Pinot Noir, France
Pinot Noir is a red grape that is one of the most challenging to grow in any part of the world. Due to its thin skin and tight bunches, it is susceptible to both mould and disease. However, when it is successful, it produces some of the most amazing wines in the world. Although its home is Burgundy, it has emerged as a popular variety in Australia. Representing only 1% of grapes crushed, it has built a high profile with a number of world-class, distinctly Australian wines being produced. The greatest examples coming from the cool climates of the Adelaide Hills, Tasmania, Mornington Peninsula, Geelong and the Yarra Valley.
Pinot Noir performs well on the deepish limestone based subsoils that are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or. However, yields need to be kept in check. Pinot Noir's concentration and varietal characters disappear rapidly if yields are excessive. Some of the best and most expensive wines in the world are still found in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir also plays a key role in Champagne, being blended with Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. In the US, Oregon and Washington state are producing outstanding wines. In New Zealand, great Pinot Noirs are crafted in Martinborough and in Central Otago, New Zealand's only true continental climate.
The thin skins of Pinot Noir mean the wines are lighter in colour, body and tannins. However, the best wines have grippy tannins, fragrance and an intensity of fruit seldom found in wine from other grapes. Young Pinot Noir can smell almost sweet, but as it matures, the best wines develop a sensuous, silky mouthfeel with the fruit flavours deepening and gamey nuances emerging.
Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More-so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.
Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.
Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)
The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.
Pinot Noir performs well on the deepish limestone based subsoils that are found on Burgundy's Côte d'Or. However, yields need to be kept in check. Pinot Noir's concentration and varietal characters disappear rapidly if yields are excessive. Some of the best and most expensive wines in the world are still found in Burgundy.
Pinot Noir also plays a key role in Champagne, being blended with Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. In the US, Oregon and Washington state are producing outstanding wines. In New Zealand, great Pinot Noirs are crafted in Martinborough and in Central Otago, New Zealand's only true continental climate.
The thin skins of Pinot Noir mean the wines are lighter in colour, body and tannins. However, the best wines have grippy tannins, fragrance and an intensity of fruit seldom found in wine from other grapes. Young Pinot Noir can smell almost sweet, but as it matures, the best wines develop a sensuous, silky mouthfeel with the fruit flavours deepening and gamey nuances emerging.
Wine is being produced throughout France and has been done for over 2,500 years with certain Châteaux dating their history back to Roman times, around 6th Century BC. Ranking second in the world in per-capita consumption and first in total production quantity. More-so than the overall quantity of wine is the quantity of truly great wines coming out of France makes the nation the envy of wine-making nations worldwide.
Two concepts pivotal to the higher end French wines, in particular, are the idea of 'terroir' and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. Terroir refers to the way the geography, geology and climate find their way into the glass, telling a story of the origin of the wine. The AOC was set up in 1935 and has the primary goal of protecting the authenticity of the wines and the livelihoods of the producers. Appellation rules strictly define which varieties of grapes and winemaking practices are approved for classification in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover entire regions, individual villages or in some cases, like in Burgundy even specific vineyards.
Classic wine regions in France include Champagne (home of Champagne), Burgundy (Pinot Noir and Chardonnay), Bordeaux (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot), Alsace (Aromatic varietals), Loire Valley (Chenin Blanc, Crémant) and the Rhône Valley (Syrah, Grenache Mourvedre)
The Bordeaux classification of 1855 is still in use, as is the Sauternes and Barsac Classification of the same year. Wines from certain regions can be bought En Primeur, which is when the wine is sold prior to it being bottled.
Shop By
-
The nose displays raspberry and cherry aromas with a hint of fresh herbs. A light-medium bodied palate, with ripe fruit flavours of red currant, cherry and strawberry fruits. Some hints of baking spices and subtle oak in the background. To ... Learn MoreBertaine Et Fils Pinot Noir 2019$17.99 Per item -
Les Vignobles Foncalieu named 'Cooperative Winery of the Year 2012' by the Revue du Vin de France - the biggest magazine in the French wine industry! A strong and aromatic nose of red fruits mixed with liquorice notes. Medium bodied, ... Learn MoreLe Versant 'Vin De Pays D'Oc' Pinot Noir 2020$25.99 Per item -
"Meaning Great Mind, Grand Esprit is a nod to the understanding of terroir, or the natural environment in which a great wine is produced. A Grand Esprit wine will always beautifully reflect the harmonious balance between the land it comes ... Learn More -
