another bouquet · 2018-10-02 · 68 another bouquet this year’s pinot noir masters saw judges...

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ANOTHERbouquet

This year’s Pinot Noir Masters saw judges tackle almost 300 bottles to discover

some worthy winners among the high volume of entries. By Patrick Schmitt

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LONG BEFORE Hollywood delivered aeulogy to Pinot Noir in Sideways,Burgundy’s red grape has held a specialposition among wine lovers. Revered forits pretty aromas, smooth-textured sweetfruit, and an almost weightless sensationin the mouth, Pinot Noir can create avinous experience no other grape can

emulate, and, as a consequence, theworld’s most expensive wine: LaRomanée-Conti.

However, as with any noble grape,there’s a wide range of styles dependingon not just where it’s grown, but who hashandled it, and for whom. And followinga tasting of almost 300 unblended Pinots,it appears that this single grape is thesource of remarkable diversity.

The tasting was part of db’s GlobalMasters series, begun last year withChardonnay, and continuing this yearwith Pinot Noir, and, as Wine Societybuyer Sebastian Payne MW – a judge andchair in both competitions – remarkedafter the latter tasting, “With Chardonnay,there were very few disappointments, butso many of the wines tasted the same;with Pinot though, the wines were muchmore varied.”

Payne was just one of eight Masters ofWine (and one Master Sommelier) whowere selected to assess the Pinot Noirs,which were served blind, but arrangedaccording to price band as well as style,so that wines were tasted in the fairestpossible order: low-priced to high,unoaked to oaked, light-bodied to full.

This format saw the highlyexperienced tasters focus purely on the quality of thePinots without any sense ofwhere they were from,with as many as 16 countriesfeatured in the line-up.

Of course, without priorknowledge of the source, the

assessment of quality centred on style.Here, thankfully, there seemed to beconsensus among the judges. At thecheaper end of the spectrum, it was feltthat low-levels of residual sugar wereacceptable – though not desirable – whilethe tasters also agreed that below £10,Pinot Noir is best without oak influence.

At higher prices, the tasters werelooking for an open, pretty nose; anattractive, smooth texture, and enoughfreshness to ensure the drinker wantedmore. Whatever the price though, thewine had to be recognisably Pinot – andalthough that meant the wine couldexhibit flavours from red to black fruits, itneeded to be combined with a relativelylight body for a black grape, theaforementioned smooth texture and arefreshing finish.

RIGHT COMBINATIONWithout knowledge of abvs, the tastershad to rely on any impression of excessivealcohol, usually a warming to hot finish.In search of natural balance, judges stillscored moderately high alcohol winesgenerously, as long as the perception ofalcohol complemented the fruitconcentration. Similarly, when it came tothe influence of oak, wines which didwell had a good balance between barrel-sourced flavours and tannins and theweight of fruit. Where the oak dominated,medals were not awarded. Also, the levelof fruit ripeness was a point of somediscussion. The tasters rewarded thosewines with bright flavours, particularlylively red fruit, and not examples with astewed, sometimes raisined character.While the latter style can produce a sweetsensation, it also caused premature colour

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In a crowded wine competition arena,The Drinks Business Global Pinot NoirMasters stands out for its assessmentof wines purely by grape varietyrather than region.

Divided only by price bracket and,for ease of judging, whether the stylewas oaked or unoaked, the blindtasting format allowed wines to beassessed without prejudice about theircountry of origin.

Wines were scored out of 100, withthose gaining over 95 points beingawarded the top title of Master. Thoseearning over 90 points were given aGold, those over 85 points a Silver andthose over 80 points a Bronze.

The wines were judged by Masters ofWine and Master Sommeliers on 5February 2014 at The Modern Pantryrestaurant in London.

pinot noir masters

The tasters agreed that below £10, Pinot Noir is best

without oak influence

About the competition

Left: The Modern Pantry provided plenty of natural light. Above: Sebastian Payne MW


pinot noir masters

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and perfume loss, and a flat, short finish. Of course, attempting to achieve

optimum ripeness for Pinot requires notjust cooler viticultural climes, but alsowell-judged harvest times. And as forachieving Pinot’s signature smoothtexture, that requires not just the right siteand careful vineyard management, butalso cellar practices that are gentle.Heavy-handed maceration techniques caneasily give harsh tannin and a dryingsensation, although this was rarely seenin the competition entries.

