Black & White: Pinot Noir & Chenin Blanc

Recently, a group of wine aficionados gathered together to enjoy an evening of "Black and White" - Pinot Noirs from around the world, and a couple of "Blancs" - Chenin Blanc.  Although these varietals originate in France, they have found suitable, nay flourishing, terroirs in New World wine regions that offer an even wider array of taste profiles and structures.  In fact, South Africa has become a major world source and exporter of Chenin Blanc, and New Zealand has become the new frontier for Pinot Noir.  

All the wines  tasted were purchased at Total Wine in Delaware, except for the Vinum Cellars Chenin Blanc, available in Pennsylvania's wine stores.  The Chenin Blancs were $15 or less, and the Pinot Noirs were about $20 and above.  Which brings me to my pet peeve regarding wines from Burgundy (both red and white).   It is virtually impossible in my experience to find a high quality Burgundy for less than $30 retail, whereas the moderately priced options for New World Pinot are much greater.  The limited production and excessive world market demand for Burgundy are such that even "medium range" wines are out of reach for the average consumer.  Indeed, a casual scanning of Burgundies reviewed in Wine Spectator shows that the majority go for at least $70 and often extend into the hundreds of dollars.  So if you are a Pinot lover, your best bet is to seek out the wide variety of New World versions, and perhaps occasionally splurge on a Burgundy (or find a rich uncle with a passion for it!)

  
Ken Forrester Petit Chenin Blanc 2018  ($12.29)

Varietal: 100% Chenin Blanc

Appellation: Western Cape, South Africa

Production/Tasting Notes: hand harvested; soil: decomposed granite, fine sandy loam on clay base; quince and pear drop flavors; earlier picked freshness shows on palate with crunchy green apple and grapefruit flavors; tangy finish.

Food pairings: light al fresco summertime meals

Alcohol 13 %

The Petit Range is mainly from contracted vineyards that Forrester manages from pruning to harvest, specifically sourced to suit a fruit forward profile, to offer soft, market ready, instantly pleasing easy, everyday drinking wines.

Vinum Cellars Chenin Blanc 2015 ($15)


 

Varietal: 100% Chenin Blanc

Region: Clarksburg, California

Production/Tasting Notes: vibrant, pale yellow wine; on the nose tropical fruits such as kiwi and casaba melon notes and a touch of linalool and blood orange notes;  balanced acidity on the palate revealing flavors of citrus lemon, key lime, Pipin apple, fig, Meyer lemon zest; finish with honeysuckle, mango, passion fruit, kumquat.

Alcohol 13.5 %

Clarksburg is a special North Sacramento Delta wine grape appellation. Although the soils are generally clay loam, the location of these vineyards is situated near the Sierra Mountains where it receives cool afternoon breezes that moderate the warm daytime temperatures.  The chenin blanc is grown by maximizing sunlight into the canopy, while this cooling trend helps to preserve natural acidity. 

Château Philippe-Le-Hardi Pinot Noir « Vieilles Vignes » 2015 ($30)


 

Varietal : 100% Pinot Noir

Appellation : Bourgogne AOC

Production/Tasting Notes : Notes of cherry, earth, spice; rich palate of fresh fruit, with hints of truffle and spice, adding complexity to the lingering supple finish; medium-bodied

Food pairing: Beef, Veal, Game (deer, venison), Poultry

Alcohol 13%

Château de Santenay is one of the largest wine-producing estates in Burgundy. This prestigious property, consisting of the Château with its remarkable glazed tile roof and a 98 hectare vineyard, is the fruit of an ancient heritage intimately linked to the history of wine production in Burgundy.

Philippe le Hardi (1342-1404) son of King Jean le Bon of France was the most illustrious owner of Château de Santenay.

A brilliant politician, Philippe le Hardi began a magnificent chapter in the history of Burgundy, founding the Valois of Burgundy dynasty, which would reign for over a century. Assembled over the course of the twentieth century, through various purchases and inheritances, the estate consists of a mosaic of plots on the Côte d’Or and the Côte Chalonnaise.

Thanks to this diversity of “climats”(small plots of vines) the château produces a wide variety of wines whose nuances and subtlety result from the unique geology.

Coelho Atracao Pinot Noir 2016 ($25)

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

Classification: Willamette Valley (AVA), Oregon

 Production/Tasting Notes: Non-irrigated, sustainably farmed; volcanic & sedimentary soil; aromas of spice, cherries and toasty cedar; velvety texture enhanced by flavors of cherry, cranberry, chocolate; vibrant; supple, smooth finish; medium-bodied

Alcohol 14.1%

Coelho Vineyard, Willamette Valley AVA  

27.5 ac. Pinot Noir (Pommard & Dijon 777 clone on 101-14 rootstock)
1 ac. Pinot Gris (Pinot gris 152 on 101-14 rootstock)
1.5 ac. Chardonnay (Chardonnay 76 graft to Dijon clone on 101-14 rootstock)
Non-irrigated, sustainably farmed (Salmon Safe & LIVE certified)
225-255 feet elevation
968 plants per acre
North South row alignment
Woodburn soil: young, volcanic and sedimentary
Vineyard located 3 miles south of winery
Willamette Valley American Viticulture Area (AVA) (in the soon to be approved Van Duzer Corridor AVA)
Single curtain and vertical shoot position trellis system
Southern slope

