National Tasting Project 2012 Pinot Noir Soft, Subtle and Potentially Seductive

Transcription

1 National Tasting Project 2012 Pinot Noir Soft, Subtle and Potentially Seductive Page 1 of 15

2 National Tasting Committee Rege Duralia Chairperson North Carolina Contact for questions and other inquiries: Aaron Mandel Barry St. Pierre Dave Szydlik Kristin Kraft Laci Schaible Luca Conte Sue Cerny Missouri Connecticut Texas Pennsylvania Florida Kentucky New Mexico Pam Davey Results Summary Ohio Contact for inquiries about the Reporting Sheet Page 2 of 15

3 National Tasting Project 2012 Pinot Noir Soft and Subtle Special Note: In an effort to combat the fragmented and often confusing wine distribution system in the US, this year the NTP committee has made arrangements with wine.com to source the wines for the Tasting Project. Because wine moves through their warehouses quickly, they cannot guarantee availability beyond May 15 th. Even if you plan to hold the tasting later on this year, order wines NOW. History, Regions, Wine Making and other Tidbits about Pinot Noir Burgundy, France Of all the wine regions of the world that make red wine, Burgundy is one of the most northern and the coolest. Although Burgundy is the epitome of Pinot Noir production, its distance north of the equator results in variable weather that produces different results in the vineyard, year to year. In fact, wine making there is the ultimate crap shoot. Even further north the Champagne Region also grows Pinot Noir which makes up the largest portion of many notable Champagnes. It gives the basic structure and depth to the sparkling wine The Romans were probably growing grapes in Burgundy in 51BC. There is some evidence that Pinot existed in the 4 th century AD. Although Morrillon Noir was the common name for early Pinot, records from the 14 th century mention Pinot. It is an exceptionally old wine variety. Over the years that Pinot Noir has been in Burgundy it has mutated producing Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Meuneir and has evolved into many distinct clones. During the 10 th to 14 th centuries, winemaking in Burgundy was by the Benedictine Monks of Cluny and the Cistercian Monks. The latter noticed the influence of terrior on wine production. Because of their austerity and asceticism, they developed experience, learned through experimentation and comparison of winemaking techniques and had time to record results. Their efforts established a reputation for Burgundy as a producer of excellent wines. Pinot Noir is well recognized as more difficult than Chardonnay to vinify. It needs constant monitoring and fine tuning of techniques, depending on the vintage. When conditions are right, it can produce a wine of excellent character and sophistication. Among the several viticulture areas in burgundy, the Côte D Or is the primary Pinot Noir growing region which includes the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune. Some significant wine growing villages of the Cote D Or are shown on the map insert. The classification of the qualities of the land in this strip is one of the most elaborate on earth. These vineyards are divided into four classes. Le Grand Cru which is most significant is the patent of Burgundy s highest nobility. There are 30 Grand Cru vineyards in operation today. Second in significance are Premier Cru vineyards, of which there are 561 in the region. Of those, only five vineyards consistently yield wine that is marked superior. The third ranked classification is referred to as the Village followed by the village name. The fourth level is the most basic and is referred to as Burgundy White or Red. Page 3 of 15

