About Pinot Noir Red Wine

About Pinot Noir Red Wine
Pinot Noir is one of the world’s most fascinating red varieties. While many red grapes produces wines of power and youthful intensity, a wine made from Pinot Noir is often more refined with higher acidity and lower levels of tannins. The spiritual home for Pinot Noir is Burgundy, where it is produced in many styles, from very light to examples that can age for two to three decades.

Pinot Noirs tend to have aromas and flavors red cherry fruit, while some offer notes of wild strawberry, plum or even floral notes such as carnation and red roses. As tannins in Pinot Noir are not as pronounced as in a grape such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Nebbiolo, most Pinot Noirs can be enjoyed upon release, which is usually two to three years after the vintage.

Burgundy works extremely well for Pinot Noir, as it is a cool climate; a warm or hot climate would not bring out the perfumes of the variety. Thus growers in several countries have planted Pinot Noir in their coolest regions, looking to emulate Burgundy. These include the Willamette Valley in Oregon; Russian River Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Sta. Rita Hills in California (among others); Central Otago in New Zealand; Casablanca and San Antonio Valleys in Chile and the Rheinhessen, Pfalz and Baden in Germany (where the grape is known as Spatburgunder). The concept of terroir – a wine is the producet of its specific environment – is most often associated with Pinot Noir.

Pinot Noirs tend to pair well with poultry (duck a l’orange is a classic match), game birds and even certain types of seafoods (as tannins are low), such as salmon, tuna and halibut.

Top Picks for Pinot Noir

Boitano Cellars 2019 828 Clone Pinot Noir
95 points
$75
Lush and fruity with some spicy accents that make this a seriously delicious food friendly wine.
Gracianna 2019 Bacigalupi Vineyard Pinot Noir
95 points
$54
A singing Russian River Valley Pinot Noir with a dark side; rich, mysterious, savory but all-the-while purely fruity and instantly appealing.
Awards: 2022 Best Pinot Noir
Le Chemin Du Roi NV  Champagne
94 points
$299
A rich and powerfully delicious Rose Champagne that hits all the high notes.
Le Chemin Du Roi NV Brut Rosé Champagne
94 points
$299
A rich and powerfully delicious Rose Champagne that hits all the high notes.
Awards: 2022 Best Champagne Brut Rose
River Road 2018 Stephanies Cuvee Pinot Noir
94 points
$29
A rich, balanced and appealing Pinot Noir that lives and breathes Russian River style.
McIlroy 2019 Vines & Roses Vineyard Pinot Noir
94 points
$40
A broad and balanced Pinot Noir with ample fruit and deep savory, spicy notes in support.
Awards: 2021 Best Pinot Noir
Copain 2019 SeaLift Pinot Noir
93 points
Think crisp and crunchy red berries with barrel spice finesse and bright acidity; a beautiful dinner pairing this evening that should gain complexity in the cellar.
McIlroy 2021 Three Vineyard Blend Pinot Noir
93 points
$42
A dialed in and delicious demonstration of why Russian River Pinot Noir is a global standard.
Duck Hunter 2019  Pinot Noir
93 points
$29
A savory, finely balanced Pinot Noir well suited for sipping at the bar or seated at the dinner table.
Love, Oregon 2020  Pinot Noir
93 points
$35
A rich and dynamic Pinot Noir showing good fruit underneath the surface with some seriously good wine making technique on display.