That Sideways wine…Pinot Noir
No Passport required…
If you recognize the movie reference, you know we are going to be talking about Pinot Noir. A tricky grape grown in a surprising number of regions around the world. Pinot Noir produces a lighter-bodied red wine that is very food friendly. As Paul Giamatti’s character says in the movie: “It’s a hard grape to grow, thin skinned…tempermental…not a survivor”. When coaxed to its fullest potential, the flavors are “…haunting, brilliant, subtle…”.
There is not enough room (or reader attention span!), to properly cover this topic in one post. So, we won’t be leaving the United States…my international readers please excuse the passport reference. Today’s post will take a look at California vs Oregon, the two leading US pinot producing regions. For those who believe the best and truest expression of this grape can only be found in the Burgundy region of France, fear not. In a future post the Doctor will open his wallet and feature Pinot Noir from France’s Cote d’Or, the home of some of the world’s greatest red wine.
So what’s this grape all about? “Thin skinned…not a survivor”…what does this mean? Let’s do a quick dive. Pinot Noir tends to bud early in a growing season, which makes it vulnerable to spring frosts. It is a “Goldilocks” grape, preferring cooler temperatures but still needing sunshine, but not too much (morning fogs really help here). Because of its thin skin, too much heat will cause it to shrivel, while too much precipitation will quickly cause mildew and rot. By harvest time, growers may only have small grape bunches with small berries. This is part of the reason Pinot Noir can be more expensive.
OK…California vs Oregon - time to get out the maps!
Our first wine comes from Oregon. There are lots of good Pinot Noirs from Oregon. But to make my final choice, I tested two Pinot Noirs that I know and are in our everyday $20-ish price category. A tough call, but I decided to profile the Stoller Family Estate (beginners: Wine 101 term!) 2017 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir. You will find the runner-up in the Honorable Mention section at the end.
So where do they make wine in Oregon? Take a look:
Our wine comes from that little orange region, Dundee Hills, inside the larger yellow Willamette Valley. The Stoller Pinot Noir is widely available, and should retail for roughly $24:
Stoller Dundee Hills 2017 Pinot Noir
Don’t be put off by that screw cap: these guys are the real deal! As the word Estate implies, they control everything about the wine-growing and wine-making process. Everything from start to finish takes place on their land. The Stoller family established the original property in the 1940s, but the vineyard didn’t come until the 1990s. Over the following 25 years, the Stollers have transformed their 400 acre property into the largest contiguous vineyard in Oregon’s Dundee Hills. They focus on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
This wine is a mix of all the different Pinot Noir clones, or specific vine (that’s right, I said “vine”, not “wine”) varieties, from their estate. It is aged in neutral French oak for about a year.
Tasting:
As you will often find with Oregon Pinot, this wine has a pale ruby color. On the nose, you get those classic red fruit aromas, as well as some spice notes, like clove. When I first tasted it, I actually noticed a bit of a “stemmy” flavor, but this disappeared quickly and didn’t come back. A reminder to let your wine open up in the glass a little bit. The true primary flavors that came through were tart cherry and pomegranate, which makes sense as Oregon is a somewhat cooler climate which can deliver those tart fruit flavors. Following that, I picked up some other classic Pinot notes: cola and earth. This wine has a delicate mouthfeel. Good acidity with a medium length finish.
The Bottom Line:
As we point out above, this grape requires a lot of TLC, and that usually means a higher price tag on the retail shelf. Stoller has been focusing on Pinot for 25 years, which allows them to consistently deliver a quality product at a very fair price. This is a versatile wine (see below for our comments on food), and worth a serious look.
California
Our California selection is an interesting choice in that the winemaker sources Pinot Noir from three distinct regions in California. From north to south: Mendocino County (remember Roederer?); Sonoma County and Monterey County. The producer? Calista Vineyards. We’ll come back to that name in a moment. Time for a map check:
Calista calls our wine “The Coast Range”, reflecting the very distinct terroir (don’t make me send you to that page…) these three regions possess. Each contribute unique qualities found in a maritime climate and soil structure that produce Calista’s “signature” in each vintage. The Coast Range Calista Pinot is roughly $20+/-. For my local readers, you can find it at Heinens, but it should be available more broadly.
Calista The Coast Range Pinot Noir 2017
Calista takes its name from the Greek word Kallisto, “she that is most beautiful”. The image on the label is a depiction of the mythical Greek goddess Calista who was “a huntress that possessed grace, seductive charms and strength..”. In that spirit, the winery uses the phrase: “Calista Wines - Simply Beautiful Pinot Noir”. Calista is a label of wine & spirits entrepreneur Derek Benham, who heads Purple Wine + Spirits.
As you can see from the label, Calista’s winemaker sources grapes from 3 distinct regions in Northern California. For this vintage, he sourced the majority from Monterey County, whose terroir in the Santa Lucia mountain range provide bright sun but also that cooling wind from Monterey Bay. The soil is loamy and sandy, which helps to produce those dark berry and sometimes mocha qualities.
This wine is aged entirely in French Oak (30% of it new) for 10 months. Let’s pull the cork…
Tasting:
The first thing you notice with this wine compared to our Oregon challenger is the color: Instead of a pale ruby, Calista is a little darker. You may see this with other California Pinots- they can be a little riper. On the nose, we get those characteristic red fruits, but also that cola note that can come through in Pinot Noir. Don’t be put off by it. Learn to recognize it. The first sip shows black cherries and raspberry- very fruit focused. As that subsides, you get another one of those Pinot signatures: subtle tea notes. Calista does not have as much earth or spice flavors as you can find in some other Pinots. This is where you want to experiment and learn what Pinot characteristics are most interesting and desirable to you. The Calista has good acid and tannins. It is balanced. I had it with some food after my initial tasting, and it became richer, more complex.
The Bottom Line:
There is no right answer here, other than this is one of the world’s great varietals. It is so versatile and is such a good match with so many foods, or just on its own. Salmon? This is your go-to wine; don’t serve anything else. Any kind of fowl or game bird, especially duck? Stop what you are doing and open some Pinot. Anything with mushrooms in it- Pinot. You get the idea. The only problem you will have with this wine is its tendency to get a little pricey. So, as we like to do, a few other suggestions, both in our everyday price range and beyond…
Other Suggestions
Our other Oregon contender needs a quick shout-out: Siduri. Another female mythology-inspired label. Siduri is the Babylonian goddess of wine. The husband and wife founders of Siduri were pinot fanatics and started making wine in Sonoma in the 1990s. Today, they stretch from Santa Barbara to the Willamette Valley. In 2015, Siduri was acquired by Jackson Family Wines, but they are still producing highly regarded pinots. You can find this for around $19-20 retail. Check out the beautiful label:
A few other Oregon and California names in the Sea of Pinot you should look for:
EnRoute - This winery was founded by the partners of one of Napa Valley’s premier producers, Far Niente. EnRoute is made from grapes in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley, home to the best California Pinots. EnRoute is gorgeous, and starts taking you closer to the “haunting, brilliant, subtle” description that started this post. It will cost you though- expect to pay anywhere from the high $40s or more. If you are in the mood to splurge, this one is worth it.
Chehalem - pronounced “Chuh-hay-lum”, this is a quality name in Oregon that coincidentally is now owned by the Stollers. Look for the “Three Vineyards” label- probably high $20s/low $30s.
Some other great Oregon Pinot names to look for on the shelf (all above our everyday price target, but also worth it): Patricia Green; Lemelson; Ken Wright.
If you made it to the end- congratulations! Hope you have fun with Pinot Noir. Write to the Doctor and tell me what you’ve tried and enjoyed!
Until next time…Cheers!