About champagne and sparkling wines, Pinot Noir, even experienced tasters speak with aspiration. The main secret lies in the subtle changeable taste and not bright, at first glance, aroma. But having tasted the intoxicating drink, you begin to understand that not everything is so simple. The aroma is revealed gradually, provoking to savor and enjoy the unusual harmony of taste. But the originality is especially striking: even two sips from one glass will feel different, not to mention tasting wine from several bottles.
Features of the variety
There are not many places on the planet where Pinot Noir is produced. The reason lies in the finicky of the plant, which gives a meager harvest. The vine, similar to a cone, is considered capricious, besides, the variety categorically does not tolerate mixing and is not suitable for blending.
Homeland and the best place for growing capricious berries is Burgundy. True, some historians claim that the drink from this grape was known to the ancient Romans, Phocians and Persians, but the French have documentary evidence where a direct mention of pinot noir is recorded. Outside of Burgundy, the famous wine is produced in the North of Italy, Germany, Austria, New Zealand, Chile and some other countries.
Characteristics of the drink
The thin skin of the berries gives less color and density, so even the most skilled winemakers get a translucent drink with a low content of coloring substances. Masters use a number of tricks to achieve at least a slight shade of liquid. These include:
- insistence on the pulp;
- pajamas;
- delegation;
- aging in oak barrels, etc.
It’s hard to describe the taste. In the young wine, notes of cherries and strawberries are felt, a more mature aroma intoxicates with the smell of autumn forest and wet earth. Berries and flowers return in the aftertaste. Pinot noir from New Zealand or Chile is slightly sweeter and delights connoisseurs with the aroma of jam, thick chocolate, vanilla, and sweets. But this is only a general description. The taste and organoleptic of a masterful drink depends on the country of origin, the region where the vine is grown, and many other factors.
How to drink
Sparkling wines and pinot noir champagne are usually combined with meat dishes. A good pair will be pork, veal, duck, rabbit, various sausages. When choosing dishes, you can focus on the transparency of the drink: the denser, the richer and more powerful the food should be.
It is recommended to choose Pinot Noir according to your mood. For example, for a leisurely conversation with a friend or a quiet evening in front of the fireplace, aristocratic Burgundy is ideal. Be prepared for flavor surprises from subtle berry to barnyard flavors. Prices are also not the same, but budget “Burgundians” can be disappointing.
Less elegant, but more understandable are the German Spatburgunder. German manufacturers offer, as always, a well-defined style along with excellent quality. Spätburgunder will be an ideal option for those who want to find their favorite bouquet and not go broke on tasting.
Italian wines from varieties grown in the Alto Arije region are sweeter, denser than Burgundy, but stricter than German ones. Local producers skillfully combined northern detachment and chill with bright southern temperament. Italian wine will appeal to lovers of aromas of cherries, blackberries, blueberries.
A drink from hot countries will help arrange a celebration of taste. Pinot noirs from New Zealand, California, Chile are among the favorites. Sweet aromas of fruits, vanilla, flowers quickly open up and leave an unforgettable aftertaste.
Connoisseurs single out American wines from Oregon in a separate category. Local producers have been able to adapt the French aristocracy and sophistication to the temperament and preferences of US residents. The main characteristics of the drink are freshness, richness of berry taste.
Complex nature
The uniqueness of Pinot Noir does not end with the above features. A big surprise for a drink with a difficult character was prepared in matters of storage. In general, wines from this variety are suitable for aging, but there is one catch. Pinot noir ages unevenly and is subject to so-called dump phases ̶ periods when the drink becomes worse. Moreover, it is practically impossible to guess the wrong time to open the bottle. Carefully stored alcohol can be “out of sorts” and taste unremarkable at best. But, if you open a bottle at a good time, the fireworks of aromas will not leave indifferent any taster.