4 Just because a Pinot Noir comes from Burgundy, one cannot expect it to be exceptional for there are many wineries and the variations in climate can, for example, make the wines of the Côte de Nuits exceptional while the wines of the Côte de Beaune may be just ordinary within the same vintage. California, USA Franciscan Fathers brought vine cuttings to California in the 1700s of a grape known as Mission for making sacramental wine and wine for consumption. Pinot Noir made its initial appearance in California in the 1850s, and by 1880 there were 300 acres planted in Carneros. Although the grape was grown in several locations in California throughout the 20th century, widespread planting of the grape did not take place until the 1960s and then without regard to the vineyard location. Winemakers struggled for many years to figure out the best growing areas and treatment of wine during the wine making process California s fine wine regions are the result of the state s distinct topography and location. During the day as the heat of the interior warms up and rises, cool air from the Pacific Ocean is sucked through a series of gaps in the low coastal mountain ranges. This warming and cooling is conducive to creating Pinot Noir grapes capable of making excellent wine. The best suited areas are the Russian River Valley in Sonoma County, the Carneros region at the south end of the Napa Valley and further down the coast Santa Barbara County, especially the Santa Maria Valley. In addition to the fog and cool air in the valleys less time in the barrel resulted in more complexity of bouquet, richness in the texture and readiness to age well in the bottle. The styles and resulting wine vary from producer to producer as well as year to year depending on climate conditions. Oregon, USA Vinifera grapes were brought to Oregon in the late 19 th century. In 1961 Richard Sommer began the modern wine industry with the establishment of Hillcrest Vineyards in Roseburg well south of the now famous Willamette Valley. He attended the University of California, Davis and was advised that vinifera grapes would not grow that far north. In 1966, David Lett of Eyrie Vineyards planted Pinot Noir in the Dundee Hills area of the Willamette Valley with the belief the grapes would fare better there than they did in California. Oregon s dicey climate is the key to the grape s success there. As in Burgundy, when the gamble with nature is won by the wine growers, a wine of utter beauty, focus and finesse can emerge. Oregon is the only major region outside of Burgundy that specializes in Pinot Noir. The production of Pinot Noir was established in the Willamette Valley, extending from Portland south 150 miles to Eugene, which has a cool ripening period that suits production of great Pinot Noir wines. Oregon winemakers believed that an ultra gentle touch during harvesting and in the cellar is required. Too much handling of the grapes can result in wine that seems denuded, bitter or simply out of whack. Page 4 of 15

5 Australia, Down Under The first vineyard was planted at the end of the 18 th century. Today a wide array of grapes is planted there with Shiraz and Chardonnay leading the pack. Pinot Noir ranks fifth in red wine production behind Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Mouvedre. Much of the Pinot Noir is used in sparkling wine production but it can produce an elegant red wine. The cool regions around Melbourne, Adelaide Hills and Albany in the southern portion of the state of Western Australia and some of the growing regions in Tasmania provide a climate conducive to production of genuine, at times exhilarating, table wines of distinction. Due to the lack of summer rainfall many areas require and practice irrigation. Page 5 of 15

6 Mendoza, Argentina The first vines to arrive in Argentina came in 1541 from Spain and were related to the Mission grape grown in California. The Jesuit Missionaries found the best conditions for vine growing to be in the foothills of the Andes with the first vineyard planted in Malbec was not planted till the 1860s. The Mendoza region of Argentina lies in the foothills of the Andes Mountains where the climate is semi-desert. Consequently, from the early days irrigation has been necessary for vine growing. Until recently little attention was paid to matching growing wine with a region suited for it to thrive and produce an excellent product. Pinot Noir represents a minor part of the total red wine production but is coming into its own and may have a future in cooler vineyards. Italy Pinot Noir is often referred to as Pinot Nero in Italy. The first mention of Pinot Nero in Italy appears in Edmund Mach's La Viticulturae i Vini del Tirolo Tedesco of However, it was probably grown in the Po valley as early as the 17th century. Page 6 of 15

7 Pinot Nero is grown throughout Italy, although it is most commonly found in the north due to the climate. In the Veneto and the Alto Adige it is usually vinified as a still wine. In the Lombardy region, it is often used in sparkling wines. In more recent years it has been more common to find Pinot Nero used in Tuscany and even as far south as Sicily. New Zealand Missionaries were responsible for the first planting of grapes in1819. Since New Zealand is the most southerly wine growing region, it took the wine industry 150 years to understand how to produce good wine in the cool climate. Canopy management and controlling yield has allowed the winemakers to improve their product. In 1997 Pinot Noir production exceeded that of Cabernet Sauvignon. Although Pinot Noir became the country s most planted red wine, most of the production went into sparkling wine. Wine makers have operated relatively free from regulatory restraints with sugar and acid adjustments allowed. Only three areas of the country have been found to be favorable to Pinot Noir. At the southern end of the northern island, east of Wellington, is Wairarapa and most wine makers are small scale lifestyle winemakers. Around Christchurch on the southern island is Canterbury which is cool and dry with a moderate risk of October and April frosts. Central Otago, also on the southern Island, grows the world s most southerly grapevines south of the 45 th parallel. Yields are small but the best wines show impressive concentration. Pinot Noir, the region s most popular variety, has shown the most potential with gentle, stylish wines. Niagara on the Lake, Canada The Canadian wine industry began in 1811 when Johann Schiller domesticated labrusca vines and these were followed by winter resistant French Hybrids, such as, Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Baco Noir and Marechal Foch. In 1974 a movement began that believed vinifera grapes could be grown in the right soils despite the harsh winters and unpredictable springs. Ontario, specifically the Niagara peninsula, has recently produced Pinot Noir and is creating exquisite wines with 20 wineries offering it in their tasting rooms. The information above came from three sources: Jancis Robinson, The Oxford Companion to Wine, 2 nd Ed. (Oxford, NY 1999) Karen MacNeil, The Wine Bible, (New York, 2001) Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson, The World Atlas of Wine, 5 th Ed. (China 2003) Page 7 of 15

