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WT101 - Pinot vs. Pinot
Now that the phrase "give me a glass of Pinot Noir" has pretty much replaced the generic "glass of red wine" among those who are with-it or want to be, the noble grape of Burgundy has surely come into its ascendancy, and justly so. In contrast with some of the past wine-grape crazes (who still asks for Merlot or even Chardonnay by name?), Pinot Noir arguably makes some of the world's greatest wines, and most of us didn't need the movie "Sideways" to persuade us of this. But which Pinot Noir is your pleasure?
As recently as the 1980s, the conventional wisdom seemed clear-cut: Producers around the world would love to grow Pinot Noir, but that strange, finicky grape just wouldn't work anywhere but Burgundy. Only a few wild-eyed pioneers, like Josh Jensen (Calera Wine Co.) in California, even tried to make serious Pinot Noir outside of France. But times change quickly, and a generation later, even if Burgundy still reigns at the top of the heap - and even if some ardent Burg-philes still won't consider anything else - the New World is competitive. Pinot Noir is being grown seriously in just about every wine region; and quite a few places - most notably Oregon, several California wine regions and New Zealand - can credibly claim to make wines that can beat out many Burgundies in fact-to-face matches on any given day. But bearing in mind that wines reflect not only the fruit but the land and the wine maker's hand, it's important to understand that all Pinot does not taste alike; nor should it. It would be a boring world if all Pinot Noirs were just the same, no matter how much the mega-corporate segment of the wine industry, and perhaps some wine critics, might like that. Throughout February in our ongoing Wine Tasting 101 feature on WineLoversPage.com, we're taking on "Pinot vs. Pinot," a monthlong inquiry into Pinot Noir, seeking to learn more about the differences among Pinots from all over the world by tasting them and talking about them online. To kick things off, I've selected two modestly priced Pinot Noirs, one from Burgundy and one from Santa Barbara, the California region that was the setting for "Sideways." Tasted "blind" against each other, with a Pinot-friendly dish of pork loin braised with porcini mushrooms, they proved to be such clear-cut "benchmarks" for the Old World and New World Pinot styles that it was no work of wine-tasting genius to tell them apart ... as the following tasting reports reveal, even the differences in the wines' color and hue gave away the answer. Both wines were good, and I'm reluctant to declare one or the other objectively "better," but the style differences between the delicate, earthy Burgundy and the ripe, fruit-forward and alcoholic California Pinot were so marked that it's not likely that a fan of one would care much for the other. You pay your money and take your choice.
This is a clear cherry-color wine, not too dark. Comparing it to the much darker wine in the other unmarked glass gives the first signal that this is probably the Burgundy before I even stick my nose in either glass. Light and delicate red-fruit aromas reinforce my impression that this is the French wine, and fresh and crisp but relatively delicate flavors with just a hint of earthy "barnyard" nail down the impression. Simple and pleasant, it's no high-end, cellar-worthy Burgundy but a very good benchmark of the style for a mid-teens price, and a fine food wine. After an hour in the glass it dries up a bit and shows more obvious tannins. U.S. importer: Kobrand Corp., NYC. (Jan. 27, 2006) WINERY WEBSITE: http://www.louisjadot.com/
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Just as the Burgundy hinted at its origins with a classic light Pinot color in the glass, this big boy typifies Central Coast Pinot with its dark, almost opaque reddish-purple color. Ditto for its aroma and flavor profile, which are big and burly, fruit-forward black fruit and spice on the nose, mouth-filling and plummy on the palate, with a hefty 14.2 percent alcohol level manifest in both its body and a sense of heat. It's on the simple side too, commensurate with its mid-teens price; it's as good a "benchmark" of the Central Coast Pinot style as the Jadot is of the French. (Jan. 27, 2006) WINERY WEBSITE: http://www.shark.com/gnestates/
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TALK ABOUT WINE ONLINE: If you prefer to comment privately, feel free to send me E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com. I'll respond personally to the extent that time and volume permit.
PRINT OUT TODAY'S ARTICLE  The California Wine Club: Great wines and great value! Great wines and great value found with The California Wine Club! Since 1990 The California Wine Club has worked directly with California's smaller winemaking families. This type of winery-direct business translates to better wine selections and bigger savings. In addition to receiving award-winning, limited-production wines delivered conveniently to your door, you can save 30 to 70 percent on case reorders. Take a look at a few of this month's greatest values, each one available for just $10.50:
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Seven Sinners 2002 "Incahoots" Paso Robles Syrah ($10.50)
I had the recent pleasure of tasting this excellent Central Coast Syrah from The California Wine Club's current sale. Its inky blackish-purple color underscores its bold character. Ripe aromas are characteristic of Syrah, black fruit and a hint of licorice. Mouth-filling flavors follow the nose, juicy fruit, a dash of black pepper, and mouth-watering acidity to pull it all together. Clean, balanced and long, it's a fine Syrah. If you're looking for a hearty red to purchase by the case as your "house" wine, it's a remarkable value at this sale price. This week on WineLoversPage.com Some highlights of recent articles on WineLoversPage.com that I hope you'll enjoy:
• Julia on Wine: Reports from Austria
• Amazon.com Wine Bookshelf: An Evening with Franklin and Jefferson
• Hot topics in our WineLovers' Community Manipulating wine: How much is too much? Last Week's Wine Advisor Index The Wine Advisor's daily edition is usually distributed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (and, for those who subscribe, the FoodLetter on Thursdays). Here's the index to last week's columns:
• An Evening with Franklin and Jefferson (Jan. 27, 2006)
• Feudi Falanghina (Jan. 25, 2006)
• Man bites dog, eats cheese and wine (Jan. 23, 2006)
• Complete 30 Second Wine Advisor archive:
• Wine Advisor FoodLetter: Cod - Eat it, read about it (Jan. 26, 2006)
• Wine Advisor Foodletter archive:
SUBSCRIBE: Administrivia To subscribe or unsubscribe from The 30 Second Wine Advisor, change your E-mail address, or for any other administrative matters, please use the individualized hotlink found at the end of your E-mail edition. If this is not practical, contact me by E-mail at wine@wineloverspage.com, including the exact E-mail address that you used when you subscribed, so I can find your record. We do not use our E-mail list for any other purpose and will never give or sell your name or E-mail address to anyone. I welcome feedback, suggestions, and ideas for future columns. To contact me, please send E-mail to wine@wineloverspage.com All the wine-tasting reports posted here are consumer-oriented. In order to maintain objectivity and avoid conflicts of interest, I purchase all the wines I rate at my own expense in retail stores and accept no samples, gifts or other gratuities from the wine industry.
Monday, Jan. 30, 2006
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Louis Jadot 2002 Pinot Noir Bourgogne ($15.99)
Greg Norman 2004 Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir ($14.99)
