian" style - and it drives winemakers in Burgundy crazy when people refer to pinots from Ontario, Oregon or anywhere else as being made in a "Burgundian style." In fact, there's great variation among the scores of Burgundy's appellations, as there is in other regions noted for pinot noir. Among the best-known are Central Otago (and Martinborough) in New Zealand, Oregon, and Russian River Valley in California. But there are really excellent pinots from Ontario (Niagara Peninsula and Prince Edward County) and Chile, and I've recently tasted some very good pinots in Germany, Austria and Argentina.

In all these regions, the key is cool conditions that allow the grapes to develop the acidity that is the variety's trademark. But there's a big range in the intensity of fruit, with some regions turning out more restrained flavours and others heading toward greater concentration and weight. Different styles lead to different food pairings.

You often hear pinot noir described as "the heartbreak grape," not because it's the perfect choice when you tell someone you never want to see them again, but because it's hard to grow successfully. The broken heart is the producer's. Pinot grapes are thin-skinned, so you have to be diplomatic around them, or they catch every disease going around a vineyard.

Or so pinot-growers tell you. But I was in a Chianti vineyard a couple of years ago, where the manager was telling me about the difficulties that the sangiovese variety present. "And they talk about pinot noir being the heartbreak grape," he sniffed. On another occasion, when I asked a New Zealand grower about his pinot noir, he replied, "It's not hard to grow at all. If you find it hard to grow a variety successfully, you're obviously trying to grow it in the wrong place!"

Whether or not it's a tough grape to grow, pinot noir has a kind of aura among many wine-lovers, and there's probably more poetic (or pseudo-poetic) writing about it than any other grape variety. Don't let pretentious enthusiasm stop you from enjoying pinot noir often. The four reviewed today are only a sampling of many worthwhile pinot noirs in the LCBO and at private wine stores in Ottawa.

Concilio 'Vignetti delle Dolomiti' Pinot Noir 2008
From Alto Adige, in northeast Italy, this is a well-priced pinot noir that delivers nicely concentrated flavours from start to finish, and a very good fruit-acid balance. Drink it with roasted red meats or with wellseasoned pork. 13-per-cent alcohol; $11.95 (257030)

Silver Point Pinot Noir 2009
A recent addition to the LCBO, this New Zealand pinot is fairly lean, with bright acidity. It's dry and medium bodied, with restrained fruit and reasonable complexity. Drink it with roasted or grilled poultry and pork. 13-per-cent alcohol; $14.95 (226605)

Villa Maria 'Private Bin' Pinot Noir 2009
This dry, medium-weight pinot from New Zealand's Marlborough region offers well-focused and quite complex fruit flavours and a good seam of refreshing acidity. Drink it with planked grilled salmon or hearty vegetarian stews. 13.5-per-cent alcohol; $19.95 (146548)

Silver Point Pinot Noir 2009
A recent addition to the LCBO, this New Zealand pinot is fairly lean, with bright acidity. It's dry and medium bodied, with restrained fruit and reasonable complexity. Drink it with roasted or grilled poultry and pork. 13-per-cent alcohol; $14.95 (226605)
 
[ Back ]