8 Pinot Noir Random Tasting Notes by Region Burgundy, France Light ruby, with characteristic color. Light peppery, earthiness, touch of tobacco. Medium bodied, tart, tannic. No fruit in the finish; short and tart finish. Currently pleasant, will improve with age. Light red, but typical color. Complex aromas with red cherry, raspberry, licorice, rose, spices and earth notes. Slight Brett, and a hint of vegetal, moderate tannins, good structure, tannic finish Bright, dark ruby color. Aroma/bouquet exhibit woodsy, earthy, peppery spice, dark berries. A bit thin on the palate. Not that layered or complex in the mouth or the finish. A decent old world pinot and an affordable burgundy. Ruby-garnet, lots of cherries, pepper and plums on the aroma. Candied fruit, some oak, herbs and spices. Subtle and typically French. Translucent pale red color, with earthy aromas of mushrooms along with dark fruit character in the nose. Complex flavors carry through on the palate, with earthy elements mixed with mild cherry flavor, and spices on the finish. Well-balanced, medium bodied wine with long finish. California Deep purple to claret, complex with slight earthiness, medium to full bodied, well balanced, tart finish with fruit overtones. Moderate lingering finish. Deep ruby color with hint of purple. Cherry, strawberries, very fruit forward, with a little caramel, vanilla, candy, a little spice and a little leather. They are overpowered by the sweet cherry and vanilla. Disappointing finish, almost artificially sweet, overly oaked, needs acidity and tannins to balance it out. Dark garnet, cherries, cola and vanilla aromas, earthy, cherries and mushrooms in the taste, with a long finish. Has some weight. Dark, almost opaque dense red color with rich, dark fruit aromas of plum, black cherry. Complex, intense flavors of jam, spice, plum, leather and black licorice. A well-balanced, young full-bodied wine that will benefit with some aging. Translucent red color with cherry and floral elements in the nose. Black cherry dominates the palate, making this wine somewhat unidimensional. Medium bodied and well-balanced, with soft tannins making this wine ready for drinking now. Medium ruby red, brilliant, reflective. Tight initially but opens up. Fruit forward--red in particular, really ripe strawberries, dark cherries, floral--rose & linalool, spices, a little yeast aroma, cola, artificial cinnamon, BIG aroma with time, nicely balanced alcohol, acidity and tannins, lingering finish, SMOOTH. Aroma and bouquet carry over nicely with more dark fruit on palate. Light on the nose but came to life on the palate predominately with the fruitiness of cherries, a hint of chocolate, earthiness and a hint of bacon, or smoke towards the back of the palate. The finish was lingering smokiness. Will improve with age. Oregon Claret to ruby, hints of cherry with slight earthiness, delicate fruit, rounded mouth feel. Medium bodied, tart with light tannins. Good balance with medium finish with tart red fruit. Light red, but typical color. Cherry, forest floor, earth, dusty, some bitterness, a little out of balance due to high alcohol reflected in hot taste and hot and tannic finish. Page 8 of 15

9 Since this wine was produced using whole cluster bunches rather than crushing, it exhibits Beaujolais characteristics. Pale, almost rose. Hints of strawberry eventually bring forth some sour cherry and spice. A little fruit flavor plus tobacco and tannins on the palate, Light body, a bit tart with earthiness and slight fruit on the finish, Australia Light red, but typical color. Cherry bubblegum, cherry koolaid, rose petals, lactic, mild tannins, short finish leaving tannins behind. Argentina Light ruby with cherry brilliance. Dark cherry, raspberry bouquet; slight vegetal earthiness. Medium bodied, cherry on the palate, soft tannins. Medium fruit crisp finish. Italy Light ruby-garnet color. Nutty, creamy, lots of red fruit cherry, raspberry and blackberry. Light body, nicely balanced, earthy and a bit of minerality on the slightly lingering finish. Page 9 of 15