Attempting to achieveoptimum ripeness forPinot requires not just

cooler viticultural climes,but also well-judged

harvest times

Results: sparkling Pinot

Company Product Name Medal Vintage CountrySparkling under £10Cà del Gè Oltrepo Pavese Pinot Nero Bronze 2007 Italy

Metodo Classico Cà del Gè DOCGSparkling £10-20Champagne Moutard Brut Grande Cuvée NV Silver NV FranceChampagne de Barfontarc Champagne de Barfontarc Silver NV France

Blanc de Noirs NVDistell JC Le Roux Silver 2009 South AfricaFreixenet Elyssia Pinot Noir NV Bronze NV SpainGiorgi Giorgi 1870 Gran Cuvée Bronze NV Italy

Storica O.P. DOC NVDistell JC Le Roux Bronze 2009 South AfricaMonsupello Eredi Pinot Nero Brut Rosé VSQ NV Bronze NV Italydi Boatti Carlo

Sparkling £20-30Champagne Gremillet Blanc de Noirs NV Silver NV FranceChampagne Larnaudie Hirault Blanc de Noirs NV Silver NV France Champagne Moutard Rose Dame Nesle NV Bronze NV France

Sparkling £30+Champagne Soutiran Cuvée Perle Noire Grand Cru NV Gold NV FranceChampagne Drappier Carte d'Or Silver 1995 FranceChampagne Chassenay d’Arce Confidences Brut NV Bronze NV FranceChampagne Moutard Vieille Vigne Richardot NV Bronze NV France

Results: unoaked Pinot

Company Product Name Medal Vintage CountryUnoaked under £10Boutinot Les Volets Pinot Noir Silver 2012 FranceWilliam Cole Vineyards Viña el Rosal Pinot Noir Silver 2012 Chile

Signature MorrisonHalewood Romania La Umbra Silver 2012 RomaniaViña San Pedro Tarapaca Gato Negro Bronze 2013 ChileBoutinot Sierra Grande Pinot Noir, Bronze 2012 ChileLa Compagnie des Pinot Noir d'Autrefois, Bronze 2012 FranceVins d'Autrefois Alfio Moriconi SelectionDistell Two Oceans Bronze 2012 South AfricaHalewood Romania Waitrose Pinot Noir Romania Bronze 2012 RomaniaCasa Girelli Canaletto Autentico Italiano Bronze 2011 ItalyMezzacorona Feudo Arancio Stemmari Bronze 2011 Italy

Unoaked £10-20Castello di Luzzano Umore Nero Pinot Nero Dell'OP Bronze 2012 ItalyDomaine Paul Blanck Paul Blanck Bronze 2012 FranceJuris Winery

Pinot Noir Selection Bronze 2011 AustriaUnoaked £20-30Schug Carneros Estate Winery Schug Sonoma Coast Silver 2012 United States

Anne McHale MW


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pinot noir masters

SENSE OF STYLEIn essence, according to Payne, “Pinot hasto smell wonderful and have a fantastictexture, and to achieve a silver medal orabove the wine has to have a longlength.” Such is the difficultly inachieving this combination that the PinotNoir Masters saw far fewer top medalsawarded compared to its competitionforerunner, the Chardonnay Masters. Butwhen the Pinots were good, they werereally good – making them an immensepleasure to taste.

So what did the results reveal? Whilethere’s a risk of drawing generalisationsfrom such a snapshot in the great worldof Pinot plantings, there were certainpatterns worth highlighting. Of the 16countries that featured in the competition,it was New Zealand which took home thehighest proportion of medals, gaining 25

Results: oaked Pinot

CompanyOaked under £10 Product Name Medal Vintage CountryViña Maycas del Limari Sumaq Pinot Noir Reserva Gold 2013 ChileViña San Pedro Tarapaca Castillo de Molina 2012 Silver 2012 ChileUndurraga Aliwen Silver 2012 ChileCarolina Wine Brands Cefiro Pinot Noir 2012 Silver 2012 ChileUndurraga Sibaris Silver 2011 ChileLes Domaines Paul Mas Domaine de Martinolles Bronze 2012 FranceViña San Pedro Tarapaca Leyda Reserva Bronze 2012 ChileBrotherhood Winery Brotherhood New York Bronze 2012 United States

