A grape variety is a variety of Vitis Vinifera, a European vine species renowned for the quality of the wines its grapes can produce. In simple terms, it is a type of grape, a type of plant used for wine production. Each variety is distinguished by its foliage and its grapes. The grapes and bunches have different shapes, sizes, colours and above all tastes, which are specific to each grape variety.
In Burgundy and many other regions, we mainly use white-fleshed grapes, meaning that the pulp, the inside of the grape, is white. Then it’s the colour of the skin that varies, it can be white or black (very dark purple, blueberry, in the case of Pinot Noir). During vinification, this is what gives red wines their colour.
Pinot Noir originated in Burgundy, then spread to Alsace, Champagne, the Loire Valley and all over the world. It is one of the oldest grape varieties, one of the first to have existed and to have been selected, with the first references to it dating back to 1375. Pinot Noir is at the origin of many other grape varieties, such as Chardonnay, Aligoté and Gamay. Its bunches are small and compact, resembling pinecones, hence the name ‘pinot’. Its berries are a bluish-black or dark purple colour, while its flesh is clear and transparent. Pinot Noir is a complex and mysterious grape variety. It finely interprets the terroirs* in which it is grown. In Burgundy, it is used as a single grape variety, meaning that only this type of vine is used in a given plot, Climats* and therefore in a given wine. Burgundy’s geology makes it a complex region, and the single-vine variety gives an insight into this aromatic diversity. This grape variety is as elegant as it is fragile. It is susceptible to disease and prefers northern climates, limestone soils and humid regions. It produces a sweet, colourless juice. Wines made from Pinot Noir take on a ruby red or red colour with violet highlights, emblematic of Burgundy. This colour is obtained during vinification by maceration of the juice with the skins. Pinot noir can also be used to make white wine, for example in Crémants de Bourgognes ‘blanc de noirs’.
On the nose, Pinot Noir offers a diversity of aromas ranging from fresh red fruit (blackcurrant, cherry, etc.) to spicy (pepper, cinnamon, etc.) and empyreumatic (coffee, smoke, etc.) notes. On the palate, Pinot Noir produces wines renowned for their finesse. Rather round, with assertive, delicate tannins, they will soften with ageing.
Pinot Noir reflects the complexity of Burgundy’s soils and goes very well with red meat (game, duck, etc.) or meat in sauce (beef bourguignon, hind stew, etc.). It can also be served at the end of a meal with mature cheeses and a dark chocolate dessert. A lesser-known pairing is Mediterranean or Asian cuisine (not too spicy), which will bring out the spicy aromas of the wine. For example, the Clos de la Perrière Fixin Premier Cru, with its distinctive white pepper notes, goes very well with lemongrass chicken.
Pinot Noir is a grape variety that has been used for centuries, and not just in Burgundy. It is used in other regions of France, such as Alsace and Jura. In New Zealand, Australia and the United States, it is used to discover other aromas specific to these overseas terroirs.
*In Burgundy, a climat refers to a wine-growing terroir that combines plot, grape variety and know-how.