An enigma, a diva, an elegant star: Pinot Noir is all these things, and more

Cheers, Oct, 2003 by Ken Collura

Pinot Noir is truly an enigma. A chameleon that allows you to presume you've got it all figured out, but when you next taste it, appears in a completely different style.

Just like a spider web, pinot lures you in. It will probably take years and a plethora of bottles, but when you truly understand this grape, it's all over. You're done. You're hooked and can never go back.

Pinot noir doesn't yield a Big Wine. It doesn't behave like some young Shiraz that leaps out of the glass, gives you a bash on the snout and, standing arms akimbo, laughs all your incredulity, Ham-fisted bar-thumpers who cry out for Massive Power in their wines have avoided this one like it is a quiche, because pinot wines are all about elegance and complexity. It's a wine that makes one think, although it's regarded as a featherweight in the eyes of those who demand motor oil as an accompaniment to their meals.

But Hark! Pinot isn't just for wimps and eggheads anymore, and I've got the proof. In our very own restaurant, Bern's Steak House, I've seen tables filled with men dressed in sporty shirts with logos and bantering in golf-speak, ordering pinot noir! And loving it! Say what? Let's try to get to the bottom of such a radical turn of events, how the notoriously hard-to-grow pinot can be elegant and popular at the same time.

CALIFORNIA DREAMS

The most notable change on the pinot front has come from California and Oregon, where wines have improved to the point that even Burgundy drinkers have been forced to take notice. Some of the tastings and classes I've conducted in the last year bear this out. The huge chasm that existed between French Red Burgundy and American pinot noir has narrowed.

Formerly, when faced with an assortment of pinots served blind, it was pretty simple to pick out which wines were French. They always seemed more refined on the nose, driven by finesse. Like ballet dancers, the best ones would pirouette across the palate, light on their feet yet emphatic. The American versions were richer, more viscous in the mouth, with aromas sometimes more evocative of syrah than of pinot. And that finesse, so prevalent in the Burgundies, was often missing, replaced with the alcoholic kick that warm summers bring.

Well, things seem to be changing now. Somewhat.

For years, I've tried in vain to get a good grip on "terroir" in the California and Oregon vineyards that grow pinot. What has disturbed me is a lack of consistency in these wines, the kind of reliability that produces a comfort zone in consumers.

For example, Sonoma's side of the Carneros area has a reputation for producing "cool" pinots with clean acids and fresh fruit. The truth of the situation is that for every "cool" bottling I taste from Sonoma, there's another with the "warm" aspects of high alcohol and overripe fruit. And this variance appears consistent, regardless of vintage.

As time passes, what I've found is that the most important piece of information on a pinot noir label is the name of the producer. Getting familiar with each house's stylistic preferences is imperative if you hope to offer a diverse grouping to your clientele. Rather than concentrating on specific regions, I try to balance our list by including wines that fit flavor profiles, running from lighter to richer.

A few of the Californian houses you might include are Acacia, Au Bon Climat, Beaulieu Vineyards, David Bruce, Byron, Domaine Carneros, Dehlinger, Foxen, Hitching Post, Merry Edwards, Martin Ray, Saintsbury, Sanford, Siduri and Testarossa.

OREGON HYBRIDS

Until recently, I had often regarded Oregon as region of underachievers. You'd hear about how Winery X had just produced an amazing bottle, with all the complexity of Musigny and the power of Clos de la Roche. Then you'd taste the wine, and shrug your shoulders. Good, yes. Great, doubtful. Musigny? Never.

After sampling around 100 pinots at the International Pinot Noir Celebration in the Willamette Valley last July, I've come to think of Oregon pinots as hybrids. This is just a generality, of course, but one senses that many combine the more burly aspects of California pinot with the grace found in Burgundy.

Things are definitely on the upswing for Oregon pinot. At least half of the wines I tasted in Willamette got solid marks and a few really stood out, especially those from the 2001 vintage which features a distinctly cool, crisp angle as compared to the richer, more broad-shouldered 2000s.

Some recent favorites include Archery Summit, Bethel Heights, Broadley, Brooks, Carlo & Julian, Domaine Drouhin, Elk Cove, Evesham Wood, Foris, Patricia Green, Ponzi, Rex Hill, Domaine Serene, Shea Vineyards and Ken Wright.

BURGUNDIAN STARS

Since day one, Red Burgundy has been the star on pinot noir's door, but just like many performers of repute, Burgundy is fickle. Seventy-five dollars can purchase rapture or sorrow, and the same goes for $25, or $15. It's pretty much caveat emptor, unless you do your homework, which basically means tasting tirelessly. It is the only valid way to separate reality from hype and empty reputations.