Premium SelectionLes Domaines Paul Mas Domaine Astruc Bronze 2012 FranceViña Casa Silva Doña Dominga Reserva Bronze 2013 ChileFrancois Labet Le Pinot Noir Corsica Bronze 2012 FranceLes Domaines Paul Mas Paul Mas Estate Bronze 2012 France

Oaked £10-20Hope Family Wines Liberty School Pinot Noir Gold 2012 United StatesMarisco Vineyards The Ned Pinot Noir Silver 2012 New ZealandViña Tabali Tabali Reserva Especial Silver 2012 ChileCreation Wines Creation 2 Silver 2012 South AfricaViña Tabali Tabali Talinay Silver 2012 ChileCreation Wines Creation Reserve Silver 2012 South AfricaBodega Luigi Bosca, Luigi Bosca Grand Pinot Noir Silver 2012 ArgentinaFamilia Arizu La ConsultaDe Bortoli Wines Yarra Valley Estate Pinot Noir Silver 2011 AustraliaMarisco Vineyards The King's Wrath Silver 2011 New ZealandAustralian Vintage Nepenthe Winemaker Select Silver 2011 AustraliaJackson Estate Gum Emperor Silver 2010 New ZealandWente Vineyards Reliz Creek Silver 2010 United StatesLawson's Dry Hills Dry Hills Reserve Silver 2012 New ZealandIona Estate Mr P Silver 2013 South AfricaNew Zealand Vineyard Estates Waipara Hills Central Otago Silver 2012 New ZealandDelta Wine Company Delta Pinot Noir Silver 2012 New ZealandViña Casa Silva Casa Silva Cool Coast Silver 2012 ChileJackson Estate Vintage Widow Silver 2011 New ZealandViñedos Emiliana Signos De Origen Bronze 2012 ChileE&J Gallo Winery Bridlewood Monterey County Bronze 2012 United StatesElk Cove Vineyards Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley Bronze 2012 United StatesSingle Vineyard Sellers Holm Oak Bronze 2012 AustraliaPernod Ricard Jacob’s Creek Reserve, Bronze 2012 Australia

Adelaide HillsE&J Gallo Winery Edna Valley Central Coast Bronze 2012 United StatesElephant Hill Estate & Winery Elephant Hill Pinot Noir Bronze 2011 New ZealandViña Valdivieso Valdivieso Single Vineyard, Leyda Bronze 2011 ChileMarugg Fläscher Pinot Noir Barrique Bronze 2011 SwitzerlandAbalone Wines Eerste Hoop Pinot Noir Bronze 2011 South AfricaViña Valdivieso Single Vineyard, Cauquenes Bronze 2010 ChileSan Michele ai Pianoni Pynos Pinot Nero, Oltrepò Pavese Bronze 2006 Italy

DOC RiservaSumaridge Estate Wines Sumaridge Estate Pinot Noir Bronze 2011 South AfricaMarisco Vineyards Marisco Vineyards Pinot Noir Bronze 2011 New ZealandGusbourne Estate Gusbourne Estate Pinot Noir Bronze 2011 UKPernod Ricard Brancott Estate Letter Bronze 2011 New Zealand

Series 'T', MarlboroughFromm Winery Fromm 'La Strada' Bronze 2010 New Zealand

MarlboroughNew Zealand Vineyard Estates Mud House, Central Otago Bronze 2012 New ZealandBodega Familia Schroeder Alto Limay Select Bronze 2013 ArgentinaBabich Wines Babich Winemakers' Reserve Bronze 2012 New ZealandViña Luis Felipe Edwards LFE Marea Bronze 2012 ChileAlto de Casablanca Ritual Bronze 2012 Chile

RICHARD BAMPFIELD MWWith Pinot Noir I’m lookingfor perfume, freshness,delicacy, texture and

harmony… and I’m also looking forthat sweet attack at front of palatewhich you get with good Pinot.

