If you didn’t already know, we hold a weekly wine class at Perspective Cellars on Thursdays at 7pm. This class is geared towards folks who work in the wine industry and is chalk full of history, details, debates, and of course, wine tasting. Last week, on August 22nd, we focused on the Pinot Noir grape. Having just returned from a research trip to Oregon, this was a no-brainer. We enjoyed wines from Burgundy, Texas, California and Oregon. Here you’ll find some of our notes from the class…
Pinot Noir is one of the oldest grapes in the world, dating back to Roman times. It’s nearly 1,000 years older than the well-loved Cabernet Sauvignon. Wine making goes back to 1 A.D. in France, and Pinot Noir was one of the first grapes used. It was the Catholic monks in the Middle Ages who really started planting vineyards and perfecting wine making methods. The grapes were cultivated for wines used by the church and the aristocratic Dukes of the region. The French Revolution gave the lands back to the people. Most of the vineyards are still owned by the original families and have become smaller and smaller parcels as the family tree branches. You’ll find Burgundy to be one of the areas most talked about when the discussion of terroir comes up.
Because of DNA testing, it is now understood that Pinot Grigio and Pinot Blanc are color mutations of Pinot Noir. Did you know? There is a white wine made from the Pinot Noir grape, where the juice from inside, which is white, is not left in contact with the purple skin, so you end up with a white wine. Beware, this is different than a Pinot Blanc – that mutated grape – and not all wine merchants know the difference.
The name Pinot Noir literally means Black Pine. The name comes from the dark color, and the fact that the clusters are tight and simulate a pine cone. The region we now know as Burgundy, France was once, 200 million years ago, part of a vast tropical sea. The soils left behind are limestone and clay with rich minerals, and this is the hallmark of Burgundian wine.
Where you find Pinot Noir growing, you’ll also find Chardonnay doing well. This could be because they are related. The nearly extinct Gouais Blanc is as old as Pinot Noir, the crossing of these two grapes gave us the delicious Chardonnay.
Pinot Noir yields flavors ranging from cherry and raspberry to mushroom and hibiscus with hints of vanilla. These wines will be medium bodied, with medium-low tannins and medium-high acidity. Wine makers often use whole cluster fermentation to increase the tannins of this grape. Serving Pinot Noir in a class to capture the aromas will increase the complexity of the wine.
Pinot Noir prefers cooler climates, and is grown most in France, then the US, with Germany close behind. In the US, the majority of the Pinot Noir is coming from California, with Oregon as a close second.
The Umpqua Valley of Oregon has 3,000 acres under vine, largely planted in Pinot Noir. Branborg is located within the Elkton Oregon AVA, in the south-central coast foothills. This area is cooler than many of the AVAs in the state, with a very long frost-free growing season. The long hang time allows for rich flavors to develop. Branborg focuses on Alsacian style wines and believes strongly in the French concept of terroir.
The Bichot family settled in Burgundy in 1350, and in 1831, the wine trading business took shape. The Alberic and his sons currently hold 6 estates spread north to south in Burgundy and they focus on the quality of their fruit harvests. This 2017 Vielles Vignes de Pinot Noir comes from vines ranging 25 to 30 years old, located in both the Cote de Beaune and Cote de Nuits.
The Alsace region consists of several small towns that, over centuries, have ocellated between French and German occupancy. The town of Ribeauville is quaint and one of my favorite places on earth. The Cave de Ribeauville is a single vineyard of 235 hectars with 8 Grand Crus. They practice sustainable farming and hand harvest the entire vineyard.
In Oregon, the main region for Pinot Noir is Willamette Valley, within which there are 7 different AVAs. Chehalem Mountains are in the hills to the southwest of Portland and you’ll find 1,600 acres under vine. These wineries are experiencing exponential growth due to their proximity to Portland. The wines from this region are rich with cherry, black tea and cinnamon. Ribbon Ridge is actually within the Chehalem Mountains, but because there is a different soil and weather. These grapes carry an intense rustic tone with cranberries, as many people associate with Oregon Pinot. The Dundee Hills make up 1,700 acres of vines. Some of the most popular wine makers in Oregon are in this region, including Domaine Serene, Archery Summit and Eyrie Vineyards. These grapes have flavors of raspberry and black tea. The Yamhill-Carlton region houses 1,200 acres of vines and is located in the low rolling hills of the southwest Ribbon Ridge. It stays hotter later in the afternoon and the flavors are rich in black cherries. These wineries are spread out with miles in between and my favorite in the area is Anne Amie. The quaint city of McMinnville is home to 600 acres of wine grape vines and the steep slope of the land lends a rustic pine and herb note with rich plum fruits. Eola-Amity Hills, with just over 1,300 acres, spans the low set hills just outside of the capital of Salem. These grapes also exude a rich plum flavor, mixed with spices reminiscent of India. The rest of this region falls within the Willamette Valley AVA, which has 10,000 acres. Any wine which has grapes from more than one of these regions will be named Willamette.
Cristom Willamette Vellay Mt. Jefferson Cuvee 2017 Pinot Noir is the fruition of a vision that began with a family in 1992 and now is overseen by the second generation of wine enthusiasts. Located within the Eola Hills, this estate is home to 8 distinct plots to provide a variation of conditions depending on the grapes planted.
MonksGate Vineyard was planted by a husband and wife who start in 1998 with 52 Cabernet Sauvignon ‘hobby’ vines. The dream quickly grew and they released their first commercial wines in 2003. Now with 50 acres fully planted in 2007, the property is in Yamhill, Oregon, just outside of Carlton, in the northwest area of the Willamette region.
Domaine Drouhin Oregon was established in 1987 with the Roserock wines in Eola Amity Hills in Willamette Valley. The ancient volcanic soils, elevation and unique cooling effect of the valley produce classic cool-climate French varietals. This winery is located in the newly allocated Van Duzer Corridor AVA in southwestern Willamette.
Of note, some guests brought wine to share and two favorites were the Texas Bar Z Pinot Noir and the California Belle Glos. While we don’t currently carry a Pinot Noir flight at the shop, our research during this class has laid out some great options and you just may see something in the near future!
Cheers! – Amie