Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is synonymous with Burgundy and has long been established as one of the world’s great red wine grapes. Pinot Noir expresses the nuances of different terroirs with great finesse, particularly the well-drained limestone soils of the Côte d’Or. An early-ripening variety with small, tightly packed berries, it is susceptible to disease and spring frosts and naturally produces low yields, making it a demanding variety in the vineyard. Yet when all the right conditions come together, Pinot Noir excels.
Its history stretches back to 1395, when Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, issued an ordinance banning the cultivation of the ‘disloyal Gamay’ in favour of Pinot Noir, which was considered the nobler of the two varieties. This political decision marked a major turning point in Burgundy’s winegrowing identity and contributed to Pinot Noir’s rise to become one of the world’s great grape varieties.
Pinot Noir wines offer subtle aromas of cherry, raspberry and redcurrant, developing notes of undergrowth, leather and truffle with age. On the palate, Pinot Noir is all about elegance, with fine tannins, a silky texture and often pronounced acidity that brings freshness and length.
While Burgundy remains the undisputed spiritual home of Pinot Noir, the variety is also grown in Champagne and Alsace, as well as further afield in Germany, where it is known as Spätburgunder, and also in Switzerland and northern Italy. Estates such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and Armand Rousseau, along with several other iconic names in Burgundy, produce some of the most sought-after expressions of Pinot Noir, combining exacting work in the vineyard with precise ageing.