It can finish dry and mouth-watering, but the attack at the frontmust have more sweetness than othergrapes. It is one of things that makesPinot very attractive.

Oak is really important, and part ofthe charm of most top Pinots is the useand quality of oak. But I think it is aquestion of balance. In Burgundy mostof the top wines I can think of aredefinitely aged at least in part in newoak. The light use of oak helps giveBurgundy a structure Pinot doesn’thave on its own… but it has got to bedelicate and sensitive to the vintage.

Panel chair comment


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medals from 27 wines entered. As Paynecommented after the results wererevealed, “For me, Pinot Noir is all aboutbouquet and texture, and New Zealandhas delivered bouquet.”

However, it was the US that got the bestresults, home to the sole Master, thecompetition’s highest accolade, whichwas awarded to the Schug Winery’sCarneros Pinot Noir from the cooler 2011vintage in California. The US also

dominated the golds, gaining six of the 11awarded in total, with both Oregon andCalifornia achieving impressive scores.

In total, North America gained 27medals from 32 wines submitted to thecompetition, confirming California’sability to produce Pinots of generosityand poise, and Oregon’s position as oneof the world’s most highly rated placesfor this pernickety grape, after Burgundy.

Nevertheless, it was Chile that got the

It was pleasing towitness some of

Australia’s new PinotNoirs performing well,

with the country’sTapanappa, Eileen Hardyand Tolpuddle Pinots all

gaining silvers

Results: oaked & unoaked Pinot

£10-£20 (continued)Company Product Name Medal Vintage CountryViña Ventisquero Grey Bronze 2012 ChileBodega Familia Schroeder Alpataco Bronze 2013 ArgentinaViña San Pedro Tarapaca Leyda Single Vineyard Las Brisas Bronze 2012 ChileByron Vineyards Byron Santa Barbara Bronze 2012 United StatesSpierhead Winery Gentleman Farmer Vineyard Bronze 2012 CanadaBoutinot Moko Black, Marlborough Bronze 2012 New ZealandQuintay Q Grand Reserve Bronze 2012 ChileCline Cellars Jacuzzi Bronze 2011 United StatesAustralian Vintage Nepenthe Good Doctor Bronze 2012 AustraliaVina Valdivieso Winemaker Reserva, Aconcagua Bronze 2012 ChileAustralian Vintage Nepenthe Altitude Bronze 2012 AustraliaKingsland Wines & Spirits Bioletti's Block Bronze 2012 United StatesUndurraga T.H. Pinot Noir Bronze 2011 ChileWeingut Losen-Bockstanz Wittlicher Bottchen Auslese Bronze 2011 GermanyViña Luis Felipe Edwards LFE Marea Bronze 2011 Chile

Oaked £20-30Schug Carneros Estate Winery Schug Carneros Master 2011 United StatesStoller Family Estate Reserve Pinot Noir Gold 2010 United StatesBomb Wines Bomb Oregon Gold 2010 United StatesNew Zealand Vineyard Estates Mud House Estate, Silver 2012 New Zealand

Claim 431, Central OtagoJackson FamilyWines Kendall Jackson, Vintner's Reserve Silver 2012 United StatesMatahiwi Estate Winery 'Holly' Silver 2011 New ZealandJuris Winery Pinot Noir Breitenteil Silver 2011 AustriaIona Estate Iona Pinot Noir Silver 2012 South AfricaRockburn Wines Rockburn Pinot Noir, Central Otago Silver 2011 New ZealandMeyer Family Vineyards Reimer Vineyard Silver 2011 CanadaSt Aubyn Leschallas Wines Two Degrees Silver 2010 New ZealandAzienda Agricola Tenuta Noir, Pinot Nero dell' Oltrepò Silver 2008 ItalyMazzolino Pavese DOCKloster Eberbach ‘Crescentia’ Höllenberg Silver 2011 Germany

