New York Pinot Noir - Wine of the Week

by Gretchen Roberts, Posted Apr 13th 2009 @ 11:00AM

On paper New York looks like a good growing region for Pinot Noir: Its climate and soil type is similar to Burgundy, where the world's best Pinot Noirs are made.

But, as the Cornell study notes, Pinot Noir is a fickle grape -- difficult to grow and especially difficult to grow well. New York winemakers should only get into Pinot Noir if they're committed to producing wines of quality.

Happily enough, some of them seem to be.

One caveat: Fans of big, ripe heavily extracted Pinots with sweet cherry cola flavors and plenty of body and alcohol won't like Pinots from the Finger Lakes, a region upstate.The cool-climate region is similar to Burgundy in that it struggles to produce grapes of optimum ripeness in some years. Vinos of these vintages generally have a low concentration, lower alcohol (12-13 percent rather than upwards of 14 percent), a subtle bouquet and a taste suited to a more sensitive palate. We found two we love.

Read more New York Pinot Noir - Wine of the Week after the jump.

I tried Dr. Konstantin Frank 2007 Pinot Noir ($25) in a blind tasting a few weeks ago (while studying for sommelier certification) and nailed it as Pinot Noir, but couldn't figure out the region. The wine was beautiful -- bright, clean and full of cranberries, strawberries, and raspberries. Without a lot of earthy aromas that define Burgundy, the wine still really spoke of the Pinot Noir varietal. It was so fruity that it it was perfect for sipping alone, and I polished off the bottle with no problem.

Another one I've tried and liked is Fox Run Vineyards 2007 Pinot Noir ($25). The color is quite light, which some people think is harbinger of a thin, tasteless wine, but that's not necessarily true. Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned grape and won't always extract an enormous amount of color, but that doesn't mean its signature flavor isn't there. The Fox Run Pinot had a nose and taste of strawberries and raspberries with a tinge of mushrooms and decomposing leaves, evoking the classic Burgundian earthiness that some people seek out and others avoid. It was also very dry; the Web site has no stats on the 2007 vintage, but the 2006 had no residual sugar.

As for food pairings, light, low-alcohol Pinot Noirs like these are the ultimate mealtime wines, lovely counterpoints to either red or white meats, mushroom-based dishes, duck and salmon.

Sipped any New York Pinot Noir lately? Do you find them zippy and food-friendly or impossibly thin?

Filed Under: Wine of the Week, Drink Recipes, Drinks
Tags: burgundy, finger lakes, new york, NewYork, pinot noir, wine, wine of the week, WineOfTheWeek

Chew on This

Royal Wedding Cake Details Revealed! - YumSugar

Make Your Own Pop Tarts - CHOW
Denny's Introduces a Maple Bacon Sundae - Eater
Whole Foods Opening Bars in Stores - USA Today
Rules Of Bar Etiquette -- For The Bartender - HuffPost Food

Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

4-13-2009 @12:52PM Jonathan said... I was recently pleasantly surprised by the pinot noir made by Brotherhood of Hudson Valley, when they made an appearance at the Union Sq. Greenmarket - lightly earthy, and soft.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

4-13-2009 @2:11PM Gretchen said... Warm Lake Estate Pinot Noir from the Niagara Escarpment.... near where I grew up.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

4-14-2009 @3:14PM Derrick said... I recently went to an event on the east side of Cayuga Lake, and had an amazing time tasting some Pinot Noir's out of the barrel at Heart & Hands. They're brand new and have limited production, but I think this will be a winery to really keep my eye on.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

4-14-2009 @3:19PM Gretchen Roberts said... Derrick, I haven't tried Heart and Hands yet, but the winemaker donated the photo for this post. I'm looking forward to it, especially with your recommendation.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

4-15-2009 @2:35PM carl said... I've had a few Pinots that were nice but the one that seems to be sililar and strictly Finger Lakes is the Marchal Foch. had a very nice one from 2005 last week and hope to enjoy the 2007. Swedish Hill is best at this for my experience.
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

4-16-2009 @12:18PM john said... I recently enjoyed the Fulkerson Winery (Westy side of Seneca Lake) 2007 Pinot Noir. It was zesty, fruity and excellent with grilled shrimp and marinated pork tenderloin. It was only $11.99 a bottle. Yummy! www.fulkersonwinery.com
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

4-20-2009 @9:32PM Hudson Valley Wine Goddess said... The Hudson Valley has some wonderful Pinot Noir grown.

Check out:
Whitecliff, Brotherhood, Millbrook and Oak Summit. Outstanding!!
Reply

Vote upVote downReport

4-21-2009 @8:41AM Tom Higgins said... Derrick - thank you for the kind words.

Gretchen - Great Article on Finger Lakes Pinot Noir! Pinot can be a challenge to work with, both in the vineyard and the cellar. With that, I think it has the best potential as a consistent red varietal in this cooler climate. Some vintages (like '05 & '07) give us a little more ripeness & alcohol, but most seasons provide us with numbers more in line with "classic" Burgundy (more finesse and balance in the glass). Each lake seems to have their own "terrior" as lake depth, slope, soil pH and summer breezes differ on each of the sites and translate into exciting elements in the glass. Another fantastic use for Pinot Noir in the Finger Lakes is sparkling wine. Picking a little sooner than the still wine, the fruit has this vibrancy mixed with wonderful delicate undertones (mineral, floral, roasted nut) that persist through the tiny bubbles. I'm looking forward to more producers in the Finger Lakes taking the time to work with this amazing varietal!

Tom Higgins
Owner/Winemaker
Heart & Hands Wine Company
Reply