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| Pinots from Heaven |
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Reported by Anthony Hillman On a chilly fall evening, with an election debate programmed on TV, there was a great turn-out for the Pinot tasting led by Robert White. Perhaps not surprisingly, we started the evening with a crisp and refreshing Blanc de Noirs (white wine from black grapes). This had some apple, yeasty (fresh bread), and woody notes and a long finish. The surprise came with the origin, and this became somewhat of a theme for the evening—our inability to get the “old world or new world?” question right! While many of us thought this sparkling wine was Champagne, this Pinot Noir came from Chile. In our defence, Robert explained the Torres Brut Reserva comes from vines on their original rootstock, as Chile has never suffered from the phylloxera aphid, and is claimed to be made in a style distinctive of 18th and 19th century European vineyards. At $26.95, all agreed this was excellent value. We then moved on to the main part of the tasting. Robert explained there would be a flight of whites followed by three flights of reds, each red from a different country. The first flight were all Pinot Gris. None showed signs of the slight pinkish hue which can be characteristic if there is some skin contact during vinification. The first wine was crisp, had some floral notes, and white peach and pineapple on the palate. The Adelsheim came from Willamette Valley, Oregon. The second wine had some gooseberry and nettles on the nose, rather like a Sauvignon Blanc, and was lower on acid than the first wine, displaying a little sweetness. Most thought the balance was good. This wine was an Omaka Springs from New Zealand. The third wine had the deepest colour, showing some floral and peach/apricot on the nose and a rich fruity palate, higher acidity than the second wine, and a lengthy finish. The G. Zeyssolf Reserve Particuliere lived up to its “noble” designation in Alsace, made in the rich and luscious style. The vote on the first flight was pretty evenly split between all three wines. Sometimes referred to as “the heartbreak grape”, Pinot Noir is difficult to grow and to vinify. Robert explained that Pinot Noir is prone to mutation, and it’s not unheard of for a vine to grow an offshoot after a few years bearing white grapes. The Pinot family vines (Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Meunier) are genetically unstable and tend to adapt themselves to local conditions. The first red flight was “old world”, but for many of us, I suspect, “new experience” in terms of Pinot Noir country of origin. We started with a Rheingau Spatburgunder, from a latitude of about 50º, displaying a little of the characteristic barnyard aroma, juicy sour cherry/cranberry on the palate, and a moderate to good length. The Leth, from Austria, showed some earthy candied cherry aromas, with some tart strawberry taste, also with good acidity, and a spicy finish. The last wine in this flight was the Cave St-Pierre from Switzerland. This had some sweet cherry on the nose, a good fruit/acid balance, and medium to long finish. Robert explained that Pinot Noir is by far the most planted red grape in Switzerland, but the wine is rarely exported and most is consumed locally. The Austrian wine was the favourite of the flight. Italy provided the first wine of the second flight, a San Pietro Pinot Nero. This showed some cherry and smoke aromas, with a juicy sour cherry palate, and medium tannins. This was balanced with a long finish. The New Zealand Tuatara Bay had an earthy cherry nose, with a little barnyard, and some raspberry, vanilla, toast, and nuttiness on the palate. Australia was represented by a Brokenwood from North East Victoria made with three Pinot Noir clones. This was a darker colour than other reds sampled so far, with some blackcurrant, cinnamon, and wood on the nose, medium plus tannins, and a medium to long finish. This wine was more extracted, particular in flavours, than the other wines. Overall this wine was a close winner of the flight, as an interesting well-made wine which still needs some time to knit together. The final flight of the evening kicked off with a Flat Rock Cellars flagship Gravity Pinot Noir, named after the gravity-flow method used at the winery as a gentler process to preserve delicate grapes’ aromatics. This showed some cherry, earthiness, smoke, leather, and cedar on the nose, some tart strawberry and good balance on the palate, with medium tannins, and quite a pleasant finish. The second wine was a Miguel Torres from Spain, though most thought it was “new world”, with some cherry and vanilla aromas, a smokey oaky palate with mature red fruit, a very pleasant spiciness, well balanced with a silky texture. Last but not least came the Corton-Marechaudes Cote de Beaune. This displayed notes of candied cherry and all-spice, with some strawberry on the palate and good balance—and great value for a Grand Cru at under $50. Spain and Burgundy tied the vote for this flight. Robert received a hearty round of applause for assembling and presenting a most interesting selection of Pinots, showing that a globally diverse “Pinot Heaven” exists for some good affordable wines. The wines
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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 15 November 2008 ) |
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 The National Capital Sommelier Guild strongly supports moderate and responsible consumption of wine and spirits. Guild dinner events allow a designated driver to attend at a reduced price. The designated driver will not be served alcohol. Guild tasting events provide and encourage the use of spit buckets. |
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