gluggy
By Mike Muirhead, Sommelier( ISG, CMS), CSW
Dare I say it? Cheap Pinot Noir. There, I did it. It is not impossible to say, but after looking at the prices on Burgundy Pinots, it might start to feel as though it’ s impossible to find one.
Why is Pinot Noir always expensive? Is it the mystery behind the grape? Is it the prestige that it has pushed the price up? Who decided that Pinot Noir should be expensive? The short answer is: it is not called the“ heartbreak grape” for nothing.
Pinot Noir is fickle. Remember that girl you dated in grade seven that you really thought was into you, but broke it off when the“ bad boy” from grade nine showed a flash of those pre-pubescent biceps? Add a really thin skin and more perfume and you still don’ t even come close to Pinot Noir.
Actually, Pinot Noir is that grade nine bad boy. He seems tough, but inside he is struggling to mature, has to have the perfect upbringing to turn out right, and when you do end up standing up to him, he is likely to shrivel and break under the pressure of being great.
Pinot Noir has all these challenges. It needs a cool climate, but also a very long growing season. If the climate is too warm, the wine becomes jammy and overripe. If it is too cold, the wine becomes sour and acidic. If it freezes, the skin breaks, and it is very susceptible to vine disease. But when it is perfect, it is like that that first kiss on the cheek from that grade seven crush— suddenly a whole new world opens in front of you and it is all worthwhile.
So where do we look for good-value Pinot Noir? It comes in all shapes and sizes, but the ideal conditions are just like the ones I described above, and consistency is the key. There have been a few new world regions that have really developed Pinot Noir into a wine that produces great fruit, year after year: Morninton Peninsula and Yarra Valley in Australia; Sta. Rita Hills and Sonoma in California; almost the entire Willamette Valley in Oregon; Central Otago and Martinborough in New Zealand; and cooler climates in Chile. Closer to home, Canada’ s Niagara Peninsula is doing an amazing job producing world-class Pinots from wineries like Clos Jordanne and Tawse.
These areas produce wines that have power, finesse, balance, and most importantly— consistency. Value is always relative when you talk about Pinot Noir, but these regions are offering some of the true value that well-made Pinot Noir can provide. They offer that first fleeting kiss, and then make you wonder,“ Just how big is this pond anyway?”
Do not let this multitude of Pinot regions fool you. Pinot Noir is still not easy to grow. If you push it too far, it will end up watery and tasteless. If you ignore it, it will not show its true potential. But if everything turns out just right, Pinot Noir will sweep you off your feet, show a little bit of bicep, and grow up to be a complex, beautiful, and mature wine that you will love forever.
Curse you Pinot Noir, so fragile and fickle, yet you always seem to get the girl anyway. �
GREAT HIGH-VALUE PINOTS
Ventisquero 2008 Reserva Pinot Noir, Chile, $ 14.99 Easily the best value Pinot Noir, dollar for dollar, in the store.
Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley, Australia, $ 20.99 One of the coolest parts of Victoria offers pure Pinot Noir flavours, packaged to make it cool to drink Pinot.
Le Clos Jordanne 2006 Village Reserve Pinot Noir 2006, Niagara Peninusla, Canada $ 30.00
The whole range of Pinot Noirs from Clos Jordanne have a great Burgundian feel, without losing their Canadian roots. The Village is their entrylevel wine, and a great place to start before you move up to their single vineyards, and Grand Clos.
Cristom 2007 Jefferson Cuvée Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon, United States, $ 39.99 Pure raspberry flavours with a smoky, earthy finish: a first step into their single-vineyard, terroirdriven wines, and the wonderful world of Oregon Pinot noir.
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