Château de Lachassagne is an exceptional place, located in the very south of Burgundy, with a unique view over the Saône Valley. It is a 62 hectares propriety, totally surrounded by small walls called ’"Clos". A clean, pure expression ... Learn More -
Chavy-Chouet's Pinot Noir is classified as humble Bourgogne Rouge, yet its fruit comes from an excellent single-vineyard site near Pommard. Great value. This well-structured wine with rounded, sophisticated tannins gives instant pleasure but can be kept for up to a ... Learn MoreDomaine Chavy Chouet Bourgogne Rouge La Taupe 2019$50.00 Per item -
Brothers David and Nicolas Rossignol run this 100% Organic and Biodynamically farmed Domaine located in the very heart of Gevrey Chambertin. Very early to the Sustainable farming movement, all the family's vineyards, located in some of the most impressive vineyards in ... Learn MoreDomaine Rossignol-Trapet Bourgogne Rouge 2019$55.00 Per item -
Brothers David and Nicolas Rossignol run this 100% Organic and Biodynamically farmed Domaine located in the very heart of Gevrey Chambertin. Very early to the Sustainable farming movement, all the family's vineyards, located in some of the most impressive vineyards in ... Learn MoreDomaine Rossignol-Trapet Savigny-Les-Beaune 2019$75.00 Per item -
Pinot Noir from vines with an average age of 35 years. Complete destemming followed by cold vatting for 3 to 6 days at 10°C. Fermentation with natural yeasts for 12 to 18 days. Pumping-over/pigeage twice a day depending on the vintage. 15 months maturing on ... Learn MoreDomaine Matrot Auxey-duresses Rouge 2019$77.00 Per item -
Jean-Manuel Jacquinot obtained a degree in Oenology at the esteemed University of Reims. After this he became trainee oenologist at the world famous house of Veuve Clicquot. Today, Jean-Manuel has over 20 years of experience in making Champagne, is a Member ... Learn MoreJacquinot & Fils Blanc de Noirs Brut Champagne$109.99 Per item -
This is always the demure wine of the group; shy and subtle. A beautiful ruby/garnet colour, very lifted and bright. Very fine aromas, delicate - red fruit, strawberries, jellied cherries. Very fine, very attractive. This has considerable finesse and ... Learn More -
The "Clos de l'Écu" appellation dates back to the Middle Ages. This clos enabled owners at the time to pay the sums they owed to the Dukes of Bourgogne. It is a monopole parcel and was purchased in 2003 by ... Learn MoreFaiveley Beaune 1er Cru Clos de l'Ecu (monopole) 2005$130.00 Per item -
The wine beautifully expresses its old vine origin, with intense, concentrated fruit upon first smell, displaying aromas of blackberry, cherry, raspberry and a delicious jamminess. The palate shows great balance and structure, framed by velvet tannins and a smooth mouthfeel. ... Learn More -
The young vines of this plot make it a purplish coloured wine, with a very intense fruity nose from the first nose. It is undoubtedly a Volnay with character, full in the mouth and always carried on the fruit felt ... Learn MoreDomaine Chavy Chouet Volnay Sous La Chapelle 2020$150.00 Per item -
"The disarmingly modest Thierry Glantenay is emerging as one of the Côte de Beaune's most exciting producers of red wine." -William Kelley, The Wine Advocate Perhaps the Glantenays are not well known because not much was bottled and sold ... Learn MoreThierry Glantenay Pommard 1er Cru Riottes 2019$150.00 Per item -
Since 1868, Domaine Jacques Prieur has created one of the rarest mosaics of terroirs in Burgundy. This splendid Premier Cru is 100% Pinot Noir produced from a 2.06 hectare plot, 100% aged in new oak barrels for 17 months. The 2019 is intense and dark ruby ... Learn More -
A superb, indulgent Auxey-Duresses, with very great refinement. The nose is bursting with fresh cherry, blackcurrant, some floral notes and an earthy tone. The palate is deep and intense, with a juicy core, fine tannins and a velvet texture. A ... Learn MorePierre Boisson Auxey-Duresses Rouge 1er Cru 2018$165.00 Per item -
Named Producer of the Year in 2016 by “Bourgogne Aujourd’hui,” Patrick Landanger has truly restored this historic estate to its former glory. Arguably the finest and most prestigious Burgundy house in Volnay, Domaine de la Pousse d’Or was originally ... Learn MoreDomaine de la Pousse d'Or Chambolle-Musigny 2017$165.00 Per item -
(from 80-year-old vines adjacent to Vosne-Romanée): Moderately saturated dark red. Crushed blackberry and spicy oak scents are lifted by a subtle violet topnote. Full, supple and very ripe, with the high percentage of millerandé grapes giving the wine a ... Learn More -
Since 1868, Domaine Jacques Prieur has created one of the rarest mosaics of terroirs in Burgundy. This splendid Premier Cru is 100% Pinot Noir produced from a 2.06 hectare plot, 100% aged in new oak barrels for 17 months. The 2019 is intense and dark ruby ... Learn More -
It seems that the site of Pommard is one of the oldest winemaking activities of the Cote. Installed in this place for more than 2000 years, the Gaulois would have selected and multiplied the pinot noir. A temple dedicated to the ... Learn More -
Founded in 1731 in Beaune by Michel Bouchard, Bouchard Père & Fils, is one of the oldest wine estates in Burgundy, perpetuating tradition for nearly 3 centuries and 9 generations. In 1775, Joseph Bouchard acquired his first vineyards in Volnay in the famous “Les ... Learn More -
