Everybody agrees, you can only produce great wines from great fruit. There in lies the problem with Pinot Noir. Unlike Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel or Syrah, Pinot Noir is a delicate, thin-skinned grape. To make great Pinot Noir, the grapes must reach flavor ripeness, tannin ripeness and have a good acid-sugar balance. This can only be achieved through long hang time (time spent ripening on the vine) in a dry, cool climate. Unfortunately, these conditions rarely occur in nature anywhere in the world.

Great Burgudies are few and far between

In Burgundy, which is world famous for producing some of the best Pinot Noir made, full ripeness is seldom achieved. It is only the Grand Cru vineyards on the hillside with southern exposure that reach this condition, and only in great vintages. Unfortunately, great vintages occur only rarely in Burgundy, and much of the Pinot Noir produced there is only an empty shell of what Pinot Noir can be. Oregon, like Burgundy, has significant vintage variation due to weather and consistent quality Pinot Noir is difficult to achieve.

Some California micro-climates offer great potential

In California, even in cooler mico-climates, it is difficult to maintain a good acid-sugar balance while reaching full flavor and tannin ripeness. Pinot Noir producers around the world usually have to make a compromise each vintage on when to harvest their fruit. Is it best to compromise on the acid / sugar balance to reach full flavor and tannin ripeness? Do you harvest early before the risk of rain increases and compromise on reaching full flavor and tannin ripeness? Or do you go for additional hang time to get to full ripeness and risk the possibility of rain and rot that could ruin the crop?

The odds for obtaining good quality pinot noir fruit can be increased by utilizing several vineyard techniques. For example, reducing yield (the amount of fruit on each vine) allows the fruit to reach full ripeness earlier so problems with sugar-acidit balance can be reduced. But inevitably, Pinot Noir producers always have to make difficult decisions on when to harvest their grapes to make the best wine possible. Since Pinot Noir produces delicate, complex wines, any flaws or rough edges can be detected much more easily than they would in other heavier wines such as Cabernet.

Because Pinot Noir skins are thin, color and flavor extraction are much more difficult with Pinot Noir. And unless the seeds reach ripeness, they can impart astringent tannins into the wine. These are only a few of the issues that Pinot Noir producers face.

Links to additional information on Pinot Noir

If you would like to learn more, use our links section below, which contains additional information on Pinot Noir and will be updated regularly. If you have seen a site with interesting information on Pinot Noir please email us with the link information.

General Information on Pinot Noir

Good Overview on Pinot Noir

A breif history of Pinot Noir

Additional background information on Pinot Noir

Overview of Burgundy

Comparision of Pinot Noir to other wines

           (Click on "Grapes & Wine Types" then "N-Q" then "Pinot Noir")