Pinot Noir: Old World/New World Wine Styles

This blog is based on the Spirits of New Mexico radio show that aired on July 31, 2021. We do on-air tasting of one or two wines to illustrate what is available in a particular wine region, or as a contrast of what influence a wine region has on a grape or blend. We also contrast wine styles as in the current blog. We use suitable glasses for the type of wine and do a double-decant of red wines to insure they have opened sufficiently for accurate judging.

Last week we contrasted a New World and Old World Chardonnay wines to compare styles. One of the reasons I like to do this is because many wine drinkers are only familiar with one style and when they taste wine using the same grape, but with different terroir and winemaking styles they often don’t appreciate them as much. Old world styles are often in sharp contrast with the higher alcohol, more ripe versions in the new world. In fact, someone used to old world wines will complain about the higher alcohol and ripeness; so it works both ways.

History of Pinot Noir

The most likely origin of this classic grape is Burgundy. Many clones of Burgundian cuttings have been imported around the world. Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc all possess the same DNA and are mutations of each other. France has the largest vineyard acreage devoted to Pinot Noir, followed by the US and Germany.

• Moldova between Ukraine and Romania close to the Black Sea is an up-and-coming wine region worth exploring. Italy, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland and Chile round out major growers
• Burgundy style is lower in alcohol, 12.5 to 13.5% on average, with less extraction, medium weight, less tannin and judicious use of French/European oak.
• California style is usually over 14% to 14.5%, more extraction, heavier body, more tannin, deeper color and various oaks including American oak.
• France and California are the leading producers of old world/new world styles.

Single vineyard or subregion versus multi-source

Many Pinot Noir producers market a wine from a single vineyard, but may create a number of different single-vineyard wines. They also often blend one or more Pinots from multiple sources and might have a flagship wine that has the best grapes of multiple lots. Those with a passion for this grape love to try different clones in a vineyard or across several vineyards. Those vineyards might be in one subregion, but can also span more than one.

Every winemaker that respects terroir in the crafting of their wines understands this. They know that wines true to their terroir, that are not manipulated to please general taste preferences, that allow the wine to assert itself with minimum interference, realize they are placing us in their vineyards, their part of the world to experience that which is unique and evocative in their wine.

There are two styles of Pinot Noir in California, broadly speaking; Burgundian style and California style. However, a true contrast comes from tasting an actual Burgundy wine as the soil and growing conditions in France yield different results.

California Pinot Noir

Last week we covered California Chardonnay subregions. It will probably come as no surprise that many are the same subregions for Pinot Noir as they are nearly always grown together around the world.

Anderson Valley AVA, Mendocino (1983)

Anderson Valley is considered one of the prime Pinot Noir regions in California, along with Chardonnay. Top quality sparkling wines are here as well as one would expect with its two prime grapes.

Brutocao Cellars               Cakebread Cellars            Goldeneye Winery (Duckhorn)
Handley Cellars                 Husch Vineyards              Navarro Vineyards

Carneros Sonoma-Napa (1983)

Los Carneros stretches across the southernmost band of Napa and Sonoma Wine Country. This windswept AVA includes some of Napa’s coolest microclimates — thanks to its proximity to San Pablo Bay, but it’s moderate for Sonoma, whose coolest stretches are further north and more coastal. 89 wineries are listed in the American Winery Guide.

On both sides of the county line, the premium wines are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. One gets a sense of the terroir by tasting wine from some of the oldest vines in the region. Carneros Pinot Noir tends to be a little spicier and earthier than the more fruit-forward expressions from the Russian River Valley.

Saintsbury Winery           Artesa                   Etude Wines      Bouchaine           Domaine Carneros:

I love the Bouchaine website. The tech sheet covering their Pommard clone Pinot Noir had this description:

Pommard Clone: I hear my sister (Dijon Clone) is already telling lies. Yes, it’s true. I’m juicy. I’m succulent. Heck, I’m even bigger and bolder than some of my Cabernet friends here in Napa. But does that make me a villain? Dijon Clone is just a spicy diva, jealous of the flirtatious relationship I’ve already created with wine drinkers. Yes, you and I both know who you’re leaving with.

Central Coast

The Central Coast covers over 300 miles of coastline from San Francisco to Santa Barbara and includes several American Viticultural Areas (AVAs).

Santa Cruz Mountains AVA (1981)

The mountains to the west of Silicon Valley were originally planted with vines by French immigrants in the early 1900s. The upper slopes and western side are known for Pinot Noir. In fact there are 5 subregions that are defined by the characteristics of the Pinot Noir wines.