10 Pinot Noir Tasting Instructions For the Presenter Wines Aperitif wine(s) Since this is a red wine tasting, a white wine would be nice to have as an aperitif. This is not a requirement, but is a pleasant way to start the event. Select a simple, affordable white wine such as a Sparkling Wine, Pinot Grigio, or a Sauvignon Blanc. Choose any white wine you wish that fits in your budget. This is a great social starter and can cleanse the palate in preparation for the Pinot Noir tasting. Pinot Noir wines for the tasting See the list of wines on pages Taste the wines blind and in random order do not arrange the wines by region, cost or how you expect them to taste. Toss a die, draw cards or draw slips of paper to determine the tasting order. For the tasting you will select 6 wines from the list of 14 wines on pages Choose1 wine from each region represented France (Burgundy), California, Oregon, Australia, Argentina and Italy. If you cannot order from wine.com and are unable to obtain a wine from each region, please call Rege to sort things out. Purchase the vintages listed, if possible. They are the most recent available as of this time. The number of bottles of each wine that you will need depends on the number of participants at the tasting and how carefully the wines are poured. There are 25.6 ounces of wine in a 750ml bottle. If you pour 1-1½ ounces of wine per person, you can get approximately pours per bottle. Note: Arrangements have been made with wine.com to furnish the listed wines. See the ordering instructions beginning on page 14. Availability of wines cannot be guaranteed beyond May 15 th. Order NOW! For optimal flavor and aroma, serve the Pinot Noir wines at about 65 F (cellar temperature). Blind Tasting Preparation Do not reveal the wines, their prices, the Random Tasting Notes or the Winemaker s notes to the participants before the tasting. Supplies Needed Paper bags long enough to cover the bottles Tape Marking pen Corkscrew Extra blank corks (opt.) Instructions 1. The wines should be tasted in random order. Do not arrange wines by region or cost mix them up! We want to give all the wines a fair chance in the ratings. 2. Remove the capsules from the bottles completely. 3. Number the bags, keeping track of which wine is in each bag number. 4. One to two hours before the tasting, open the Pinot Noir wines to allow them to breathe. Hide the corks or screw caps. Page 10 of 15

11 5. Place each bottle in the proper numbered paper bag to correspond with your list and tape the bag shut near the top so the wine cannot be identified. Conducting the Blind Tasting Supplies Needed Prepared wines for the blind tasting One wine glass per person or the tasting can be done in flights of either two or three AWS Scoring Sheets (download from the AWS website*) Pens/pencils Presentation information and materials and your own research you may also refer to the AWS Website for additional information on Pinot Noir Reporting instructions and summary form (download from the AWS website*) Instructions: 1. Review the tasting instructions, background material and reporting information before the tasting. 2. It is important that each participant use an AWS scoring sheet to write down descriptors and scores. Encourage everyone to score the wines. Only full and half points should be used when scoring the wines. Remind the participants to assume a wine is worth 20 points and deduct for the characteristics that do not meet the judging attribute descriptions on the back of the scoring sheet. 3. If someone is an AWS Graduate Wine Judge, he/she needs to mark GWJ in the upper right hand corner of the scoring sheet. It is important for proper analysis that judge status is identified. 4. Prior to the formal tasting, or during the social period, educate the participants with the background information provided or your own research on Pinot Noir wines. 5. Ask the volunteers to pour the first wine (Bag #1). Allow a few minutes for everyone to taste, score and write comments before proceeding to the next wine. Then, pour the next wine (Bag #2) and allow time for evaluation. Continue until all 6 wines have been poured and sampled. 6. We highly recommend that the tasting be conducted with no discussion so each participant can form his/her own opinions. Once all the wines are tasted and scored, you can reveal the wines and encourage discussion about them. Introduce the Pinot Noir Random Tasting Notes (page 8) and the Winemakers notes (pages 14-18) as aids to discussion. 7. When the tasting is finished, collect all the scoring sheets. Follow the instructions provided for reporting the results (page 12). If desired, tasting forms can be returned to the attendees after the results have been tabulated. 8. The reporting form should be completed on a computer using Excel and ed to Pam Davey within 2 weeks of the tasting. All results must be received by October Please contact Rege Duralia if you have any questions about the wines or conducting the tasting. Have a great tasting and enjoy the wines! *Note: AWS score sheets and the 2011 NTP Reporting Form are available on the AWS website ( The score sheet is in the Education Section (AWS Wine Evaluation Chart) and the Reporting Form is in Events National Tasting Project. Contact Rege or Pam if you have any trouble finding these materials. Page 11 of 15

