Dear Jake,

Thank you for your query about Pinot Noir (Link to Query)and I apologise for the late reply. Earlier in the year I was speaking to one of America’s foremost Wine Masters, Jay Youmans, who was commenting on the surge in Pinot Noir sales, which is undoubtedly linked to the movie Sideways. His theory was that one of the greatest reasons for this surge was that no one who had seen the movie could find a Pinot Noir that they liked! What is quite remarkable about wine is the way that people’s palates vary not only from person to person, but more profoundly, from country to country. For instance, gin sales in the United Kingdom would most probably be greater per capita than whiskey sales in the United States. This is partly due to post prohibition effects on the liquor industry, but as a greater implication Americans have a completely different palate to the British. Gin, has all the characteristics of Burgundy, its thin, full off herbal infusions and a little austere. Whiskey has all the characteristics of California Cab, its big, textured, aromatic and strong. Pinot Noir is far more complex with many dimensions and layers, and the more you understand it, the better it gets. I recommend you find a wine education class in your area and take a Burgundy Masterclass to appreciate the full experience.

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However, that said, America makes a completely different style of Pinot Noir, and some of them lend themselves more to the American palate. My personal favourites come from Monterey and Russian River. I generally try to recommend wines under $20.00 but with Pinot Noir one often can’t afford to not spend a little more money in order to properly appreciate it. A wine I recently discovered was the J 2004 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, which really opened my eyes to how region can completely change the entire flavour profile of a grape varietal. After opening the bottle one could spend an entire evening noting how the wine opens up in many different ways. I found myself coming up with different notes with every sniff. The wine started out with aromas of anisette, nutmeg and deep purple violets with hints of cinnamon, but the end of the glass I could swear the aroma had transformed into a gamier profile, which I can only describe as ‘oak smoked venison.’ I’ve generally found that Burgundy can have a very clinical finish, whilst this wine bows out with a silky finesse filling the mouth with after-notes of mocha and caramelised sugar. This is a whiskey drinkers Pinot Noir! Though it exceeds my $20.00 mark by $7 bucks or so, I still think this wine is a bargain, and it’s definitely on my Christmas list!

I’d be interested to hear your opinion on this wine, and see if you know of anything that matches the same quality for under $20… consider it a challenge.