Pinot Noir

Description:

Pinot Noir is the seductress of grape varieties. This French mistress coolly caresses your palate with subtle fruit and oak characteristics making it a great combination with fowl, game dishes, or its classic partner duck. There is a lot of effort put into making Pinot Noir because it has to be treated with 'kid gloves'; so most producers are incredibly passionate about their work. It can even age gracefully. Pinot Noir flavours can range from red berries and cherries to earthy, gamy, vegetal aromas. New World versions tend towards the fruit driven end of spectrum, especially when young. Often considered the ultimate food wine.

Growing Regions:
This variety prefers cooler climates were it utilisers the slow ripening period and minimal rainfall to develop lots of complex flavours and does this throughout Australia - Tasmania, Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley, Adelaide Hills and also in California (USA), New Zealand's Central Otago or Martinborough also excel at the variety and not to be forgetting its origins in Burgundy in France. Pinot Noir is also found widely spread across the Champagne region where they use it without the skins for champagne. Pinot is very fussy about where it does well, relying on the climate, soil type and vineyard aspect much more than any other variety - red or white. This therefore, makes it a difficult wine to craft, into a silky texture - complex yet fruity feast for the senses.


Styles and Characteristics:
Pinot Noir juice as we already know is much prized by bubbly makers around the globe but apart from this it makes a stylistic Red Wine. Being highly labour intensive to produce, often makes it expensive. When made true to its varietal it has flavours of red berries, strawberries, cherries, plums, riper sweet fruits, gamy, barnyard, earth, spice, aniseed, cloves and a lush dark purple colour that finishes with a superb velvety tannin structure.

Food to enjoy with:
Can complement dishes from seafood to the richest game. Fish with character (not delicate white fish, but char-grilled tuna or salmon). Earthier examples team will with hearty mushroom ragouts and risottos; gamey flavours are ideal for game dishes, roast pheasant, venison stew, coq au vin. Ultimate match for this wine, duck. Peking, roast, duck daubes, and cold duck.