Capri Ristorante, McLean VA

Tasting Overview  

The  main objective of this tasting is to assess and compare Pinot Noir from different parts of the world and identify the common features and character of the Pinot Noir varietal.  Paricipants would attempt to identify the geographic region of origin of the wines in this blind tasting.

Wines presenters: Jaime Estupiñan, Jaime Jaramillo

These are the wines:

1. La Cuvee Mythique Brut Reserve Rose, Pinot Noir, France
2. 2015 Pinot Noir,Louis Jadot, Bourgogne
3. 2015 Framingham, Pinot Noir, Marlborough
4. 2015 Garry Farrell Pinot Noir, Russian River

This is the menu :

1. Smoked salmon
2. Agnolotti in tomato sauce
3. Mushrooms risotto
4. Lamb in rosemary sauce
5. Dessert/Coffee

Participants: Mario Aguilar, Marcello Averbug, Ruth Connolly, Clara Estrada, Jaime Estupiñán, Jorge Garcia-Garcia, Alberto Gómez, Jaime Jaramillo,  Orlando Mason, Agilson Perazza, Claudia Perazza, John Redwood, Lucía Redwood, Jorge Requena, Alfonso Sanchez, Jairo Sanchez, Ginger Smart, Pedro Turina, German Zincke.

Information on the Wines

(The information below has been compiled from various internet sources) .

La Cuvee Mythique Brut Reserve Rose, Pinot Noir

The Wine: Delectable aromas of dark berries on the nose. This expressive and generous Brut Reserve reveals the finesse of its bubbles in an aromatic blackcurrant and redcurrant finish. Soft and smooth, with a creamy mousse, this is red fruit-flavored wine. It has a crisp citrus background while being ripe and rounded up front. The wine, 100% Pinot Noir, is ready to drink.

The Winery: Vinadeis with more than 520 employees, is a group with a unique set of skills as a producer, winemaker, blender and maturer of the wines of the South of France. VINADEIS is a vertically integrated global player in vine-to-glass, with a number of specialized tools in packaging, logistics and marketing. It is an outstanding expert in various fields: a creator of well-known brands, the undisputed leader in the commercialization of Domaines et Châteaux in the South of France, a pioneer in packaging and new products through its subsidiary dedicated to innovation, an expert in organic products and creator of a wine experience totally orientated towards customer satisfaction.

Today, Vinadeis has international operations, which make it possible to spread the reputation of the great wines of the South of France, from Aquitaine to the Rhone Valley, across the world. A strong sales and distribution network serving customers who appreciate close links combined with a very good knowledge of the markets.

Read more at: http://www.vinadeis.com/vinadeis-2/?lang=en

 2015 Pinot Noir, Louis Jadot, Bourgogne 

The Wine: Winemaker Notes: This medium-bodied wine is harmonious, with forward, plump fruit and a silky texture balanced by gentle tannins and elegant structure. The very typical Pinot aromas and flavors of red cherries and wild strawberries are complemented by a delicious, lingering finish. Pairs with red meats, roasts, pork tenderloin and soft cheeses

WS: –“Infused with graphite and cherry aromas and flavors, this Pinot Noir is expressive, and silky, with a good underlying structure for balance and composition. Drink now.”

The Winery:  The House of Louis Jadot has been producing exceptional Burgundy wines since its founding in 1859 by Louis Henry Denis Jadot. For the past 150 years Louis Jadot has continued as one of the great names of Burgundy and has gained international reputation for its superb red and white Burgundy wines. Louis Jadot is not only one of the largest producers of estate Burgundies of the Cote d’Or, it is one of the most celebrated exporters of premium Burgundies, owning close to 140 acres of vineyards from 24 of the most prestigious sites in Burgundy. Louis Jadot is one of Burgundy’s most important negociants, both qualitatively and quantitatively, with a portfolio that covers everything from inexpensive Bourgogne and Beaujolais wines to several grand cru wines, from the Côte de Beaune to Chablis. Unsurprisingly, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay feature heavily in the portfolio.

2015 Framingham, Pinot Noir, Marlborough

The Wine: Winemaker’s Notes: “Sweetly fruited Pinot Noir is world famous in Marlborough, but we’ve made it our own by including a few whole bunches. It’s a tricky process, and much more labour-intensive, but when done well it turns the wine to velvet. The stems build silkier tannins and lend a heavenly fragrance. Our final twist is a turn in a smoky oak barrel. Just long enough to add a few layers of savoury and spice complexity to those classic cranberry, cherry and plum fruit flavours. The wine has a complex nose with some attractive, savoury, smoked meat and spice notes. Cherry fruit, with herbs and a floral note. Rounded on the palate with cherry fruit, structured but approachable tannins and juicy acidity. Summer fruit compote, hints of smoky oak and some whole bunch derived spice complete the picture. “

WE: From one of Marlborough’s top producers, Framingham’s 2015 Pinot offers a heady concoction of dark berry fruit, cola, meat, black olive and earthy forrest floor. The palate is equally multi-faceted, focused on dark fruit, savory, and earthy characters, with a lingering acidity and long, savory finish. Drink now–2020.

