Great article (in French only) about Pinot Noir from Clos Vougeot in Burgundy, one of the kings of Pinot Noir. Thomas Jefferson went there to visit it in 1787
https://www.lefigaro.fr/style/les-pinots-noirs-du-clos-de-vougeot-20220724
The drink business top 12 Pinot Noir 2022
As a Pinot Noir lover, I could not pass The drink business’s ranking of top Pinot Noir 2022.
Enjoy!
Clos Vougeot cloud picture
Spending time in France was a great opportunity to go to Pinot Noir Mecca, the Clos Vougeot Castle, home to the “Confrérie du Tastevin” wine brotherhood. Since I am a member, I have been there many times but going there is always great. Weather and clouds were perfect for a beautiful picture of this magical place.
This time, I was having lunch at the castle, at “La table de Léonce”, the summer only lunch and wine offer at the Castle. This will be covered in a specific post.
Great Falstaff article on Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is one of the most important grape variety and very addictive. Falstaff.com gives a great overview of various growing region, starting with my home region of Burgundy.
https://www.falstaff.com/en/nd/why-the-world-loves-pinot-noir/
Happy New Year from I love pinot noir
Ilovepinotnoir.com wishes you a happy new year, great success, health and lot’s of wonderful pinot noir. We will continue to explore the wonderful World of Pinot noir from all over the World. 2020 was a year of no or little travel, but driking Pinot noir from another region or country is like taking a little trip through the bottle.
2020 was the birth of ilovepinotnoir.com, 2021 will introduce new features including more about growing regions, as well as the tasting notes for Pinot noir. To keep in touch, please register to the newsletter (on the left side) or follow our facebook or twitter. Once again, happy new year from ilovepinotnoir.com
La Paulée
Pinot noir should always be enjoyed in good company. Mixing white and red from Burgundy, Chardonnay and mostly Pinot noir. This pictures is a display of many of the top names of Burgundy wines, 1er Cru and Grand Cru.
La Paulée is a kind of Burgundy party, taking its name from the original Paulée de Meursault. Each guest must bring at least one bottle of his favorite Burgundy and share with friends. This makes great memories and great parties.
Record sales at Hospices de Beaune
The 2020 Hospices de Beaune wine sales was supposed to take place on 15th Nov 2020. It was postponed at the last minute to 13th December but did not disappoint.
This particular sales was really special due to CoVid pandemic. Most people expected the wine prices to get down a bit from the last years steep increase. In fact, prices remained very stable compared to last year, apart from the president’s barrel “La pièce des présidents” that went for 660.000 euros to an anonymous Chinese buyer represented by Maison Albert Bichot. Other bidders added 120.000 euros and 20.000 euros, making it a 780.000 euros donation for the French hospitals.
The total amount of the sale is €13,438,700. 630 barrels were on offer this year, comprising 50 different cuvées, 33 red and 17 white. The total number was 474 red wine barrels and 156 white wine barrels.
Oregon
North of California, Oregon has developed a great reputation for Pinot Noir. The growing area is centered around Willamette Valley, which is about 240 km long. It is about the same latitude as Burgundy and of about the same length as the Burgundy Coast wine area. Most famous wineries are located around Dundee, close to Portland. Several Burgundy winemakers have created or bought domains in Oregon, including Meo-Camuzet’s Nicolas-Jay.
Oregon Pinot noir tend to be smoother than Burgundy but highly sophisicated thanks to the cool climate of the area.
Pinot noir by another name
Pinot noir is the main name for our favorite grape, but it is sometimes translated into the local language, or designated by another name altogether. Here are a few names
- Savagnin Noir in the French Jura and French speaking Switzerland
- Although it’s often called Bourgogne Pinot noir, pinot noir from Burgundy maybe simply referred as Bourgogne
- Bourguignon in some part of France, though rarely used
- Blanc de Noir is the Champagne wine made from pinot noir grapes
- Pinot Nero or Pignola in Italy
- Spätburgunder in Germany, Blauburgunder in Germany, Austria and German speaking Switzerland
- Nagyburgundi in Hungary
- Modri Pinot in Slovakia
France
Apart from Burgundy, which is the main and most developed pinot noir area in France, this grape can also be found in other regions.
Alsace
Although Alsace is mostly known for its white wines, cool climate of the Rhine Valley is also favorable for pinot noir. Alsace pinot noir tend to be of lighter color and body.
Champagne
Champagne white sparkling wines are made either from Chardonnay (called Blanc de Blanc), or pinot noir (called Blanc de Noir). White wine from pinot noir is created by maceration of the grape juice only, without skins that will give the dark color.
South France
Pinot noir is also grown in the southern region of France, particularly in Languedoc, where it has been more recently brought, compared to centuries old tradition in Burgundy or Champagne.
Loire Valley
Pinot Noir is the red grape of the Centre-Loire, most famous in red Sancerre but also in Menetou-Salon and Châteaumeillant. These tend to be lighter wines than one often associates with this grape.