Pinot Noir: Difference between revisions

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In the winery, Pinot Noir demands gentle handling due to its delicate structure. Winemakers often use open-top fermenters and manual punch-downs to extract colour and tannin. Oak usage is typically restrained, with French oak barrels preferred for their ability to enhance the grape’s subtle aromatics. The resulting wines are typically light to medium-bodied, with bright acidity and moderate alcohol.

Aromatically, Pinot Noir is known for its expressive profile, often showing red fruit such as cherry, raspberry, and strawberry in youth, evolving into earthy, mushroom, and forest floor notes with bottle age. The grape’s ability to transmit the nuances of site and climate has made it the benchmark varietal for terroir expression in red wine<ref>Jamie Goode, ''The Science of Wine: From Vine to Glass'', University of California Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0520275750.</ref>

Aromatically, Pinot Noir is known for its expressive profile, often showing red fruit such as cherry, raspberry, and strawberry in youth, evolving into earthy, mushroom, and forest floor notes with bottle age. The grape’s ability to transmit the nuances of site and climate has made it the benchmark varietal for terroir expression in [[red wine]]<ref>Jamie Goode, ''The Science of Wine: From Vine to Glass'', University of California Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0520275750.</ref>

== Definition and Characteristics ==

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Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned, early-ripening red grape variety known for its sensitivity to terroir and climate conditions. The grapes typically produce wines that are light to medium in body, with moderate tannins and high acidity. Its aromatic profile often includes red fruit notes such as cherry, raspberry, and strawberry, alongside earthy, floral, or forest floor nuances depending on origin and vinification methods <ref>Wine Folly, “Pinot Noir Guide”, https://winefolly.com/grapes/pinot-noir/, accessed August 2025.</ref>.

The grape is notoriously difficult to cultivate, requiring cool to moderate climates and meticulous vineyard management. Its tight clusters and thin skins make it particularly susceptible to fungal diseases, including botrytis and powdery mildew <ref>Jancis Robinson et al., ''Wine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties'', Allen Lane, 2012, ISBN 978-0062206367.</ref>. In the winery, Pinot Noir demands gentle handling; techniques such as whole-bunch fermentation and minimal extraction are often employed to preserve its delicate structure and aromatic integrity <ref>Jamie Goode, ''The Science of Wine: From Vine to Glass'', University of California Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0520275750.</ref>.

The grape is notoriously difficult to cultivate, requiring cool to moderate climates and meticulous vineyard management. Its tight clusters and thin skins make it particularly susceptible to fungal diseases, including botrytis and powdery mildew <ref>Jancis Robinson et al., ''Wine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties'', Allen Lane, 2012, ISBN 978-0062206367.</ref>. In the winery, Pinot Noir demands gentle handling; techniques such as [[whole-bunch fermentation]] and [[minimal extraction]] are often employed to preserve its delicate structure and aromatic integrity <ref>Jamie Goode, ''The Science of Wine: From Vine to Glass'', University of California Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0520275750.</ref>.

Despite these challenges, Pinot Noir is celebrated for its ability to express subtle variations in soil, aspect, and microclimate, making it one of the most transparent vehicles for the concept of terroir. This trait is especially evident in regions such as Burgundy, where minor vineyard differences yield distinctive styles from the same grape <ref>Remington Norman, ''Grand Cru: The Great Wines of Burgundy Through the Perspective of its Finest Vineyards'', Sterling Epicure, 2010, ISBN 978-1402775741.</ref>.

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 In the winery, Pinot Noir demands gentle handling due to its delicate structure. Winemakers often use open-top fermenters and manual punch-downs to extract colour and tannin. Oak usage is typically restrained, with French oak barrels preferred for their ability to enhance the grape’s subtle aromatics. The resulting wines are typically light to medium-bodied, with bright acidity and moderate alcohol.
-Aromatically, Pinot Noir is known for its expressive profile, often showing red fruit such as cherry, raspberry, and strawberry in youth, evolving into earthy, mushroom, and forest floor notes with bottle age. The grape’s ability to transmit the nuances of site and climate has made it the benchmark varietal for terroir expression in red wine<ref>Jamie Goode, ''The Science of Wine: From Vine to Glass'', University of California Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0520275750.</ref>
+Aromatically, Pinot Noir is known for its expressive profile, often showing red fruit such as cherry, raspberry, and strawberry in youth, evolving into earthy, mushroom, and forest floor notes with bottle age. The grape’s ability to transmit the nuances of site and climate has made it the benchmark varietal for terroir expression in [[red wine]]<ref>Jamie Goode, ''The Science of Wine: From Vine to Glass'', University of California Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0520275750.</ref>
 == Definition and Characteristics ==
@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned, early-ripening red grape variety known for its sensitivity to terroir and climate conditions. The grapes typically produce wines that are light to medium in body, with moderate tannins and high acidity. Its aromatic profile often includes red fruit notes such as cherry, raspberry, and strawberry, alongside earthy, floral, or forest floor nuances depending on origin and vinification methods <ref>Wine Folly, “Pinot Noir Guide”, https://winefolly.com/grapes/pinot-noir/, accessed August 2025.</ref>.
-The grape is notoriously difficult to cultivate, requiring cool to moderate climates and meticulous vineyard management. Its tight clusters and thin skins make it particularly susceptible to fungal diseases, including botrytis and powdery mildew <ref>Jancis Robinson et al., ''Wine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties'', Allen Lane, 2012, ISBN 978-0062206367.</ref>. In the winery, Pinot Noir demands gentle handling; techniques such as whole-bunch fermentation and minimal extraction are often employed to preserve its delicate structure and aromatic integrity <ref>Jamie Goode, ''The Science of Wine: From Vine to Glass'', University of California Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0520275750.</ref>.
+The grape is notoriously difficult to cultivate, requiring cool to moderate climates and meticulous vineyard management. Its tight clusters and thin skins make it particularly susceptible to fungal diseases, including botrytis and powdery mildew <ref>Jancis Robinson et al., ''Wine Grapes: A Complete Guide to 1,368 Vine Varieties'', Allen Lane, 2012, ISBN 978-0062206367.</ref>. In the winery, Pinot Noir demands gentle handling; techniques such as [[whole-bunch fermentation]] and [[minimal extraction]] are often employed to preserve its delicate structure and aromatic integrity <ref>Jamie Goode, ''The Science of Wine: From Vine to Glass'', University of California Press, 2014, ISBN 978-0520275750.</ref>.
 Despite these challenges, Pinot Noir is celebrated for its ability to express subtle variations in soil, aspect, and microclimate, making it one of the most transparent vehicles for the concept of terroir. This trait is especially evident in regions such as Burgundy, where minor vineyard differences yield distinctive styles from the same grape <ref>Remington Norman, ''Grand Cru: The Great Wines of Burgundy Through the Perspective of its Finest Vineyards'', Sterling Epicure, 2010, ISBN 978-1402775741.</ref>.