Spätburgunder Dry SpätleseCraggy Range Vineyards Te Muna Road Vineyard Silver 2011 New ZealandJuris Winery Pinot Noir Haide Silver 2011 AustriaMeyer Family Vineyards McLean Creek Vineyard Silver 2011 CanadaThe Delta Wine Company Delta Hatters Hill Pinot Noir Silver 2010 New ZealandSchlossgut Ebringen Pinot Noir `S Silver 2010 GermanyLouis Jadot Beaune 1er Cru Bronze 2010 FranceSurveyor Thomson Wines Surveyor Thomson Pinot Noir Bronze 2010 New ZealandFromm Winery Fromm Brancott Valley Bronze 2009 New ZealandViña Maycas del Limari Reserva Especial Pinot Noir Bronze 2012 ChileKellerei Cantina Terlan Cantina Terlano Riserva, Montigl, Bronze 2011 ItalyTorres Mas Borràs Bronze 2011 SpainColombo Cascina Apertura Piedmont DOC Bronze 2011 ItalyPastori Winery Pinot NeroJackson Family Wines La Crema, Sonoma Coast Bronze 2012 United StatesMatetic Vineyards EQ Pinot Noir Bronze 2012 ChileJamieson Ranch Vineyards Reata Three County Bronze 2012 United StatesCantina Conte Vistarino Pernice Pinot Nero, IGT Bronze 2010 Italy

Provincia di PaviaJuris Winery Pinot Noir Unger Bronze 2009 AustriaJuris Winery Pinot Noir Hochreit Bronze 2009 AustriaBorgo Isolabella Bricco Del Falco Bronze 2009 Italy

Monferrato Rosso DOCJuris Winery Pinot Noir Reserve Bronze 2009 AustriaFrecciarossa Giorgio Odero Pinot Nero Bronze 2008 ItalyBouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Bronze 2011 South Africa

Alex Hunt MW


Passion for Pinot Noir,a Schug family tradition

Founded in 1980, Schug Carneros Estate Wineryis the showcase and life-long dream of one ofCalifornia's most celebrated winemakers, WalterSchug. Drawing on his experience in theproduction of fine wines in Germany and asfounding Winemaker for Joseph Phelps inCalifornia, Walter along with his wife Gertrudbuilt the winery to focus on Pinot Noir. In 1995,Sonoma native Mike Cox joined the team asWinemaker with Walter Schug overseeing thebusiness as Winemaster. Nestled in the hills ofthe cool climate of the Carneros Appellation,the winery is dedicated to Walter’s originalpassion for graceful and elegant Pinot Noirs.

Schug Carneros Estate Winery602 Bonneau Road, Sonoma CA 95476

www.schugwinery.com Phone 707.939.9363

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the few entries at the expensive end,while the lower end of the price spectrumperformed only moderately well. “Weoccasionally find good Bourgogne rouge,but it’s still a rarity,” commented Payne,alluding to his general experience ofbuying French Pinot. Nevertheless, thecountry collected seven silvers; a numberboosted by France’s strong performancein the sparkling category, above all withChampagne blanc de noirs. Payne

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most accolades overall, achieving 28medals, which were split between 2 golds,8 silvers and 18 bronzes. This was from 44entries however, meaning that Chile wasalso responsible for a large number ofwines which didn’t achieve good scoresfrom the judges.

ADDED VALUENotably, it was Chile that dominated themedals in the sub £10 price bracket,confirming its reputation as a source ofextremely price-competitive Pinot. “Chilestill delivers the best value juicy fruit stylecheaper Pinots, though Eastern Europestill shows promise,” commented Payneafter the results were revealed. And ifthere was a “weak link” in the tastingaccording to Richard Bampfield MW, thatwas South Africa. The country in factachieved 11 medals from 17 entries, butBampfield said that he felt the wines“failed to impress” with a “slight flatnessto the Pinots”.