• Cinnabar Winery: Winemaker George Troquato has been with Cinnabar for nearly 30 years.
• Mount Eden Vineyards founded in 1945, a founding winery by Martin Ray.
• Thomas Fogarty Winery and Vineyards This Woodside estate offers an all-Pinot Noir flight, tasting wines from five different parcels of its vineyard.
• Muns Vineyard: Sited at 2600 feet, the highest SCM vineyard. Enjoyed wine tasting with Mary Lindsay who is also President of the Viticulture Assn. of the Santa Cruz Mountains.

Monterey County AVA (1984)

Monterey County is quite broad with many subregion AVAs. Some are known for their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir based on location as a cool-climate area. These include Arroyo Seco, Chalone and SLH.

Santa Lucia Highlands (1990): Probably the most well-known subregion, producing excellent Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. The Blue Grand Canyon^tm provides a cool sink of deep water to moderate and extend the growing season.

San Luis Obispo (1982-87)

Edna Valley and Arroyo Grande Valley are the 2 AVAs in SLO that produce outstanding, rich Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines. We sampled two elegant Pinot Noirs from Tolosa Vineyards; the 2015 Hollister Pinot Noir and Primera, their flagship blend of the best lots of several of their vineyards. The SLO Coast of Morro Bay is the third pending AVA.

Santa Maria Valley: Home to the California’s largest connected vineyard, Bien Nacido, which has 900 acres in Santa Maria Valley. The region is more intermediate in terms of climate and is hailed for its lush styles of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah.

• Au Bon Climat: Jim Clendenen one of the first here to make great Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
• Fess Parker Winery & Vineyards: Fess purchased 714 acre Foxen Canyon Ranch in 1988, which evolved into a winery known for their Rhone and Burgundian wines.
• Foxen Vineyards Winery: Founded in 1985 and offer several Pinots
• Ojai Vineyard; they create wines with a European finesse and offer 23 Pinots currently.

Santa Rita Hills (2001)

The Sta. Rita Hills AVA is home to over 59 vineyards, totaling 2,700 acres planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and 18 other cool climate wine grape varieties. The hills are part of the sea bed 20 million years ago that the North American and Pacific plates pushed up and formed and then turned clockwise over the next 12 million years, give or take a million.

• Most clearly delineated transverse range, from Alaska to Chile, on Pacific Coast
• East/West maritime throat, poor marine-based soils with elevated calcium
• Pacific’s cooling through fog, wind and moderating summer heat
• Cooler than RRV & Carneros, 35 to 40 days longer growing season
• Most planting in last two decades with newly available cultivars (clones) of Pinot Noir

Sonoma County

Once again we return to Sonoma County, for our Pinot Noir this time, but in a different subregion than our Chardonnay last week. There are 17 sub-regions in Sonoma County of which six feature Pinot Noir. There are over 70,000 acres of vines under cultivation. Sonoma County is the broadest definition for wines not defined by one of the wine regions. Our focus is on those AVAs making prime Pinot Noir.

• Sonoma coast (1987) is the largest wine region covering the entire coast. We sourced are Chardonnay from here last week. 4725 acres and 7 wineries.
• Fort Ross/Seaview (2012) is a subregion within Sonoma coast. The vineyards within this area are generally located on rounded ridges with summits extending above 1,200 feet on steep, mountainous terrain. 555 acres and 5 wineries.
• Green Mountain (1983): Foggy and filled with goldridge soil for growing perfect Pinot Noir, Green Valley is one of the smallest appellations in Sonoma County. It’s very tightly delineated, both geographically and climatically, and is the most consistent of any North Coast appellation in terms of soil, climate and flavor. 2860 acres and 10 wineries.
• Petaluma Gap (2017) The Petaluma Gap is the gateway to Sonoma County wine country and occupies its southern border. Only 25 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, Petaluma Gap vineyards are tucked into valleys and scattered on hillsides of the area’s rural open space. There are more than 80 vineyards covering over 4,000 acres and 9 wineries.
• Carneros (1983) is the only AVA that spans Sonoma and Napa counties, but is influenced by San Pablo Bay, not directly from the Pacific. 6481 acres and 22 wineries.
• Russian River Valley (1983) spans Santa Rosa and Healdsburg and encompasses the Green Valley 13,896 acres and 94 wineries.

Russian River Valley (1983)

Russian River Valley accounts for about 1/6 of total plantings in Sonoma. There are close to 14,000 vineyard acres and 94 wineries that call this subregion home. Principal grapes include Chardonnay and Pinot Noir because of the oceanic influences, bringing fog and cooler weather to much of the subregion, but fine Zinfandel and Cab Sauvignon are also in evidence.