Cottesbrook Pinot Noir 2014 ($19)

 

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

Region: Canterbury, New Zealand

 Production/Tasting Notes: Vibrant bouquet of fruit and earthy aromas, exuding flavors of raspberry, plum, clove, oak with a smooth lingering finish; dense, rich, oaky

Food pairing: roast poultry, wild game, New Zealand lamb

Alcohol 13%

The Canterbury wine region spans nearly 200km of the South Island’s eastern coastline, with the magnificent Alps to the west and the sweeping Pacific Ocean to the east.

The region has an excellent reputation for elegant and expressive Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and aromatics, with other varieties achieving outstanding results.

The cool, dry climate with high sunshine and a long growing season promotes full varietal expression.

Vineyards were first established on the Canterbury Plains in 1978, with plantings to the south-west of Christchurch and North Canterbury following close behind.

Today vines are planted from Waimate in the south, to Cheviot in the north, and include the micro-climates of Banks Peninsula and Waipara Valley. The latter has drawn critical acclaim for its sub-regional expression.

River Road Russian River Valley Reserve Pinot Noir 2016 ($20)


 

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

Region: Russian River Valley, Sonoma Country, California

Production/Tasting Notes: barrel aromas of anise, molasses, dusty earth, sweet smoke, wisp of cardamom;  ripe (sweet) cherry, plum  flavors on the palate; layers of mulling spice, smooth tannins; blackberry jam lingers on the long finish; medium-bodied

Food pairings: roasted duck; swordfish

Alcohol 13.7%

River Road Family Vineyards and Winery is a small-production winery located in the Green Valley of Russian River Valley American Viticulture Area of Sonoma County, California. The cool climates of Green Valley of Russian River Valley and Sonoma County are ideal for producing vibrant, fruit-forward wines that capture the unique personalities of varietals.

Early history of Green Valley of Russian River Valley includes a bit of Russian History. Russians immigrants arrived in Green Valley of Russian River Valley in 1812 to settle the Sonoma coastline between Bodega Bay and Fort Ross. It wasn’t until 1836 that Yegor Chernykh, a Russian agronomist, developed food supplies for their Alaskan settlements. He established a farm just west of what is now called Graton. His wines were intended for sacramental purposes. These vineyards were among the first cultivated fields in what is now the Russian River Valley appellation.

The current history of the Green Valley of Russian River Valley appellation begins in 1983, when it was established as Sonoma County Green Valley. The American Viticultural Area (AVA) of Green Valley then underwent a name change. In 2008, the Tax and Trade Bureau approved a name change from Sonoma County Green Valley to its official name today of Green Valley of Russian River Valley.

Green Valley is located in the middle of Sonoma County and in the south-central area of Russian River Valley. Its terroir is considered by many to be the crème de la crème grape growing region for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The climate in the Green Valley, with its close proximity to the Pacific Ocean, makes it one of the coolest appellations within Sonoma County, favoring the cultivation of these cool climate varieties.

Green Valley of Russian River Valley begins its landscape from just north of Petaluma and Forestville, and reaches northward to Sebastopol. According to Jim Pratt, “When the Pacific receded, it left great soil: sandstone, down anywhere from about five to nine feet, with a sandy loam soil on top. So what we have is a moderate clay layer that’s permeable to water. This gives us outstanding drainage, with the sandy loam on top. This is good nutrient content, but not so much that it dictates the vigor of the vine. This way the winemaker and grape grower can actually work together with the soil, take what it gives, and then add this Green Valley area’s climate.”

The fruit in Green Valley of Russian River Valley ripens slowly, which produces wines with lower alcohol and more evenly balanced acidity, a hallmark for perfect, food friendly wines. 

Factoids about Pinot Noir

      - One of the 7 noble grape varietals

      - The only red grape permitted in the Cote d'Or region of  Burgundy

      - Cultivated in Cote d'Or for over a thousand years

      - Thrives in cooler climates, such as Willamette Valley (Oregon), Russian River 

          Valley (California), Carnos (California), Marlborough (New Zealand)

      - Styles range from fresh fruit/easy drinking to intense fruit/ripe tannins, to 

         elegant/medium-to-full bodied with succulent fruit flavors, complexity

          and refined tannins

       - Thin-skinned, late ripening, prone to rot and easily damaged by rough handling

       - Notoriously difficult to make into premium wine

       - One of the primary varietals used to make Champagne

       - Gained increased popularity following the movie "Sideways" in 2004

The Five “S’s” of Tasting:

1) Seeing; 2) Swirling; 3) Sniffing; 4) Sipping; 5) Savoring

What Does “Well-Balanced” Mean? F-A-T-A:

                     Fruit, Acidity, Tannins, Alcohol