'"Bright crimson colour with ripe fruit aromas on the nose. Nice balance. Very chic on the nose, largely on red fruits but with attractive floral notes. Slight acidity with tannins at the end of the mouth. Very elegant." Jasper Morris ... Learn MoreDomaine Armand Heitz Pommard 1er Cru Les Pezerolles 2019$199.00 Per item -
Clos Marey‑Monge is a collection of different micro-climates and soil types. Each of our seven terroirs – Simone, Nicolas-Joseph, Grands Esprits, Chantrerie, 75 Rangs, Micault, and Émilie – is a different composition of limestone, iron-rich clay, alluvium and other minerals essential to ... Learn More -
This is beautifully heady and perfumed. Some parcels are nearly 90 years old, and others 35 years old, with the crop a healthy 49.6hl/ha. Again, there is the impression of purity, sensuality and structure, aided in part by the contiguity of ... Learn MoreDomaine Comte Armand Volnay 1er Cru Les Fremiets 2017$199.00 Per item -
Les Chanlins is located above and beside Les Rugiens, closer to the village of Volnay than to Pommard itself. It is a steeply sloping rocky plot producing a tense, mineral wine with very noble tannins ... Learn More -
Identifiable by its prosaic location by the bus-stop on the outskirts of Gevrey, this vineyard has quite heavy soil, whose effect Thibault leavens with plenty of whole-bunch (50%). The wine is bright and creamy with little ambition for complexity, but with ... Learn More -
Clos Marey‑Monge is a collection of different micro-climates and soil types. Each of our seven terroirs – Simone, Nicolas-Joseph, Grands Esprits, Chantrerie, 75 Rangs, Micault, and Émilie – is a different composition of limestone, iron-rich clay, alluvium and other minerals essential to ... Learn MoreChateau de Pommard Clos Marey Monge Monopole 2011$209.00 Per item -
"The disarmingly modest Thierry Glantenay is emerging as one of the Côte de Beaune's most exciting producers of red wine." -William Kelley, The Wine Advocate Perhaps the Glantenays are not well known because not much was bottled and sold ... Learn MoreThierry Glantenay Pommard 1er Cru Sausilles 2019$215.00 Per item -
................... ... Learn MoreDomaine Ballot Millot Pommard 1er Pezerolles 2017$220.00 Per item -
For more than two decades, Thibault Liger-Belair has been following organic and biodynamic practices. He believes that winemaking starts not with the fruit, but with the soil. “We all talk about terroir, but my focus is on the soil and ... Learn MoreDomaine Thibault Liger-Belair Chambolle Musigny 2018$220.00 Per item -
Wonderful aromas of plums, orange peel and stones. Full-bodied, round and soft with a juicy finish. A deep and rich pinot. Fantastic wine. Made from six hectares. Best ever? ... Learn More -
Bright red with ruby tones. Sexy scents of raspberry, redcurrant, rose petal and exotic spices (Flous says the wine's floral character is due to its whole-cluster component). Fresh and energetic, with suave, lightly saline red berry and spice flavors lifted ... Learn MoreDomaine Faiveley Nuits-St-Georges 'Aux Chaignots' 2015$225.01 Per item -
Just by Corton Les Maréchaudes, the vines are in a south-facing basin of broken rock, filled by eroded topsoil. This is not in the broad-shouldered Aloxe style; it’s delicate and linear, with appealing floral and red-fruit notes, and ... Learn More -
The plot is next to the Premier Cru "les Borniques" to the east and to the south, about fifty meters from the Grand Cru "le Musigny". Situated on reddish brown clays rich in iron oxides on about 30 cm then we ... Learn More -
Rugiens has been renowned and vinified in isolated vats for several centuries. They were worshipped in the 19th century and considered, with Corton, as the best wines of Beaune. This adulation was reduced to the benefit of the name of ... Learn MoreDomaine Armand Heitz Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens 2019$229.00 Per item -
Domaine Hudelot-Noëllat is a Burgundy producer of high-quality Pinot Noir from prestigious sites in the Côte de Nuits. The domaine was founded in Vougeot by Alain Hudelot in 1962, although the Hudelot family can trace its history in Burgundy ... Learn More -
The grapes are all hand-harvested and the wine aged for between 15 and 20 months with the use of 50-60% new oak. There is no fining or filtering. Only 25% of the bottles produced are exported, mainly to the USA and Japan. ... Learn MoreThierry Violot-Guillemard Pommard 1er Cru Rugiens 2017$249.99 Per item -
For more than two decades, Thibault Liger-Belair has been following organic and biodynamic practices. He believes that winemaking starts not with the fruit, but with the soil. “We all talk about terroir, but my focus is on the soil and ... Learn More -
For more than two decades, Thibault Liger-Belair has been following organic and biodynamic practices. He believes that winemaking starts not with the fruit, but with the soil. “We all talk about terroir, but my focus is on the soil and ... Learn More -
Made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes from the lieu-dit Les Charmottes of 0.40 hectares of very old vineyards planted in 1962, located on the border of the Premiers Crus Argilats and Bousselots in the northern part of the appellation, on clay soils and ... Learn More
2 Customer Reviews
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipisicing elit, sed aliqua. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla ... Read More
Award View all
My Wish List
Last Added Items
You have no items in your wish list.