Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
One of a small yet growing number of wines that prove outstanding pinot noir is a possibility in Tuscany. It flits between blueberries and incense and riper, more Italian aromas of bark and dried cedar. Full body and raw power are complemented by an overriding streak of forthright acidity and firm tannins. Drink from 2023.
While Pinot Noir is certainly not indigenous to Italy, it grows with intriguing success throughout the cooler, high-altitude regions of the north, occupying approximately 8,000 acres in total. Elegant, food-friendly, dry red wine examples of Pinot Noir (locally called Pinot Nero) can be found from Alto Adige, Friuli, Valle d’Aosta and the Oltrepo Pavese region of Lombardy. In Oltrepo Pavese, it is also sometimes blended with Barbera to good effect. Lombardy’s Franciacorta region grows Pinot Noir, along with Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc, to produce stunning examples of sparkling wine made using the traditional method, i.e. the same method used to make Champagne.