Blind Pinot Noir from Around The World
dbp's crib - Portland, OR
Tasted Saturday, April 2, 2011 by subtlet with 742 views
Introduction
dbp organized a great event with the intent to experience many different styles of Pinot Noir in a blind format. This was a great way to try a bunch of new wines without bias. I'm not sure I would've even gotten 3 right if I had been recording all of my guesses! I was almost ready to bet money that the Mountford from New Zealand was an Oregon wine too. There were so many similarities! The general rules were that the wines be from 2005 or later, and that they be priced between $25 and $50. There were some exceptions of course, but it still helped keep things reasonably even.
The regions expected to be represented were:
Argentina (red, still)
Canada (red, still)
France, Burgundy (rose, still)
France, Burgundy (white, sparkling)
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits (red, still)
France, Jura (red, still)
France, Loire Valley (red, still)
Israel (red, still)
Italy, Lombardia (red, still)
Italy, Piedmont (red, still)
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige (red, still)
New Zealand, South Island (red, still)
South Africa (red, still)
United States, California, Sonoma (red, still)
United States, Oregon (white, sparkling)
United States, Oregon, Willamette Valley (red, still)
United States, New York (red, still)
Flight 1 (15 Notes)
Closing
I'm now definitely more excited to get into more Pinot Noir from Israel, Jura, New York, and New Zealand!
If you'd like to see dbp's notes, they're here: http://www.cellartracker.com/new/event.asp?iEvent=13644
NV Blason de Bourgogne Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Noirs Brut 87 Points
France, Burgundy, Crémant de Bourgogne
Some apple scents and light pastry crust show on the nose. It's clean and a little crisp on contact. Direct apple flavors show themselves, and it has a round feel on the end. Some gentle acidity shows itself very late. Apple juice flavors on the mid palate are full and tasty. There's a faint hint of cream here as well, but overall, this is very straightforward.
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2007 J. Albin Blanc de Noir Laurel Vineyard 87 Points
USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
Some apples and a twist of lemon scents show on the nose. Lighter apple flavors appear on the palate, with the acidity becoming very full on the finish. The fruit is enjoyable, with apple flavors mixing with a creamy note on the mid palate. As much as I love acidity, it actually gets to be a little strong for my palate as the other flavors fade away. It's really ripping, which I'm sure will suit some. The flavors are nice, so I am suspicious that it would improve a bit with some time in bottle.
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2009 Frédéric Magnien Bourgogne Rosé 85 Points
France, Burgundy, Bourgogne
The nose here is very light, with some barnyard showing along with wheat bread and strawberry scents. It's kind of empty on contact, and then some strawberry and cherry flavors appear on the mid palate. The acidity is slow to set in, and it shows nicely on the end, but the flavors are a bit weak for me.
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2004 Jacques Puffeney Pinot Noir Arbois 92 Points
France, Jura, Arbois
The nose is nice here, showing clean, dark cherries as well as some spicy cloves and nutmeg. Strawberry flavors deliver right away, and dark cherry flavors evolve fully on the mid palate. The acidity is great, and it carries a hint of grapefruit flavor on the finish. The cloves from the nose show gently, and they add a great spice to the wine. Everything is very well integrated now, and the gentle mouth feel really lets you savor it. Lovely. 92-
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2007 Sebastien Riffault Sancerre Rouge Les Quarterons 85 Points
France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre Rouge
Some cherries show on the nose, and they have a bit of a candied touch to them. Some cheap gunpowder is showing on the nose here. This totally reminds me of playing with cheap fireworks as a child! Some light guava flavors show on the palate, and a candied note sets in later. The tannins are gentle, and there's a faint green note out toward the finish. It doesn't get too big, but it's there. 85-
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2006 Sylvie Esmonin (Michel et Fille) Côte de Nuits Villages 85 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Côte de Nuits Villages
I really like the nose here. It's showing dark cherry scents with a bit of dark and soft cranberry that lines it up with Pinot Noir I'm fond of. A bit of dark smoke scents lurk in the background as well. Dark cherries show on the palate, but they aren't too full. The acidity is enjoyable and the whole thing has a gentle feel to it. The cherry flavors linger nicely. It's good, but there isn't a whole lot of complexity here, just a nice easy drinker.
