The Many Faces of Pinot Noir

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From tart and crisp to structured and savory, discover where to find your perfect bottle.

Winemakers like to call pinot noir the headache grape. Fickle and persnickety, it requires a near-perfect blend of terroir to coax out its alluring combination of silky, fine tannins, balanced acidity and signature earthiness. Too warm a climate (or too heavy a hand in the cellar), and pinot can take on the character of a bigger red like cab; too humid in the vineyards and its delicate thin skin can take on rot and mold. But when it’s good, it’s oh so good.

Equally headache-inducing to making pinot noir can be finding a bottle that suits your wine style. Even without the parameters of so-called “varietally-correct” pinot there are variations in levels of acidity, tannins, fruit and body. With the disclaimer that it’s impossible to make broad sweeping generalizations about every bottle from a particular region, here are some guidelines for finding your perfect pinot.  

If you like bottles with tart fruit and high acidity:

Willamette Valley

This Oregon region is renowned for fruity bottles that still retain elegance. “There is a range of soils and microclimates, but they generally have a brighter profile and a slightly lower alcohol than pinot noirs from California,” says Michael Klinger, advanced sommelier and wine director of Peppervine in Charlotte, North Carolina. He especially likes the Eola-Amity Hills sub-AVA, where wines are especially fresh thanks to a Pacific Breeze that comes in from a break in the Coastal Ridge called the Van Duzer Gap.

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• Croft Vineyards Pinot Noir 2015 ($42), from the Willamette Valley Winery of the Year at the 2019 NYIWC, which also won a Silver medal. Burgundian in style, it has red fruit, balanced acidity and structure and a lengthy finish.

• Lingua Franca Pinot Noir “Mimi’s Mind” Eola-Amity Hills AVA 2017 ($50), a biodynamic wine that “show potpourri, forest floor, blood orange zest and red cherry aromas with fresh raspberry and an elegant, mineral mouth feel,” Klinger says.

• Kin and Cascadia Pinot Noir 2017 ($16), a wallet-friendly option from the region; bright ruby in the glass with aromas of cherry and mocha, it’s soft and delicate on the palate with strawberries and rose petals.

Loire Valley

In the Sancerre and Menetou-Salon appellations, soils are clay-sandy and clay-limestone and winemakers look for a balance between red fruit and a silky, juicy palate. Like other wines made in the cool climate French region including sauvignon blanc-based Sancerre and cabernet franc-based Chinon, a hallmark of the style is juicy fruit and vibrant acidity. There is earthiness present in Loire pinot, but it’s subdued thanks to several factors including delicate winemaking, says Thierry Merlet, commercial director for Patient Cottat Winery.

• Patient Cottat Le Grand Caillou Pinot Noir 2017 ($17) “expresses silky tannins, intense red fruits on the nose with a moderate ruby color,” says Merlet; it goes well with beef tenderloin with candied shallots or a lamb shoulder with mild spices.

• Pascal Jolivet Attitude Rouge Pinot Noir 2017 ($25), juicy, fruity and crisp, with a hint of spice from the clay-limestone soil; try it with whole salmon roasted with spices and lemon zest.

If you prefer earthier expressions:

Burgundy

“No place captures the earthy side of pinot like its historic home in Burgundy,” Klinger declares. He goes on to add that while each village boasts its own unique terroir, from dark, brooding Gevrey to lithe and elegant Volnay, “all share a dry, forest-floor earthiness unique to the Old World.” Microclimate differences in the region’s Côte du Nuits and Côte de Beane make for wines that are more structured in the former and fruitier in the latter, according to Eric Germain, director and oenologist at Vincent Girardin, but even this is a general view because of variations in soil types, orientation and wind. “A clay-oriented soil will produce more structured wines compared to a limestone [soil], he explains. “I like delicacy, soft fine tannins surrounded by fruit, [and a] fresh, crisp and long [finish].

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• Joseph Voillot Volnay 1er Cru Fremiets 2017 ($70), “captures the elegant, perfumed side of pinot noir with violets, red currants, limestone and marine mineral notes and fine tannins surrounded by a silky body and juicy acidity,” Klinger says.

• Volnay 1er Cru Les Santenots 2017 ($87.99), grown on poor limestone soils, with “fresh crisp black cherry, wild strawberries, very fine and elegant tannins, a pure, long and complex wine,” Gardin says.

• Rue de Perle Bourgogne 2017 ($15), an entry-level introduction to Burgundian pinot noir, with aromas of wild cherry, red fruit and minerality on the palate and a dry, classic finish.

Central Otago

Wines from this region on New Zealand’s South Island appeal to fans “who favor an elegant and silky pinot noir with a balance of acidity and delicate fruit and a layer of savory and earth characteristics,” says Fraser McLachlan, CEO and owner of Mohua Wines. “While most commonly compared to an Oregon style, Central Otago pinot noir has its own identity, typically complex, concentrated, classically balanced and laced with fine acidity and minerality.” These wines do tend to show more tart fruit than Burgundy, along with an earthy component that veers towards forest floor and leather, he says, though differences in the mountainous topography including exposure, altitude, soil, rainfall and wind impacts overall styles. 

• Mohua Wine Peregrine Pinot Noir 2016 ($20), “silky and seductive, with an expressive perfume of blueberries and red fruits combined with floral potpourri spice,” McLachlan says. Try it with slow-roasted shoulder of New Zealand lamb, soft and creamy cheeses and American-style barbecue.

