Pinot Noir - Wine of the Week

by Kristine Hansen, Posted Mar 23rd 2010 @ 4:00PM

As the weather warms up, we can at last turn our heads to lighter-bodied reds. Pinot Noir is an excellent example.

The film Sideways (2004) made the red-wine grape more famous than it had ever been, catapulting it from obscurity into high demand. Suddenly wine drinkers were searching their local wine shops for bottles from California's Central Coast, eager to learn what thrilled Miles about Pinot Noir. Planted not just in California -- and in more regions than the Central Coast -- the grapes also do well in New York, Washington, Oregon, New Zealand, Italy and France. Considered a finicky grape to grow, winemakers consider Pinot Noir their pride and joy and spend a lot of time perfecting their craft as it relates to this particular grape.

After the jump, find some of our favorites, from Anderson Valley, California, to Orange, Australia. (Wondering why there aren't any Oregon Pinots on our list? Stay tuned for a post dedicated to Pinots from that state.)

2007 Southing Pinot Noir ($50)
We recently had an opportunity to sample a Pinot Noir with a cult following, from Sea Smoke Cellars, which produces only Pinot Noir. The winery's Southing has dried flowers on the nose; a full body with blueberry notes; and soft, fine tannins.

2006 Philip Shaw No. 8 Pinot Noir, Orange, Australia ($40)
This is a lighter-style Pinot. Yet from the forest floor nose to the dried-cherry finish, with tobacco notes and a spicy undercurrent, it's a wine with a lot of oomph.

2007 Principato Vigneti Pinot Noir, Trento, Italy ($12)
A very fragrant nose of sweet cherries leads into this lush, almost velvety wine marked by sweet fruit. Its lingering, spicy finish makes this a great food wine.

2007 Chime Cellars Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley ($30)
Although a delicate-style Pinot, the fruit – plums and Bing cherries – on this Pinot is aggressive and tart. Cocoa powder on the finish produces a delightful and chalky mouth feel.

2007 Clos du Bois Pinot Noir, North Coast ($18)
There's an aroma of raspberries and forest floor on the nose, and a palate of spicy, vanilla notes. A slightly tannic finish – along with the wine's other characteristics – would make this a good one to pair with roasted vegetables or meats.

2006 Fotinos Brothers Winery Pinot Noir, Osrii Block, Los Carneros, Napa Valley ($55)
This is a Pinot worth the splurge. (It also won the Silver Medal at this year's San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition.) Its velvety finish is loaded with spices, dark fruit and chocolate. Yet on the front end it's just as complex with soft, ripe cherry aromas. Pizzas or pasta dishes would be our food-pairing suggestions.

2007 J. Lohr Vineyards & Wines Arroyo Seco Pinot Noir, Fog's Reach Vineyard, Monterey County ($35)
Silky, but with a muscular, smooth finish, this Pinot has black-cherry and toasted-vanilla notes, and chocolate toward the end of the palate. There's a distinctive aroma of cooked rhubarb, too.

2007 Waterstone Winery Carneros Pinot Noir ($22)
A smoky nose gives way to a very balanced wine with cola and dark-plum notes, and spice and cherries on the finish.

Tags: pinot noir, PinotNoir