The Russian River is the second largest after Sacramento River in northern California. It drains nearly 1500 sq miles, discharging 1.6 million acre feet in its southern flow from the Laughlin Range in Mendocino through Sonoma and heading west around Healdsburg out to the Pacific. By any estimation it is a mighty river that greatly influences not just the RRV, but also the entire length of Alexander Valley that it flows through.

That influence is an evening coastal fog that sweeps in from the Pacific and cools the valley with temperatures dropping 35 to 40 degrees from the daytime high and extending the growing season for perfect ripening of grapes.

River Road is the main feed for many of the wineries and connects highway 101 with highway 1. It joins the river at Mirabel Park and Burk’s Canoe landing before crossing north a mile later where it is joined by Westside Road and follows the same sinuous path as the river to the Pacific. You often see canoes and rafts going down the river at several points down River Road. It is joined by highway 116 coming from the south at Guerneville after a major river crossing. The headlands at the Pacific are breathtaking.

Some of the more famous wineries in the RRV are:

• Davis Bynum where we first fell in love with RRV Pinot Noir, now owned by Rodney Strong
• Ferrari Carano has the best Sauvignon Blanc for the money, very Fumé
• Hartford Family Winery, did a tasting in Santa Fe and was very impressed with their Pinots
• Hop Kiln Winery was purchased by Landmark Vineyards consortium, but was always a fun stop
• Rochioli does elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and next door to Hop Kiln
• Korbel Champagne Cellars located right on River Road, delightful place to stop
• La Crema some of RRV’s richest tasting Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
• Rodney Strong Vineyards, big winery, lots of value-based wines
• Sonoma-Cutrer Vineyards, now celebrating 40 years, about as long as I’ve been drinking them
• Twomey Cellars from Silver Oaks founders, impressive Pinots including single vineyard versions in Green Mountain, SLH and Dundee Hills. Obviously a passion for Pinot
• William Seylem Winery, they make very exclusive Pinot Noir

Westside/Eastside

There are two major roads in the heart of RRV; the Westside Road begins at Healdsburg to the west of the river as it flows south. The Eastside Road comes off the Old Redwood highway at Rodney Strong Winery on the east side of Russian River and then south of it before connecting with River Road. Westside Road continues west on the north side of the river, connecting at Forest Hills. This creates what are known as the Westside Wineries and the Eastside Wineries.

What we are tasting: River Road Pinot Noir Russian River, 2018 Reserve, 14.3% ABV, $23.99 at Total Wine

River Road is well named and a very popular road that connects much of the Russian River Valley. River Road produces several Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines for Total Wines.

Winery tasting notes: Our Pinot Noir exhibits loads of elegance, with sweet cherry and plum flavors. It is perfectly balanced, with its refined fruit and soft tannins that create a seductive, silky smooth wine.

France: Red Burgundy

The Burgundy region begins in the north with Chablis, further south it continues with the Cote d’Or, then Cote Chalonnaise, the Mâconnais and finally Beaujolais subregions. Cote is French for slope.

Côte d’Or means golden slopes which define the topography and the fact this is primo Chardonnay and Pinot Noir country. It is comprised of two regions that are both known for their iconic whites and reds.

• Côte de Nuits is the northernmost part of the Côte  D’or with more emphasis on Pinot Noir, but known for both grapes.
• Côte de Beaune is the southern part of the Côte  D’or with more focus on Chardonnay, but our wine to sample on-air is a red Burgundy from the Côte de Beaune so we will spotlight this region today.

Quality classifications

Burgundy, like Bordeaux defines premier and grand cru designations, but reverses them. It is important to understand that with few exceptions, it is the vineyard or climat that is rated grand or premier cru, not the winery or chateau. If the resulting wine is made 100% of grand cru it is a grand cru wine. If partially sourced from grand and premier cru it is a premier cru wine, but usually fruit is sourced from either premier or grand cru vineyards.

• Grand Cru (great growth) designates Burgundy’s top vineyard plots or climats of which there are 33 in the Côte d’Or, of which 60% are Pinot Noir-based wines.
• Premier Cru wines from Burgundy number 662. Many will list the village name and Premier Cru or 1er and optionally the climat. 22 climats added in Sept. 2020
• Villages identify quality wines with the commune or village listed on the wine. There are 40 village wines including Chablis, Pommard and St. Véran.