The Winery: Framingham Wines is located in the Wairau Valley in New Zealand’s iconic Marlborough region. Its focus is on aromatic white grape varieties like Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Viognier, from which it makes a range of varietal and blended wines. The company was first established in the early 90’s, releasing its first vintage in 1994. The vineyard has some of the oldest Riesling vines in Marlborough, dating back 30 years and grafted onto phylloxera-resistant rootstock on well-drained soils of stone and silt. The Wairau Valley’s warm days and cool nights are excellent for Riesling, which often takes a back seat to Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Framingham makes a range of wines from Riesling, ranging from dry to sweet, botrytis-affected wines. Framingham’s top tier is its F-Series range, which includes wines made in Auslese and Trockenbeerenauslese styles, as well as a Vendanges Tardives-styled Gewürztraminer. The standard range includes several varietal wines, including a couple of Pinot Noir-based wines and a Montepulciano.

2015 Garry Farrell Pinot Noir, Russian River

The Wine: Winemaker Notes. Finesse and elegance are hallmarks of this delightful appellation blend. Vibrant notes of wild strawberries, raspberry preserves, and pomegranate fill the glass. Delicate aromas of rose petals and violets intertwine with a backdrop of cinnamon, grated nutmeg, pink peppercorn, and dried cloves. Medium bright upon entry, flavors of cherry cola and Ceylon black tea coat the palate and are balanced with traces of vanilla and blonde toast.

WE: Crisp acidity buoys sharp red fruit in this delectable wine—a blend of multiple sites across the appellation. Medium build, it shows youthful tannins and oak that supports without intrusion, allowing the crunch of cranberry, strawberry and pomegranate to speak forcefully.

The Winery: A 35-year pioneer in the Russian River Valley, Gary Farrell Winery crafts small-lot artisan wines that capture the balance and stylistic elegance of some of the finest vineyards in the region, including Rochioli, Allen, Bacigalupi, Hallberg, Ritchie, Durrell, Gap’s Crown and Bien Nacido. Our legacy, producing Burgundian-styled, varietally expressive, site-specific Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, is being expertly tended by winemaker Theresa Heredia, who works closely with our growers to showcase the exceptional fruit from their vineyards. A specialist in cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Theresa came to Gary Farrell from Joseph Phelp’s Freestone Vineyards on the Sonoma Coast, where she achieved significant critical acclaim, including “Winemaker to Watch” honors from the San Francisco Chronicle. The Recipient of 352 90+ Scores 2013-2017, including Top 100 Wine and Top 100 Cellar Selections, numerous Editor’s Choice and Cellar Selection Designations, Gary Farrell Vineyards & Winery was named “2015 Winery of the Year” by PinotReport and “2016 Winery of the Year” by PinotFile.

Read more at: https://www.garyfarrellwinery.com

CV Members Rating

View full evaluation here: 204 Summary of Scores

Best Rated Wine: 2015   Framingham Pinot Noir Marlborough NZ

Best Buy: 2015 Louis Jadot Pinot Noir Bourgogne 

Technical Notes 

(Jaime Estupiñan compiled these note – Translated from Spanish)

History of the Pinot Noir grape
https://unbuenvino.com/variedades-de-uva/tintas/pinot-noir

The pinot noir or pinot negro, in Spanish, is the quintessential red grape variety of Burgundy, a region located in the north-western center of France. In fact, the pinot noir has led to this French wine area to be one of the most famous in the world of wine. Pinot noir is today one of the varieties that have traveled the most outside its original borders. Thus, it is adapted in different vitivinicultural regions, especially in the cold ones. Pinot has been cultivated in Burgundy since the first century AD. A legend says that he came to Burgundy through the Hedui (a Celtic tribe of Gaul) after his invasions of Lombardy and Italy. Another legend says that it arrived by the Romans, although other sources suggest that the Romans already found it in the region.

