In Pursuit of Pinot's Perfect Properties

[Roy Hersh]

For anybody remotely interested in Pinot Noir, this is an excellent article.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... z1GbPrAuLu


Lots of controversy with stylistic differences. I thought it was poignant, the comment about the diminishing impact of the big time wine critics and the pandering of winemakers to those critics with their PNs.

[Tom D.]

I agree it was refreshing to hear a couple winemakers expressly pledge to dial it down a little, I wish them great success and I hope it starts a trend.

But it was really sad to hear the same old crowd of point-chasing winemakers still boasting about the high alcohol levels in their pinot. It's gonna be a slow process to rein these guys in. And ultimately, those type winemakers probably lack the skill or integrity to ever make a real classic pinot anyway.

[Moses Botbol]

I know CA can make good Pinot for the long haul. I had a 1968 Beaulieu Vineyards Pinot that was just like drinking something from Burgundy. I wish there were aged stocks fo CA pinot on the market.

[Eric Ifune]

I still have a few bottles from the early to mid 80's.

[Roy Hersh]

My current oldest is 1978, but I still have some 1982, 1983 and 1985 left too with a few mags on hand from the mid-late 1980s. That said, I just received some 2009 cases from a producer I buy from every year. I was enjoying PN from OR even before moving to WA in 1996 and had been collecting some CA Pinot Noirs in the 1980's when it was not considered to be cool. In fact, few people I knew on the east coast even gave a darn about domestic PN. Those that liked the grape, all professed their love of Burgundy. I don't blame them but there are still several great Cali producers of old-school 2-5 decade aging Pinot Noir.

[Paul Fountain]

We were having a similar "robust discussion" in Australia a couple of years back on alcohol content whith our shiraz. On the whole, I'd say that the alcohol content has been dialed back a little over the past couple of years.
I got to try the 3 of the Robert Sinskey pinots last week (all 07s) and was impressed with my first taste of Californian pinot

[Steve Pollack]

In fact, few people I knew on the east coast even gave a darn about domestic PN. Those that liked the grape, all professed their love of Burgundy. I don't blame them but there are still several great Cali producers of old-school 2-5 decade aging Pinot Noir.

Roy, can you please name those old school producers? I have ignored domestic pinot producers for as long as I can remember, and maybe it's time I opened my mind. Though I'm supposedly in the midst of a spending moratorium!

[Roy Hersh]

Sure Steve:

Hanzell - my favorite of all PNs from the USA
Saintsbury
Martinelli
Williams-Selyem
Mount Eden
Louis Martini
Joseph Swan
Kalin
Rochioli
Kistler
Chalones - pre-2000

If I can think of any more, I'll add 'em to the list.

[Eric Ifune]

My current oldest is 1978, but I still have some 1982, 1983 and 1985 left too with a few mags on hand from the mid-late 1980s. That said, I just received some 2009 cases from a producer I buy from every year. I was enjoying PN from OR even before moving to WA in 1996 and had been collecting some CA Pinot Noirs in the 1980's when it was not considered to be cool. In fact, few people I knew on the east coast even gave a darn about domestic PN. Those that liked the grape, all professed their love of Burgundy. I don't blame them but there are still several great Cali producers of old-school 2-5 decade aging Pinot Noir.

I think the vast majority of East Coaster still think this way.
Calera and older Acacia are a couple more old schoolers.
BV made some nice ones in the 60s and 70s.

[Jeff G.]

Sure Steve:

Hanzell - my favorite of all PNs from the USA
Saintsbury
Martinelli
Williams-Selyem
Mount Eden
Louis Martini
Joseph Swan
Kalin
Rochioli
Kistler
Chalones - pre-2000

If I can think of any more, I'll add 'em to the list.

some of these are pretty high octane pinots Roy