FRENCH SPARKLEBut what about France? This country’stally of top medals suffered perhaps from

pinot noir masters

Results: oaked Pinot

Company Product Name Medal Vintage CountryOaked £20-30 (continued)Surveyor Thomson Wines Surveyor Thomson Pinot Noir Bronze 2011 New ZealandMarchesi Antinori Pinot Nero della Sala Bronze 2011 ItalyMoehr-Niggli Weine Pilgrim Bronze 2011 SwitzerlandKellerei Cantina Terlan Cantina Andriano, Anrar Riserva Bronze 2010 ItalyAzienda Agricola Antonio Pinot Nero Bronze 2010 ItalyDellabianca

Oaked £30+Circe Wines Circe, Hillcrest Road Gold 2012 AustraliaRodney Strong Vineyards Jane's Vineyard Pinot Noir Gold 2011 United StatesDel Dotto Vineyards Cinghiale Vineyard Pinot Noir Gold 2011 United States

Sonoma Coast, Fort Ross-SeaviewCraggy Range Vineyards 'Aroha', Te Muna Road Vineyard Gold 2011 New ZealandJackson Family Wines Wild Ridge Pinot Noir Gold 2011 United StatesViña Cono Sur Ocio Gold 2010 ChileTapanappa Wines Foggy Hill Vineyard Silver 2012 AustraliaRodney Strong Vineyards Russian River Valley Estate Silver 2012 United StatesKing Ridge Vineyard Castello di Amorossa Silver 2012 United States

King Ridge VineyardTolpuddle Vineyard Tolpuddle Vineyard Pinot Noir Silver 2012 AustraliaWeingut Mario J. Burkhart Rarus Noir Blauer Spätburgunder Silver 2011 GermanyDomaine Berthelemot Pommard 'Noizons' Silver 2010 FranceBomb Wines Carden Pinot Noir Silver 2010 United StatesWeingut Thörle Hölle Spätburgunder Silver 2011 GermanyLe Clos Jordanne Le Grand Clos Silver 2011 CanadaMoorilla Moorilla Muse Silver 2011 AustraliaSonnet Wine Cellars Sonnet Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Silver 2010 United States

Highlands Tondre’s GrapefieldBergström Wines Bergström Vineyard, Dundee Hills Silver 2011 United StatesJamieson Ranch Vineyards Reata Pinot Noir Silver 2011 United StatesAccolade Wines Eileen Hardy Silver 2010 AustraliaParinga Estate Paringa Estate Pinot Noir Silver 2010 AustraliaTarras Vineyards The Canyon Silver 2009 New ZealandBoutinot Onannon Gippsland Bronze 2011 Australia Viña Apaltagua Apaltagua Coleccion Bronze 2012 ChileVallet Frères Gevrey Chambertin 1er Cru, Bronze 2007 France

Clos St JacquesHarley Wines Dalla Cia Bronze 2011 South AfricaDomaine de la Côte Bloom's Field Bronze 2011 United StatesBy Farr Sangreal Bronze 2010 AustraliaWeingut Markus Molitor Brauneberger Klostergarten Bronze 2009 GermanyBomb Wines Bomb Oregon Pinot Noir Bronze 2009 United States

Mark Savage MW

Pinot Noir is all aboutbouquet and texture,and New Zealand has

delivered bouquet

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pointed out: “Pinot Noir sparkling winesare serious… quite different from blanc deblancs with a special redcurrant aromathat adds freshness and excitement whendone well.”

Finally, it was pleasing to witness someof Australia’s new Pinot Noirsperforming well, with the country’sTapanappa, Eileen Hardy and TolpuddlePinots all gaining silvers.

Interestingly, despite the high number of

entries and range of styles, the judgesagreed that the tasting had not been toofatiguing. As Bampfield summed up, “Ilove tasting Pinot Noir, and I thought thewines were delightful. Good Pinot has abriskness that means it’s not tiring totaste.” With Cabernet Sauvignon the nextfocus of db’s Global Masters tasting series,one doubts the judges will be feeling thesame way after a day assessing winesmade with this thick-skinned grape. db

pinot noir masters

What factors in your view make a Pinot Noir great?Pinot Noir is an extremely delicate grape that youhave to master in order to properly express its fruit,freshness, acidity and gracefulness. A good Pinot is adelicate wine with fresh, juicy flavours, smoothtannins, good acidity and great expression.Which regions of the world have the potential toproduce high quality Pinot Noir? The ideal winemaking regions for Pinot are those inwhich there is a combination of red, mineral soils anda cold, dry climate. Burgundy, of course, is the bestexample, but areas such as Casablanca, San Antonio and Bío Bío have the potential tobecome major representatives of the variety due to these characteristics.How has your own approach to getting the best from Pinot changed over the years?Since we began working with Martin Prieur on our Ocío Pinot Noir project, ourvinification style has changed tremendously. In the past, we treated Pinot in the sameway as Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere and Syrah.