• Rippon “Rippon” Mature Vine Pinot Noir 2016 ($50), suggests Logan Silbert, lead sommelier at The Wit & Wisdom Tavern at The Lodge in Sonoma. He recommends pairing it with boeuf bourguignon or barbecued portobello mushroom burger with balsamic reduction.

If your penchant is for extracted pinot with ripe fruit and more structure:

Russian River Valley 

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This appellation in California’s Sonoma region has “an overall warmer climate with microclimates suited to maintain structure in pinot noir,” Silbert says. Klinger agrees, citing the “ripe kirsch and cola notes” found in RRV. Make no mistake though: these wines don’t lose their identity just because they see a little more sunshine and the winemaker may be trying to eek out a tad more color and tannin. They are still signature pinot--just with the volume turned up a notch or two.

• Capiaux Cellars Pinot Noir “Chimera” 2017 ($30), “plump and open from the first sip, with dark jammy black cherry and exotic baking spices, with anise and lavender adding complexity to the ripe, fruit-driven profile,” says Klinger.

• Kistler Vineyards Laguna Ridge Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2017 ($60), a concentrated and structured wine with violet on the nose and strawberry on the palate. It’s a perfect match for duck breast with a cherry reduction, according to Silbert.

If you crave something with a little of the best of all worlds:

Sonoma Coast

Just as this region balances warm California sunshine with cool Pacific breezes, the pinot produced here straddles the right amount of acidity, fruit, structure and earthiness. “Parts of Sonoma County offer warm, sunny days with cold fig-filled nights that produce balanced pinot noir,” Silbert notes. Todd Nelson, director of marketing for Winesellers, Ltd, points out that rich and structured Sonoma Coast pinots are the most Burgundian in all of California. Most days in Petaluma Gap, the region’s newest AVA, start (and something end) with fog, promoting slow ripening and retaining acidity. 

• Rivers-Marie “Summa Old Vines” Pinot Noir 2018 ($90), “dense black cherry and raspberry surrounded by rose petals and a hint of fresh mint,” Klinger says. 

• Find Your Light Pinot Noir 2016 ($55), a collaboration between Josh Grobin and Halleck Vineyard whose proceeds support the singer’s foundation for children’s arts education, with aromas of bright red fruit combined with spice and minerals and a floral tone; the palate shows pomegranate, raspberry and cranberry along with minerals and earthiness, while the lingering finish has white pepper.

• Vinum Cellars Insider Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2018 ($25), deep garnet in the glass and perfumed on the nose with ripe bing cherry and black raspberry; the palate follows through with juicy cherry and raspberry with balanced acidity along with vanilla, toasted oak, silky tannins and an earthy Burgundian finish.

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Santa Barbara

“Santa Rita Hills AVA in Santa Barbara is a perfect balance of fruit, earth, spice...and everything nice,” Silbert quips. Nelson says the AVA can vary in style from fruity and intense to lean and well-rounded, with the northern part generally being much cooler. 

• Garemoni Wines Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir 2018 ($60), from the 2019 Santa Barbara Pinot Noir Winery of the Year at the NYIWC, a single-vineyard offering with notes of cherry, spice, earthy and blackberry jam and hints of oak, pepper and cassis.

• Santa Barbara County Winery Pinot Noir 2018 ($20), “for those who prefer big fruit, high acidity, low to medium tannins,” Nelson says, this wine shows hibiscus, pink peppercorn, strawberry, mushroom and tart cherry. 

• Lafond Winery & Vineyards Santa Rita Hills 2017 ($27), with “allspice, clove, dark cherry, raspberry and mushroom [along with] pomegranate, red currant and stewed strawberry,” says winemaker Bruce McGuire. Try it with seared salmon, grilled eggplant or dishes with mushroom sauce.

• The Hilt Estate Pinot Noir 2018 ($45), made by winemaker Matt Dees using grapes located on one of the largest formations of diatomaceous earth; structured, earthy and nuanced, it’s harmonious and elegant and expresses vineyard, varietal and vintage.

Alsace

There is no longer a single style of pinot noir in this French region, according to Thomas Schlumberger, CEO and winemaker at Domaines Schlumberger, though most of the time wines display a similar aromatic character with dominant fruits like cherry, blueberry, blackberry and blackcurrant and a soft floral note. “It is an easy-going wine and can reach an intense concentration, [yet] is very elegant and not over-extracted or too powerful.” Earthiness can be pronounced, especially if the grapes are grown on limestone soils. “Alsace pinot isn’t for cab drinkers,” says winemaker Jean-Frederic Hugel of Famille Hugel. “[It’s] for those who understand a bigger wine isn’t necessarily a better wine.” Initial fruitiness in their youth can turn to earthiness after three to five years of aging, allowing for an intriguing evolution.

• Domaine Schlumberger Les Princes Abbes Pinot Noir 2017 ($19), with blueberry, blackberry and a hint of rose on the nose, bright and fresh flavors in line with the aromas, a slightly astringent mouthfeel and a delicate, elegant, freshy and lengthy finish.

• Domaine Pfister Pinot Noir 2017 ($30), “aged in stainless steel, an exuberant and supple wine that’s easy to pair with charcuteries and BBQ,” says owner and winemaker Mélanie Pfister.  

• Domaine Emile Beyer Lieu-Dit Sundel Pinot Noir 2018 ($45): “Delicate strawberry, raspberry and red cherry notes on the nose, fine power and juicy fruit with well-blended tannins and a long salty acidity,” according to winemaker Christian Beyer Pair it with venison, rib steak or veal tenderloin with chanterelles.