Pinot Noir’s From Around The World

OK, we are at it again with the Pinot Noirs. This time it is about Pinot Noir wines made in places other than France or the United States. We will try to pick out the different characteristics of the wines that identifies that they are not domestic and have individual nuances about them that mark them as coming from a particular country. All Pinot noirs, even the bad ones, share the same basic flavors and aromas, aromas, cranberry, raspberries black cherry, spice and hint of truffles but it is the amounts of each and the softness of the wine that separates the inferior from the superior. If you are a true wine enthusiast, then you should enjoy the adventure of exploring new wines and what could be more enjoyable to explore than a wine from another land.

From Germany: Hex vom Dasenstein Pinot Noir ($20). The name Hex vom Dasenstein translates as the witch of Dasenstein and for the complete story, Google the name. This wine is referred to in Germany as a Spätburgunder or Blauburgunder and is grown about a far north as the Pinot Noir grape can be grown and still produce a good wine. Because of its location, the wine tends to be lighter in color and body than its French or American cousins but no less as flavorful. While the traditional Pinot Noir flavors and aromas are there, it is that unmistakable mineral under flavor that identifies this wine as a pure German.

From Chile: Millaman Estate Reserve Pinot Noir ($16.99) The grapes for this wine come from the heart of the Chilean wine grape growing district, the Leyda Valley. The cool microclimate of the valley allows the grapes to ripen slowly allowing the fruit to develop deeper and more concentrated flavors. The flavor development on the vine coupled with the careful selection of the grapes in the field, results in a Pinot Noir of classical dimensions. This facinating wine exhibits a broad spectrum of flavors, with cherries, plums, and wild summer berries being the most prominent. There are also many other flavors lying in the background with oak and an earthy mushroom flavor being the most obvious. This wine is drinkable now or can be laid down for as long as five years, to gain additional complexity and depth.

From New Zealand: Trinity Hill Hawk’s Bay Pinot Noir ($16.99). This wine possesses a medium body and a bright, inviting intense ruby color. The aroma is a mélange of black cherries and red berries mingled with oak. In the flavor department, the true capabilities of the Pinot Noir grape is explored to its fullest, resulting in true grape flavors of great depth and complexity. There is an excess of flavors of pomegranates and licorice to compliment the traditional flavors of black cherries and blackberries. It is an exquisite wine and worth far more than its selling price.

From South Africa: Lothian Vineyards South African Pinot Noir ($19.99). A high altitude growing place results in grapes with a big depth of flavor and aroma. The Lothian vintners show their ability to tame this very difficult variety with this offering. It is a delightful, medium bodied, light ruby colored wine with a heady, full fruit aroma that accents cherries and spice. The flavor continues to accent cherries coupled with an under flavor of vanilla and oak. There is a modest tannin background, which will assure that the wine will continue to improve and gain in complexity over many years to come.

From Sicily: Stemmari Pinot Noir ($9.99). This is an elegant wine that expresses all of the intensity that Sicilian wines are noted for. A ruby red color announces the aroma which features notes of blackberries, wild strawberries, and cherries with a background of spice derived from the aging in wooden barrels. The flavor continues the fruits found in the aroma and ends in a fruity finish.