With time, we learnt that extraction and concentration weren’t the way to go aboutmaking a good Pinot Noir, so turned our focus to balance, freshness, smooth tannins,acidity and minerality as the key is elegance. Managing yields, harvest dates,carbonic maceration, the amount of extraction and barrel usage have all been factorswe’ve considered in order to produce the most complex and elegant Pinots possible.What sort of evolution in the style and popularity of Pinot Noir areyou currently seeing in Chile?Chile is one of the most traditional wine consuming countries, as the majority ofconsumers continue to primarily drink red wine, 70% of which is CabernetSauvignon. This shows that the Chilean consumer has always been a lover ofconcentrated wines with firm tannins, which is why at the beginning, Pinot Noirwasn’t so common here. However, we are now seeing a group of people that arereally starting to appreciate the variety’s concept of finesse and gracefulness. What is it about Pinot Noir that means it has such global appeal?There has been a global consumer trend towards approachable wines that offerinstant pleasure. The wines leading today’s consumption trends have a lower alcoholcontent, less extraction and concentration, softer tannins and are simply fresher. PinotNoir fits this description perfectly.Is there a winemaker or wine whose expression of Pinot Noir inspires you?Cono Sur’s current Pinot style is largely due to us having worked with Martin Prieurfrom Domaine Jacques Prieur in Meursault for the last 14 years. His wines,philosophy and the way he works inspires and motivates us.

Q&A: Adolfo Hurtado, chief winemaker, Cono Sur

MARK SAVAGE MWI think that marginalripening is the key tosuccess for all varieties but

especially for pernickety Pinot wherethe window of optimum maturity is soshort. Freshness is always essentialand so stewed fruit is to be avoided atall costs both in the vineyard withpicking too late and then in thevinification when over extraction isthe danger. As with great tennisplayers the greatest are always thosewho make everything look easy egFederer (rather than Nadal).

Effortless, almost weightless energyis more exciting and refreshing thansomething that was a struggle. Sonatural balance is the key.

Correct if you have to but alwaysremember that the greatest results willcome from fruit that needed neitherchaptalisation nor acidification.

Acidity is much more important forthe structure than tannin. Colour isalmost irrelevant so do not beprejudiced by light colours. Think ofwhat Mugnier does with his Musigny.

I look for perfume and purity andprecision. I hate jammy fruit and over-concentration, which is the enemy offinesse. The target is delicacy ratherthan power, hence the vitalimportance of natural acidity. Brightcherry fruit is more appealing in ayoung Pinot than stewed prunes.

I want to see a kind of nervousenergy, almost edgy, never clumsy,heavy-footed, but always racy.

Panel chair comment

The wines weredelightful.

Good Pinot has abriskness that means

it’s not tiring to taste


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pinot noir masters

SEBASTIAN PAYNE MWFor me Pinot is all aboutbouquet and texture. NewZealand has delivered

bouquet. Their vineyards, originallyplanted with the Swiss clone bestsuited to sparkling wine production,have been replanted with classyscented clones and the results areincreasingly excellent, though Otagocan be soupy in the years when it canharvest despite the elements.

Chile still delivers the best value fruitand juicy style cheaper Pinots, thoughEastern Europe shows promise.

Texture is the crunch with pricierwines, length of flavour andcomplexity – a hard combination tofind. Pinot Noir sparkling wines areserious I think and deserve a mention.They are quite different from blanc deblancs with a special redcurrant aromathat adds freshness an excitementwhen done well.

Panel chair comment

What factors in your view make a PinotNoir great?The terroir. Pinot Noir is a very delicategrape that needs optimum conditions toshow all its potential. These can be veryelegant wines, with complex anddelicate flavours, great structure andextraordinary freshness.Which regions of the world have thepotential to produce high quality Pinot Noir?Obviously Burgundy is the first place togo and has great conditions, but Limaríalso has a lot to show. Characterised byred clay soils overlaying a chalky base, ithas a cool, semi-arid climate with acoastal influence that allows the vines tobenefit from the morning fog. Thesecloudy mornings and the calcareous soilprovide the wines with a fresh anddelicate character.

