Wine Articles | French Pinot noir, why we love this grape

Like most of us, when I’m choosing a bottle of wine one of the first things I do is select a country, then a vineyard or an appellation. More and more producers are now placing the grape variety well in evidence on the label, after all everyone has an idea of what a Cabernet Sauvignon, a Merlot or a Syrah is. The characteristics of the grape will give you some insurance of what to expect, it is the easiest way to choose a wine.

One of the most unknown grapes is probably the Pinot Noir, its pine cone shape is at the origin of is name and it could easily be directly translated as “Black pine”.

Very often described by professionals as the most challenging grape, it is not only sensitive to light exposure (oxidation), cropping levels, soil types and pruning techniques, but it has a very fine skin making it highly susceptible to disease. To get the best out of this grape it should be cultivated in a cooler climate with low yields.

The most famous examples of wines made from the pinot noir are the red wines from Burgundy and Champagne.

In Champagne, and this is also the case for most of the sparkling wine in the world, Pinot Noir is blended with Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier to add strength and flavours.

It is also very often used to produce some very interesting rose or Vins Gris( a type of clear rose) where its gentle flavours of red berries complement perfectly the style of a light refreshing drink.

In Alsace, Jura and Sancerre the wines made out of Pinot noir are mainly light and should be served around 12c, perfect as a summer wine.


But it’s only in Burgundy that this grape can express its full potential. There is no other region where one grape can produce such a variety of different style of wines, depending if you are in the North or the South of the region, if you are in one village or another and even very often a few meters could have a drastic impact on the quality and personality of the wine.

Flavours and styles vary from light to medium body in the Cotes Beaunes, to some fleshier, powerful examples in Cotes de Nuits, but interestingly all of them display the typical velvety qualities that make the Pinot noir such a unique grape.

They can reach their peak after twenty years or more when the vintage is right, at which point the wines from this region can express some of the most complex and interesting flavours, making them delicious accompaniment to seasonal feasts.

In the Autumn wines from Pommard or Nuits –St-Georges are the perfect companions for a wild mushroom casserole or a game stew. With Spring almost here pinot Noir from Savigny les beaunes or Musigny should be ideal with a rack of roasted lamb.

A final tip though, the wines from Burgundy can often be slightly unbalanced with some strong alcohol notes, but by serving them around 13c maximum( cellar temperature) you should avoid this problem and be able to fully enjoyed them.