12 How to Report Your Results The person who completes the reporting form needs to have a computer with Microsoft Excel, and . Go to the AWS Website Events National Tasting Project to download the Reporting Form. Each attendee uses the AWS 20-point scoring sheet to record their scores. The scoring sheet is available from the AWS website. A sample Reporting Form is included with this package (page 13). The actual Reporting Form is available on the AWS Website. Only full and half points should be used when scoring the wines. At the end of the tasting, collect the attendees forms and record the results on the reporting sheets. Please return the results to us within 2 weeks of your tasting. We must receive all data by October 15 in order to include it in the final report. Please record the scores for each taster on the reporting form do not send totals or table summaries. We do not need the participants names, just the scores. If tasters do not want to have their scores recorded, please do include them in the number in attendance. Use Microsoft Excel to fill out the summary form. Use only the 2012 Reporting form that you download from the AWS website ( Please do not make your own form or use ones from previous NTPs. The form has two worksheets to allow you to enter results for up to 175 tasters. If you have any questions, contact Pam Davey by (pamdavey@aol.com) or phone ( ). Completing the Form Using Microsoft Excel, fill out the Chapter and Wine Information sections page on Page 1. In the Wines section, enter the wine number or select it from the dropdown box. The vintage and wine name will be automatically filled in. Change the vintage, if necessary and enter the cost for each wine. cost for each wine. Be sure to include both the wine number and the wine name. In the Results section, mark Y(es) or N(o) to designate whether the taster is an AWS Graduate Wine Judge. Then, record the scores for each wine. Please remember to include scores for all tasters, rather than summary information. The sheet is protected so you cannot accidently put information into the header cells. If you have more than 25 tasters, click on the Page 2 tab in the lower left corner and you will see a worksheet to record the results for 150 additional tasters. The chapter wine information appears only on page 1 and the averages are computed across both forms automatically. The next page of this package shows an example of how to summarize the results. Submitting the Results When you have completed filling in the worksheet(s), please the file, within 2 weeks of the tasting, to pamdavey@aol.com. You will receive an acknowledging receipt of your data. We would also like to receive any comments you have on the tasting, plus good quality pictures of your event. Please submit comments and pictures to Pam so we can include them in the final report. Thank you for your participation. Enjoy the tasting and call or Pam Davey if you are having any problems completing the form or submitting your results. Page 12 of 15

13 AWS National Tasting Project 2012 Page 1 of 1 Chapter Name: Grape Expectations State: AK Date of Tasting: April 15, 2012 Contact Name: Number in Attendance: 17 Contact Corky Concord cconcord@gmail.com Wine No. Year Wine Name Price Bouchard Wine 1 Name Aine & Fils Fixin "La Maziere" Belle Wine Glos 2 Name Meiomi Kris Wine 3 Name Bouchard Wine 4 Name Aine & Fils Pommard Decoy Wine 5 Name Willamette Wine 6 Name Valley Vyd. Whole Cluster 29 Results: Wine Judge? Taster #1 N Taster #2 N Taster #3 N Taster #4 Y Taster #5 N Taster #6 N Taster #7 N Taster #8 N Taster #9 N Taster #10 N Taster #11 N Taster #12 N Taster #13 N Taster #14 N Taster #15 N Taster #16 Taster #17 Taster #18 Taster #19 Taster #20 Taster #21 Taster #22 Taster #23 Taster #24 Taster #25 Average: Page 13 of