Pinot Noir (Blauer Spätburgunder)

Pinot Noir is associated with Burgundy/France and is grown there since over 2000 years. In Baden Pinot Noir is called Blauer Spätburgunder or Spätburgunder and is grown here since over 1000 years. But nowadays Pinot Noir vineyards are cultivated around the world. It is widely considered to produce some of the finest wines in the world, but Pinot Noir is a difficult variety to culitivate and to turn into wine.

Pinot Noirs from the “Côte d’Or” in Burgundy are the most famous wines internationally. Places and vineyard sites like Beaune, Bonnes Mares, Chambertin, Corton, Musigny, Pommard, Richebourg, Romanée-conti, Clos de la Roche und Volnay, fasten the heartbeat of Pinot Noir winelovers.

The variety Pinot Noir is vulnerable to produce new mutations. Examples are Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Meunier. In Germany you can also find the mutation “Blauer Frühburgunder” (Early Pinot Noir), regarded as a self-contained grape variety. For this reason we have to call the original Pinot Noir with the name affix “spät” (late) Blauer Spätburgunder or Spätburgunder.

Why is Pinot Noir one of the most elegant and challenging red grape variety of the world?
There is an unmanageable amount of clones producing grapes of different taste and aromas. The climate varies each year and the quality of the fruits depends much from the climate during the growing season. There are big differences in quality and the aromas and taste of Pinot Noirs can be very different.

Young Pinot Noirs appeal with fruity aromas, strawberry, black currant, raspberry, blackberry, plum. After aging some years new flavours like chocolate, truffle, dried fruits, smoke can be discovered. The composition of the tannins depend much from the clone, the climate of a year and the vinification.