TN: Pinot Noir - Anywhere but Europe

Notes from a distanced al fresco tasting of Pinot Noirs from anywhere but Europe.

To wet our whistles and whet our wits we sampled a couple of unrelated whites.

2018 Phantom Creek Pinot Gris – from BC, this was made using natural yeasts, and was held on oak for 10 months. It had a reticent nose at first, but then gave up some vanilla and tropical fruit and had a dry, clean finish. It developed some smokiness as well as saltiness which added interest. Apparently they are consulting with Olivier Humbrecht.

2014 Jean-Claude Ramonet Bouzeron – lemon nose, good acidity, rich in the mouth and a lean, long finish. Unusual in being made entirely from Aligote.

2011 Foxtrot Pinot Noir Henricsson Vineyard – I have long considered this to be the best Pinot Noir made in BC. Somewhat dark with a nice berry and spice nose, with some vanilla, Smooth across the palate and good length. Well made and holding nicely. No rush.

2013 Rochioli Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – a lighter, more delicate nose on this one, medium body and with a significant amount of tannin. A tad stemmy, but not excessively so, and with a long clean finish. Excellent wine.

2007 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir Laurène – medium colour and with a slightly funky Burgundian nose, with mixed tar and cocoa notes. It seemed a tad ripe at first but really wasn’t. Good solid wine.

2016 Craggy Range Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Te Muna Road Vineyard – interesting brown sugar and mint nose – this was one that wouldn’t be mistaken for a Burgundy! Sweet in the mouth and ending with medium length.

2012 Littorai Pinot Noir Roman Vineyard – this Anderson Valley Pinot was a serious full bodied example with a nose primarily of cherry but with some spice in mid-palate. Wonderfully harmonious wine.

A successful varietal tasting with representatives from BC, Oregon, California, and New Zealand. I thought about popping a cork on an Australian Pinot but that will have to wait until next time.

Next up will be Chateauneuf-du-pape tasting (Rhone is the largest single sub region in my cellar) and we just have to find a sunny day, which can be a challenge around here and usually results in only a day or two notice. One of our members challenged the wine gods (or maybe weather gods) by putting the roof of his car down before coming over yesterday.

[Jenise]

What a perfect day you had yesterday for an outdoor tasting! And what a nice array; knowing the group I presume that wasn't planned, just purely accidental. Love it.

Re the Foxtrot--I've had the pleasure twice. Good wines each time, and of course memories are fuzzy in that it's been quite awhile since either, but I don't think that today I'd choose Foxtrot over the new SV stuff from Blue Mountain--would you?

Re PInot Noir: Sta. Rita Hills PNs can be very enjoyable at various price levels. Richard L

When I bought the 2011Foxtrot it was hands down the best PN made in BC. Since then there are several other producers that have come up to compete with them.

Really top notch wines from Blue Mountain are a relatively new development. I found their old reserve bottlings OK but not price competitive. The new single vineyard wines have changed that and are well worth the price as well as vying for top marks with any other winery in BC. In fact I came across a couple of sixpacks in my cellar just the other day. Maybe I should open a bottle and report back......

Other worthy PNs are Cedar Creek Platinum, and Martins' Lane (NZ winemaker, $100 a bottle price - I have yet to taste that one)

[Jenise]

Keep your bloody mitts off my wine!!!!

I've had Cedar Creek but maybe/probably not the Platinum, and the other's new to me. But yes, so many good things happening in B.C. Can't wait to get back there myself.

Keep your bloody mitts off my wine!!!!

But yes, so many good things happening in B.C. Can't wait to get back there myself.

Yes, our local economy could use the boost I have missed my annual wine trek for two years running so am getting out of date myself.

I used to enjoy Oregon wines with names like Knudsen Erath and Sokol Blosser (I think). I have also enjoyed some NZ PNs including the inexpensive Rippon. There are some vey good PNs in Central Otago. Richard L

https://loveblockwine.com/our-wines/pinot-noir/

Kim & Erica Crawford. Enough said. Have the 2015 Pinot Noir, Central Otago. FWIW made Spectator Top 100. Received a nice gift IMHO.

PN Cheers!

To wet our whistles and whet our wits we sampled a couple of unrelated whites.

No, not unrelated.

Pinot Gris is just another clone of Pinot Noir*
Pinot Noir is a parent of Aligote

More properly Pinot of which there are multiple clones, with grapes that are black, white, or grey/pink.

Too bad you don't get much in the way of Ontario Pinot Noirs in BC, There are some very nice ones being made these days, and they keep getting better as the vines (and the winemakers) age. If you see Queylus Grand Réserve, Clos Jordanne Grand Clos, 5 Rows PN, or single vineyard wines from Bachelder, The Farm or Cloudsley, grab them. Interestingly, Kelly Mason is the winemaker at Queylus, The Farm and Honsberger, and Thomas Bachelder makes the wine at Bachelder and Clos Jordanne, started Queylus and is still a consulting winemaker there. Those two make the majority of the best Ontario PNs and Chardonnays.

If you or Jenise (or any other WLDGers) ever make it to Toronto, I'l take you around Niagara for tastings. If you can ever time it to when The Pinot affair is on (usually mid-to-late April), they have a great series of tutored tastings. There may also be a fall diinner with all the participating winemakers joining in.

Would love to visit Ontario. We get exactly six Ontario wines here and five are ice wines. the other is 2018 Closson Chase Chardonnay "The Brock" which I have never tasted.

I have never not enjoyed a PN from Sta. Rita Hills.

[Jenise]

Would love to visit Ontario. We get exactly six Ontario wines here and five are ice wines. the other is 2018 Closson Chase Chardonnay "The Brock" which I have never tasted.

Bill and Ted: At a wine event in Toronto about four-five years ago I tasted both a Closson chardonnay (ripe, extracted) and a truly beautiful Clos Jordanne. A Pearl Morissette was a runner up and a Norman Hardie, not bad at all in a Macon kind of way. Would love to go tasting--if this Pandemic ever allows us to roam freely.

If I had the health, money and stamina I would gladly visit Ontario Finger Lakes and then onto Virginia.

Many years ago, when Canadian wines were generally sub-par, my wife and I shared 2 bottles of a very good Inniskillin Pinot Noir with friends at a restaurant in Toronto.