red grape · major international
Pinot Noir
Burgundy, France
Say it
pee·nohnwahr
On the palate
Body
light medium
Acidity
high
Tannin
low
Aromatics
medium
red cherryraspberrystrawberrycranberryvioletforest floor
How you spot it blind: silky tannins and forest-floor earth beneath bright, high-acid red cherry fruit
The story
First written down · 1375, Burgundy, France
A 1999 Science paper (Bowers et al., UC Davis) confirmed Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc as co-parents of at least 16 major French varieties, including Chardonnay, Gamay, and Aligoté.
Where it lives
Côte d'Or, Burgundy, France · Champagne, France · Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA · Sonoma / Russian River Valley, California, USA · Baden / Pfalz, Germany (as Spätburgunder) · Central Otago / Marlborough, New Zealand · Yarra Valley / Mornington Peninsula, Australia
Shows up as
still redsparklingroséBurgundyChampagne
If you like this, try
Also answers to Spätburgunder, Blauburgunder.
Shop our Pinot Noir bottles