How has your own approach to gettingthe best from Pinot Noir changed overthe years?When you start drinking wine you lookfor more structure and more intensearomas and flavours, but after years goby you prefer the Burgundy or Piemontestyle that provides delicate and freshwine. This attributes allows enjoyingmuch more the bottle and not get tiredafter a glass. For me this idea isrepresented in a good way with theconcept “less is more”. Limarí Valleygives me those results.What sort of evolution in the style andpopularity of Pinot Noir are youcurrently seeing in Chile?In Chile, Pinot Noir started in cool areasbut with a lot of sun and luminosity likeCasablanca and Leyda. In my opinionnowadays Limarí and the south of thewine region are the new areas. You canfind less voluptuous style and more

freshnees andelegance. What is it aboutPinot Noir thatmeans it has suchglobal appeal?Pinot Noir is aneveryday wine, youdon´t get tired of this variety. Its fresh, delicate and elegant. We needconsumers that appreciate andunderstand this wines.Is there a winemaker or wine whoseexpression of Pinot Noir inspires you?I can´t talk about winemakers because Ithink that for varieties like Chardonnayand Pinot Noir we have to respect theorigin, the soil and the climate more than“the elaboration”. Burgundy is one ofthose places that I get inspired by, but isnot the only one. Limarí has this specialmagic that captivates me and allows forgreat Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

Q&A: Marcelo Papa, winemaker, Maycas de Limarí


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pinot noir masters

The judges

What factors in your view make a PinotNoir great?For me, Pinot Noir is first and foremostabout elegance and mouthfeel. It is verymuch a textural wine: supple on entry,rich throughout with a long silky finish,all hung on a solid framework of acidityto carry it. From there we can talk aboutthe nuances of the wine as it ages, but itall starts out with the mouthfeel.Which regions of the world have thepotential to produce high quality Pinot Noir?Any region where the growing seasonsmight be long enough for the flavours tofully develop without an oppressiveamount of alcohol. In addition to theobvious Burgundy, I have experiencedgreat wines from Germany (primarilythe Rheingau), Austria (Neusiedlersee),New Zealand, Oregon, and right here inCarneros.

How has your own approach to gettingthe best from Pinot Noir changed overthe years?One of the great things about workingwith Walter (Schug) is that his visionreally has not changed. We don’t have tochase styles as they continuously evolve.We make wines that Walter likes todrink. My approach though has maturedand I am more willing to hold back andwait for things to develop rather than betoo fiddly up front. Not that I am afraidto correct, it’s just that I’m a little morepatient and tend to shoot for more of amiddle ground.What sort of evolution in the style andpopularity of Pinot Noir areyou currently seeing in California?The pendulum is swinging back from aheavy-handed approach to one in whichsubtlety and grace are appreciated. Ifpeople are looking for big Napa Cabs ora big Dry Creek Zin, they are sticking to

that rather thantrying to force thoseriper styles.What is it aboutPinot Noir thatmeans it has suchglobal appeal?Its subtlety; its ever- changing nature. Pinot Noir will never bore you, it mayon occasion disappoint you, but it willalso soar higher than any other wine.Is there a winemaker or wine whoseexpression of Pinot Noir inspires you?Bob Sessions for decades, and nowMichael McNeill at Hanzell have madewines that are the gold standard forSonoma Pinot Noir. Scott Rich, formerlyof Carneros Creek Etude and now of hisown Talisman brand. For Burgundy, myhero is François Millet of DomaineComte Georges de Vogüé: the absolutemaster of Pinot Noir.

Q&A: Mike Cox, winemaker, Schug Winery

Left to right: Patrick Schmitt, Hugo Rose MW, Sebastian Payne MW (chair), Linda Jotham MW, Richard Bampfield MW (chair), Mark Savage MW (chair), Anne McHale MW, Neil Sommerfelt MW, Rupert Millar, Alex Hunt MW, Robin Langton, Gearoid Devaney MS


another bouquet · 2018-10-02 · 68 another bouquet this year’s pinot noir masters saw judges...

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