10 Perfect Pinots

Locating such an example, a task usually referred to as searching for the perfect pinot, is no easy undertaking.

Often it takes more effort than the casual drinker is willingly to expend, hence the popularity of the far more abundant merlot and more recently syrah.

A few years back I had the good fortune to attend the inaugural Pinot Noir 2001 conference in Wellington, New Zealand where along with a large number of pinot-philes I spent several days learning more about this incredibly fussy grape.

What we discovered is there is no magic formula when it comes to making great pinot, only hard work and perseverance.

Craggy Range wine grower Steve Smith believes that, "making pinot noir is not just about climate and soil. It's about human interaction too." He thinks grape varieties must be matched to humans as he asks the question, "have you ever seen a great cabernet wine maker who makes great pinot noir?"

The truth is pinot noir is an extremely fussy grape whether you are growing it or turning it into wine. The problems begin with its thin skin and escalate to a genetically unstable grape that doesn't like heat or cold and is extremely vulnerable to frost.

Pinot noir loves a cool climate but it must have a dry, warm summer and dry, cool fall to really thrive (pinot hates the humidity of fall), and that's a difficult micro-climate to find anywhere.

As Smith says, "it needs to get hot but not too hot. Any day over 30 C during the last days of ripening is harmful as are long streaks of extreme heat during the growing season."

The French have long wrestled with pinot noir in Burgundy where the strategy is to do as little as possible. The policy of non-intervention goes something like: plant it in the right soil and then pick it. Crush it and then ferment it. It's hard to argue with success.

Here's ten of our current favourite pinots,

94/100 Cambria Pinot Noir Bench Break Vineyard 2000
Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County, Central Coast, California, United States
Big resiny, smoky, black cherry jam, mineral, compost and liquorice root nose with a hint of tobacco and compost. Ripe, round and elegant with soft, supple tannins. Very flavourful with black cherry, raspberry, smoky, mineral vanilla and liquorice root flavours. Long, balanced and intense. Delicious.
Tasted: 2003-02-17 by AG-ST
Prices: BC $54.95 (750 ml) Speculative - Vinterra Wines
Producer: Cambria Winery & Vineyard
Distributor: Vinterra Wine Merchants

93/100 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters Vineyard 2000
Carneros, Sonoma County, California, United States
The story of the Velvet Sisters is as good as the wine. Legend has it they travelled to British Columbia and picked up a pair of velvet dresses. Upon their return to Mendocino they partied... a lot. This is a pretty pinot with black berry raspberry and brown sugar notes on the nose and in the flavours. A silky smooth, serious California pinot that shouldn't be missed.
Tasted: 2003-02-11 by AG
Prices: BC $95.00 (750 ml) Speculative - Vinterra Wine Merchants
Producer: Hartford Family Wines
Distributor: Vinterra Wine Merchants

93/100 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Sevens Bench Vineyard 2000
Carneros, Sonoma County, California, United States
Our Sevens Bench Vineyard is a small vineyard block on Duhig Road in Napa/Carneros. The name Sevens Bench is derived from the two predominate clones, Dijon 667 and Dijon 777, planted at the vineyard. Huge cedar drawer nose with smoky almonds and mocha highlights. Very sophisticated for Carneros with blackberry cherry fruit flavours in the finish. Ripe round and delicious.
Tasted: 2003-02-11 by AG
Prices: BC $95.00 (750 ml) Speculative - Vinterra Wine Merchants
Producer: Hartford Family Wines
Distributor: Vinterra Wine Merchants

92/100 Byron Pinot Noir Sierra Madre Vineyard 1999
Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County, Central Coast, California, United States
Located eight miles west of Byron Winery, Sierra Madre is one of the coolest vineyards in California. The 640 acre property was planted in 1974 and acquired by Bryon in 1996. At the moment 43 acres are devoted to select pinot noir and chardonnay vines. Complex nose with spicy, peppery, anise, strawberry jam and raspberry fruit aromas mixed with light barnyard, carrot top and compost notes. Rich, round, supple and very elegant. Strawberry jam, orange rind, licorice, spice and gamey flavours dominate with a creamy, long, delicate finish. Lovely pinot that will drink well now and for the next few years.
Tasted: 2003-01-29 by AG-ST
Prices: BC $69.95 (750 ml) Specialty
UPC: 732099000097
Producer: Byron Vineyard and Winery
Distributor: Grady Wine Marketing

