Pinot Noir

Unlike Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, the Pinot noir grape is a sensitive and temperamental grape that creates a wine that is both very nuanced and baffingly unpredictable. As such, the production of the best Pinot noir wines is managed by men and women who are much more akin to artisans than the businessmen and mass producers behind wines created from gapes such as Merlot and Chardonnay.

Regardless of where on the earth that the Pinot noir grape is grown, it is always the care and craft of the winery, or lack there, that comes through unmistakably when a consumer meets the finished product in the glass. Whereas more approachable wines feature notes of fruit and light, the best pinot noirs character wines that feature notes like fallen earth and fresh earth. Here is some basic information that should help you identify and enjoy pinot noir wines.

Pinot noir grapes grow best in cooler climates such as the Burgundy region of France. While Pinot noir grapes are renowned for creating some of the finest wines on earth, they are notoriously difficult grapes to work with. The grapes are often plagued by fungal infections such as bunch rot, while the foliage of the the Pinot noir plant is susceptible to problems such as fan leaf and downy mildew. However, when grown successfully, the wine that is produced is often of a quality that causes the most hardened wine critics to wax poetic.

While the flavor profiles of these wines can vary greatly, they are often characterized by rich aromas of earth and dark berries with a light body and long, satisfying finish. Unlike most red wines, Pinot noir wines are a relatively light shade that resembles the color of a garnet that darkens to shades of brown at the edges as the wine ages.

See all of our Pinot Noir Wine Auctions here.