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2006 Mountford Pinot Noir Village 90 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Canterbury, Waipara
The nose is heavy, and it has a funky note to it that made me think it was from Oregon in a blind tasting. Faint scents of salami show as well as some spicy oak and cherries. Something tart shows up in the nose as well. When tasted, smooth but gentle tannins work well with tart cranberry flavors. Dark cherries are gentle on the palate and a hint of chocolate cupcake shows in the middle. The acidity seems to be on the lower side, but it works well with the gentle structure. The oak delivers some good nutmeg flavors, and contributes to the enjoyable structure that runs through the whole experience. 90-
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2005 Alois Lageder Pinot Noir Krafuss 86 Points
Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol
The nose is dominated by mineral notes, and it reminds me of a stream running into the sea. Dark cherries show on the palate and they are clean and simple. The structural components are pretty light here, with light citrus flavors drying things out gently on the finish. 86+.
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2009 Kris Pinot Noir Provincia di Pavia IGT 86 Points
Italy, Lombardia, Provincia di Pavia IGT
The nose is powerful here, showing pomegranate fruit, a bit of jam, and some chocolate cake. This is super heavy for a Pinot Noir! Blackberry jam flavors show on the palate with a touch that seems sweet. Some grapefruit flavors show as the acid makes an appearance toward the finish. It stays super rich all the way through though, and I even get a bit of raisin flavors later. While some folks may like this, keep in mind that it's not what typically comes to mind when I think of Pinot Noir.
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2008 Quails' Gate Estate Winery Pinot Noir 86 Points
Canada, British Columbia, Okanagan Valley, Okanagan Valley VQA
Stems show on the nose along with blackberries and tart cranberries while some campfire ash scents linger underneath the fruit. Good rich raspberry flavors coupled with the cranberries from the nose show themselves right out of the gate. There's a note of dusty earth as the fruit flavors fade into big structure that grips up pretty heavily. The fruit is yummy, but the structure isn't integrated yet, and feels a bit awkward later. This will certainly improve some more over time, but its general potential is hard for me to guess at.
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2008 Heart & Hands Pinot Noir Barrel Reserve 90 Points
USA, New York, Finger Lakes
The nose is full and complex with bright red flavors in the forefront. Hibiscus and bright cherry scents mix with milk chocolate and smoke. Bright cherry flavors deliver on the palate with a clean and delicate touch. Some light raspberry flavors make a showing as well. The acidity is delicate, and the hibiscus makes an appearance along with some light tannins on the finish. The light raspberry flavors linger long, and the acidity makes the mouth water. This a light and bright Pinot Noir, and I like it. 90+
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2005 Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir 88 Points
South Africa, Cape South Coast, Walker Bay, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley
The nose is heavy here, with funky stems and oak smoke bolstering cherry scents. Lots of fruit shows on the palate, with cherries, rhubarb, and blackberries all making an appearance. The acidity is ripping on the back end here, drying out the sides of the mouth powerfully. The experience is pretty straightforward, but everything works well.
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2008 Luca Pinot Noir 87 Points
Argentina, Mendoza, Valle de Uco
Scents of cherry, cranberries, and a hint of caramel show on the nose. Light cherries hit the palate right away, with cranberry flavors showing later. The texture is gentle up front, and acidity rolls in fully on the finish primarily hitting the sides of the palate.
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2006 Golan Heights Winery Pinot Noir Yarden 89 Points
Israel, Galilee, Golan Heights
This has some crazy stuff going on, but it gets my attention, and it works out pretty well even though it wasn't what I was expecting. The nose is big, showing raspberry scents, some tomatoes, and some chocolate cake. With this diverse of a nose, my expectations for the palate were pretty low, but it all worked out. Dark character shows itself all the way across the palate. The cherries that show are very dark in nature while raspberries and limes make a brief appearance early on before being swallowed by the darker flavors. The complexity is certainly here, and the acidity is solid, but I find myself looking for a little more excitement from the fruit. 89+
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2005 Marimar Estate Pinot Noir Doña Margarita Vineyard 87 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast
The nose is pretty reserved, with lighter scents of bacon and greens mixed with dark cherries showing. That actually sounds like a pretty good idea for a salad! The tannins are gentle early on, with straightforward cherry fruit showing itself quickly. Some apple flavors show on the mid palate and then the structure rises up to dominate the experience on the finish. This needs to integrate with a bit more bottle age in my opinion.
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