
Pinot Noir
Learn about Pinot Noir — taste profile, popular regions and more ...
One of the most finicky yet rewarding grapes to grow, Pinot Noir is a labor of love for many. However, the greatest red wines of Burgundy prove that it is unquestionably worth the effort. In fact, it is the only red variety permitted in Burgundy. Highly reflective of its terroir, Pinot Noir prefers calcareous soils and a cool climate, requires low yields to achieve high quality and demands a lot of attention in the vineyard and winery. It retains even more glory as an important component of Champagne as well as on its own in France’s Loire Valley and Alsace regions. This sensational grape enjoys immense international success, most notably growing in Oregon, California and New Zealand with smaller amounts in Chile, Germany (as Spätburgunder) and Italy (as Pinot Nero).
Tasting Notes for Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is a dry red wine, typically diominated by red fruit—strawberry, raspberry and cherry with some heftier styles showing black plum and more delicate styles of Pinot giving citrus qualities. It is relatively pale in color with soft tannins and a lively acidity. With age Pinot Noir can develop hauntingly alluring characteristics of fresh earth, savory spice and dried fruit.
Perfect Food Pairings for Pinot Noir
Pinot’s healthy acidity cuts through the oiliness of salmon or texture of tuna but its mild mannered tannins give it enough structure to pair with all sorts of poultry: chicken, quail and especially duck. As the namesake wine of Boeuf Bourguignon, Pinot Noir has proven it isn’t afraid of beef. California examples work splendidly well with barbecue and Pinot Noir is also vegetarian-friendly—most notably with any dish that features mushrooms.
Sommelier Secrets for Pinot Noir
For administrative purposes, the region of Beaujolais is often included in Burgundy. But it is extremely different in terms of topography, soil and climate, and the important red grape here is ultimately Gamay, not Pinot Noir. Truth be told, there is a tiny amount of Gamay sprinkled around the outlying parts of Burgundy (mainly in Maconnais) but it isn’t allowed with any great significance and certainly not in any Village or Cru level wines. So "red Burgundy" still necessarily refers to Pinot noir.
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Meiomi Pinot Noir 2019Pinot Noir from California
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Belle Glos Clark and Telephone Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018Pinot Noir from Santa Maria Valley, Central Coast, California
- WE
- WW
- WS
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Hahn SLH Pinot Noir 2018Pinot Noir from Santa Lucia Highlands, Monterey, Central Coast, California
- TP
- WE
- D
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Maggy Hawk Jolie Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2017Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley, Mendocino, California
- WS
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Benton Lane Pinot Noir 2016Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon
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Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Pinot Noir 2019Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon
- WE
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La Crema Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2018Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon
- WS
- WE
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Hahn Monterey Pinot Noir 2018Pinot Noir from Monterey, Central Coast, California
- WW
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Lemelson Thea's Select Pinot Noir 2017Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon
- JS
- WS
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Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2018Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California
- JD
- WE
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Roserock by Drouhin Oregon Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir 2017Pinot Noir from Eola-Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon
- WE
- WW
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Smoking Loon Pinot Noir 2018Pinot Noir from Chile
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SeaGlass Pinot Noir 2018Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara, Central Coast, California
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Ponzi Tavola Pinot Noir 2018Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon
- JS
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Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir 2017Pinot Noir from Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon
- JS
- RP
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DeLoach Heritage Reserve Pinot Noir 2019Pinot Noir from California
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Domaine Drouhin Oregon Laurene Pinot Noir 2017Pinot Noir from Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon
- JS
- RP
- WE
- WS
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Chloe Monterey County Pinot Noir 2018Pinot Noir from Monterey, Central Coast, California
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Cloudline Pinot Noir 2019Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon
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Adelsheim Pinot Noir 2019Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley, Oregon
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Bouchard Pere & Fils Gevrey-Chambertin 2018Pinot Noir from Gevrey-Chambertin, Cote de Nuits, Cote d'Or, Burgundy, France
- V
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Golden West Pinot Noir 2018Pinot Noir from Columbia Valley, Washington
- JS
- JD
- RP
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Bouchard Pere & Fils Reserve Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2018Pinot Noir from Burgundy, France
- WW
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EnRoute Winery Les Pommiers Pinot Noir 2018Pinot Noir from Russian River, Sonoma County, California
- WS
- WW
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Albert Bichot Fixin Clos de la Perriere Premier Cru Monopole 2018Pinot Noir from Fixin, Cote de Nuits, Cote d'Or, Burgundy, France
- D
- WE
- BH
- JS