The Church became with the passage of the years in the custody of the pinots. The monks used it in their sacraments, they improved the varietal through the care of the vineyards. The first documented mention of the pinot noir in Burgundy dates from 1345. The French monks brought the grape to the Rheingau region, where it has been cultivated since 1470. The vineyards owned by the church were seized and distributed to families in Burgundy during the French Revolution around 1789 in an independent and managed vineyard model that still survives today.

Main characteristics of the Pinot Noir
http://vdevendimia.com/2016/08/17/pinot-noir/

Pinot Noir is older than the Pinot Gris or Pinot Blanc variety Although the origin of the variety is not very clear, it is thought that the Pinot Noir was the first of the Pinot family. The DNA profiles of the Pinot Gris and the Pinot Blanc are identical to those of the Pinot Noir so it seems clear that they are derived from it. Be that as it may, the Pinots are a family, and a beloved family, among which are other mutations such as Pinot Meunier or Pinot Gouges or Musigny.

The movie “Between Cups” made her even more famous. Pinot Noir has always enjoyed good reputation and recognition since ancient times, valued and praised throughout the world. But in case its fame was little, in the year 2004 the film Between Cups encumbed it even more to the Olympus of the grape varieties. It is not the first nor the last time that the cinema puts more in everyone’s mouth something, but that happens in the world of wine does not stop being curious. The scene in question in which the virtues of the Pinot Noir are sung is a seduction scene in which the virtues of the grape are narrated in a metaphorical key about their own lives … maybe that’s why it so much and so deep between the public!

God made Cabernet Sauvignon and the devil made Pinot Noir . This phrase, said by André Tchelistcheff, a famous Californian winemaker, is really full. Contrary to Cabernet, Pinot Noir is a much more delicate and more complex variety to cultivate and to elaborate. Not very vigorous, sensitive to the wind, to changes in weather, to pruning and to the soil in which it grows, it certainly is not an easy grape to work with. It is a grape very little tolerant to changes, its antagonist, as the phrase of the title says, is the Cabernet Sauvignon, which grows widely and profusely with great ease, adapting to the lands and changes.

The origin of the name is French. The name Pinot Noir comes from French, from words, pine (pine) and black (noir). This grape variety has the grapes of the bunches in the shape of a cone, like pineapples, hence the name metaphorically comes from these two words.

It is susceptible to certain diseases. The grape’s tendency is to produce tight clusters (hence the origin of its name) which makes it an easy victim of certain diseases of viticulture, such as botrytis cinerea, the rot, go and more prone to have diseases of fungi in the bunches and also to mildew. In Burgundy, your ideal land, you can also get fanlief.

Pinot Noir wines are light colored. The fine skins and low levels of phenolic compounds lends itself to the production of Pinot, tannic wines mostly light and medium-low body. This much lighter tone than other red wines is not a failure in winemaking and is one of its most notable and outstanding features.

The most famous Pinot Noirs in the world are in Burgundy. It finds its maximum expression of quality in Burgundy, where it is the only ink variety, here it produces the most delicate and fragrant wines in the world. Many wine historians, such as John Winthrop Haeger and Roger Dion, are convinced that the Dukes of Burgundy did a fantastic marketing job in their day to promote the Pinot Noir in Burgundy. The reputation of the wines of the region of Beaune as “the most elegant in the world” comes from that time, in which they were sold outright.

Lives in cool climates. Being a delicate varietal,it does not work well in any region, and it lives much better in cool climates. In warm regions it can lose its fragrance and become flat, which makes it lose one of its great attractions. In Spain, for example, we find few success stories with this grape, except for a few exceptions in Malaga or Somontano or the cavas that are made in Catalonia, it is not a grape that adapts well to our torrid Mediterranean reality.

It is cultivated successfully in other areas of the world. Fortunately for the rest of the world there are regions where part of the Burgundy is good, these are coastal areas of California like Santa Barbara or Sonoma. In the state of Oregon, its wines are very reminiscent of those of Burgundy. It also grows successfully in Lombardia (Italy), in Yarra Valley (Australia), Walker Bay (South Africa), Martinborough and and Marlborough (New New Zealand) or in Germany. In Argentina, Achieved, excellent crops quality. Regardless of where it grows, Pinot Noir always reflects very well the terroir in which it is located, producing very different wines depending on the region.

The most expensive wine in the world is made with Pinot Noir. The most famous and expensive producer of Burgundy is Domaine Romanee Conti, who makes many recognized wines, including Romanée Conti and La Tache. Domaine Romaeee Conti has the meritorious record of having produced the most expensive wine in the world: In 2013 Romanée Conti was sold for almost $ 500,000 !! It is not strange that those who cultivate it are so preoccupied with it and that it is a grape with so much glamor.