91/100 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard 2000
Russian River, Sonoma County, California, United States
The vineyard lies just south of the winery and is 27 years old. The average yield is only about one ton to the acre. Quite a unique nose of grilled herbs, oregano, licorice with black raspberry/cassis and smoked fruit flavours. It's soft and fairly rich for pinot and what is such a cool site. There is still some tannin to shed.
Tasted: 2003-02-11 by AG
Prices: BC $118.00 (750 ml) Speculative - Vinterra Wine Merchants
Producer: Hartford Family Wines
Distributor: Vinterra Wine Merchants

91/100 Hartford Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2001
Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County, California, United States
This blend of fruit from Dutton Ranch, Russian River and Green Valley has a huge sweet cedar nose. The mid-palate is sweet and succulent with sensational streaks of cinnamon and an all-spice character in the finish. Duck is the answer here. Outstanding quality for the money and a fine New World pinot.
Tasted: 2003-02-11 by AG
Prices: BC $48.00 (750 ml) Speculative - Vinterra Wine Merchants
Producer: Hartford Family Wines
Distributor: Vinterra Wine Merchants

90/100 Byron Pinot Noir 2000
Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County, Central Coast, California, United States
Open anise, barnyard, black cherry jam, spicy carrot aromas, very Santa Maria pinot. Rich, round and supple, like velvet with spicy, cherry jam, licorice, orange rind and coffee flavours. Long and balanced, great quality pinot for current drinking.
Tasted: 2003-01-29 by AG-ST
Prices: BC $39.99 (750 ml) Maxxium Canada
Producer: Byron Vineyard and Winery
Distributor: Grady Wine Marketing

90/100 Cambria Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard 2000
Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County, Central Coast, California, United States
Individual lots of 2000 Julia's Pinot Noir were hand-harvested into small, open-top fermentors. Look for a spicy, peppery, barnyard, cherry jam, plum and licorice root aromas. Round and elegant with light tannins. Good cherry, strawberry, spicy, licorice and compost flavours. Nicely balanced and elegant and will improve as it round out over the next year.
Tasted: 2003-02-17 by AG-ST
Prices: AB $38.50 (750 ml) Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $41.50 (750 ml) Speculative - Vinterra Wines; ON $38.95 (750 ml)
Producer: Cambria Winery & Vineyard
Distributor: Vinterra Wine Merchants

90/100 La Crema Pinot Noir 2000
Russian River, Sonoma County, California, United States
Expressive black cherry licorice cola compost aromas waft out of the glass. Definitely cherry plum and vanilla flavours with creamy smoke and just a dusting of tannin. Quite a spicy aftertaste. Despite an open top fermentation regime with punch-downs four times a day and nine months barrel ageing in 44 per cent new French oak barrels this unfiltered and unfined pinot is extremely elegant.
Tasted: 2003-02-28 by AG-ST
Prices: BC $45.95 (750 ml) Speculative - Vinterra Wine Merchants
UPC: 049331002314
Producer: La Crema
Distributor: Renaissance Wine Merchants Ltd.

90/100 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Marin 2000
Marin County, California, United States
Marin County was classified as a region '0' back in the '60s with little though of any one ever growing pinot noir there. Hartford's 1.6 acre site is a small, single vineyard that is planted to the Mt. Eden clone of pinot and situated on a very cold hilltop west of the town of Nicasio. The nose translates into a coffee toffee black cherry aromas. Sweet warm pinot fruit persists on the mid-palate and finishes with more coffee plum and mocha flavours. Tasty.
Tasted: 2003-02-11 by AG
Prices: BC $95.00 (750 ml) Speculative - Vinterra Wine Merchants
Producer: Hartford Family Wines
Distributor: Vinterra Wine Merchants