American Pinot Noir

 My understanding of US Pinot Noir is less than of Burgundy, and certainly a lot less than of Australian or New Zealand Pinot Noir. However, I recently developed a theory of these wines.

The first area to gain recognition for Pinot Noir was Sonoma and Russian River. Just north of Napa, these regions are still quite warm, and most Pinot Noirs reflect this. They are quite dark and full-bodied, Shiraz drinkers Pinot Noir, if you like, and comparable to Central Otago. There are exceptions with lighter bodied wines, but this is the main rule. Then along came Oregon, which set out to make Pinot Noirs much closer to Burgundy (this is the theory, but see below). And recently, the Sonoma Coast gained prominence. This subregion is close to the ocean and at higher elevation, perhaps combining the best of the two main regions mentioned above.   

I recently tasted a couple of  premium wines from these last two regions. Let's first talk about the 2015 Evening Land La Source Pinot Noir. It comes from the Seven Springs Estate at Eola-Amity Hills, a key area in the Willamette Valley, Oregon.

This wine has a light red colour translating into strawberry flavours. It is a very smooth and pretty wine, gentle, but not sweet. Acidity and tannins are light, with a medium finish. I liked this wine, but it certainly lacked the power or energy of good Burgundy.

Score: 93/++

The second wine was the 2016 Hirsch Vineyards West Ridge Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Hirsch is a very interesting winery. The owners have gone through a lot of trouble to identify different terroirs in their large holdings. The wines show remarkable variation from one site to another.

The West Ridge wine is very aromatic, with red cherry flavours and a medium plus intensity. It is quite a feminine wine with good fruit weight. It is fresh, with excellent balance of the underlying acidity and firm tannin structure. This wine gets closer to what one would expect as a classic Pinot Noir expression.

Score: 94/++