Côte de Beaune and Hautes-Côte de Beaune

The entire Côte de Beaune region is split into two parallel areas with the Hautes Côte de Beaune to the west at a higher elevation. Recall that terroir is a near-religious term to the French vigneron, which is someone that grows the grapes and makes the wine. All the chateaux here grow their grapes and make and bottle the wine on their premises to insure the best quality. There are 11 Grand Cru vineyards or climats within this region.

The city of Beaune lies near the heart of this region. The village of Meursault is 5 miles south, and Montrachet is right below it. These communes identify the most sought-after white Burgundies. Meursault is also home to the winery that produces our featured wine.

There are many significant communes within the Côte de Beaune, including many grand cru and premier cru climats. In the northern portion there are 6 Grand Cru climats.

Map courtesy Sylvain Pitiot & Jean-Charles Servant

Pommard makes some of the most tannic, juicy and full-bodied wines from the Cote d’Or and a popular style, with 27 premier cru climats.

Volnay wines are lighter, more elegant and graceful than most red Burgundies; with 26 premier cru climats.

Significant southern communes include the most famous white Burgundies and 5 Grand Cru climats.

Meursault, one of Burgundy’s most famous wines, has no Grand Crus, although there have been calls for Les Perrieres to be so designated. The Chardonnay wines are rich and buttery, from stirring of the lees (sur lie), not malolactic fermentation (MLF).

Montrachet is really two communes separated by Mont Rachaz; Puligny and Chassagne, enclosing one of the most famous vineyard sites in the world. Wines from the Chassagne side are called Le Montrachet and from the Puligny side, Montrachet.

Bourgogne Hautes-Côte de Beaune

I’m using this excellent website www.bourgogne-wines.com, for in-depth details of Burgundy wines. In this case, with information on the Hautes-Côte de Beaune.

Terroir

The vines of Bourgogne Hautes Côtes de Beaune grow on the south- and southeast-facing slopes of valleys cut into the limestone plateaus at between 290-485 meters above sea level, between 100-200 meters higher than the Côte de Beaune, which results in slightly later maturing and harvesting; on average about one week later. The soil is made up of formations laid down 80 million years ago during the Triassic (sandstone and clay) and the Jurassic (marl and limestone) eras. See that? They actually date their soil!

Aroma and palate

Red Bourgogne wines are garnet in color with hints of bright red. The nose offers aromas of blackcurrant and heady notes of rose, cherry, strawberry, and licorice, with touches of blueberry, iris, violet, pepper, and mint. In the mouth, it is fresh and fairly structured, marked by a minerality giving rise to crisp tannins and fruitiness, followed by a saline finish, underscored by aromas of cherry and licorice.

What we are tasting: Ropiteau Bourgogne Rouge Hautes-Cotes de Beaune 2017, $27.99 at Total Wine

This red Burgundy comes from a Meursault-based winery so much of their passion is for making great white Burgundy wines, both Montrachet and Meursault. They select many of their grapes from premier cru vineyards and some grand cru. However, that same passion fuels the red Burgundy wines they make as is the case with this wine. We sampled the 2014 vintage in January, 2019.

The Hautes-Côte refers to an appellation of 48 villages located at 300 to 400 meters, while the rest of the Côte de Beaune is at 250 to 350 meters. There are 1640 acres of red grapes of the 1983 acres total or almost 83%.

Winemaking process: the red wine is 100% Pinot Noir fermented in stainless steel tanks and 8 months barrel aging in French oak, primarily Allier forests.

Ropiteau produces 48 different wines under the Les Icônes label, 29 under the Les Classiques label which includes our sample wine and 10 under the Les autres terroirs label, or other terroir. In other words, this is a big Bourgogne producer.

Winemaker notes:

Color : Brillant, light ruby red.
Nose : Elegant, scents of alcohol-preserved fruits, cherries and sloe berries.
Palate : Well-structured with predominant cherry flavors. Fleshy and firm, this wine shows good acidity with some hints of rhubarb. ABV is stated at 11% to 14%, which means they aren’t telling us.

Analysis

Knowing it would be a lighter weight wine, I tried the Burgundy first. I’d guess the alcohol at around 12% to 12.5% with good tannin, crisp acidity, and a complex structure that kept evolving over the next two hours. The River Road Pinot was classic RRV, with lavender and bright cherry notes, darker fruit and a smooth, lush mouthfeel. Those not familiar with Burgundy wines will definitely prefer the RRV. I found some palate fatigue after a glass of the River Road, but could have gone on drinking the Burgundy for hours. My younger self would have preferred the RRV, but our palates do change over time and I admit I’m more in the Old World camp these days. What I hope you understand is the distinctive differences between these two styles. Both are wonderful, but depend on your palate.