Each year, the World of Pinot Noir offers some excellent world-class Pinot Noir seminars in addition to their main wine tasting event. Fortunately, the World of Pinot Noir’s 20-year celebration occurred just before the outbreak of the pandemic. I find the seminars the most valuable part of these wine events. I attended two that proved my point. The topics, “Exploring the Elegance of Alto Adige Pinot Noir” and “What’s Altitude Got to do with it?” both expounded on the virtues of Pinot Noir from two very different focal points.
Since the release of the movie Sideways, Pinot Noir’s popularity has increased. Most think of Pinot Noir as coming from Burgundy, New Zealand, California, or Oregon. Pinot Noir grows in many different regions throughout the world, and exploring lesser-known areas reveals the diversity of this variety. The seminars I attended emphasized this fact.
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Alto Adige The Seminar
Alto Adige, also known as Südtirol Wein, is a DOC located in the northern portion of Italy, near the Dolomites in the Alps. The terroir is characterized by mountainous terrain with steep hillsides, and vines are typically planted on terraced slopes, often on the western, south-facing slopes. Although an Alpine region, Mediterranean influences from the south converge to create a unique balance in the wines. The soils consist of porphyry, limestone, and slate rock with glacial deposits of gravel, sand, and clay. The volcanic portion of the soil contains primitive rocks such as quartz and mica. The Alps act as a buffer, yet provide for a diurnal shift with the cool wind coming off of Lake Garda.
The Alto Adige DOC comprises 5,400 hectares of vineyards and approximately 200 wineries, including 12 cooperatives, 33 larger wine estates, and 100 independent winegrowers. Alto Adige is known for producing primarily white wine, but the red wines I found were more interesting. Pinot Noir clones grown in that area include the Burgundy Clones of 943, 828, 777, 773, 667, 114, 113, and ATVB (Pommard Clone). Several Laimburg clones, Italian clones, and German clones are also utilized. Regional attributes provide the grapes with intense aromas and flavors. In Alto Adige, Pinot Noir, also known as Pinot Nero, is typically softer in texture and more vibrant in character.
Alto Adige Pinot Noir
Here is a selection of my favorite Alto Adige Pinot Noir I tasted during the seminar.
Elena Walch Pinot Noir DOC Ludwig 2017: This family-owned winery in its 5th generation combines the talents of a mother and her two daughters. Elena married into the oldest wine families in the area. As an architect, she introduced new concepts to the family’s traditional wine-making approach. I have previously sampled the Elena Walch wines, but never the Pinot Noir. Being fond of Elena Walch wines, I found a very pretty, bright, fresh, yet elegant wine that showcases berry aromas with red fruit and savory undertones on the palate.
Cantina Kurtatsch Pinot Noir Riserva DOC Glen 2016: Find a fresh, bright, elegant, and very drinkable wine with flavors of wild berries.
Alois Lageder Winery Pinot Noir DOC Krafuss 2012: Another family-owned winery established in 1823 and now in its 5th and 6th generations. The winery utilizes biodynamic practices. I discovered a bright, light, lively, and nicely integrated and balanced Pinot Noir.
Manincor Pinot Noir DOC Mason 2017: Manincor is the oldest wine estate with a focus on biodynamics. I found ripe red fruits, such as raspberries or cranberries, accented by fresh herbs.
What’s Altitude Got to do with it?
The second seminar took five regions around the world, where altitude plays a role in the production of Pinot Noir. Those areas include Alsace, British Columbia, Chile, Argentina, and Sonoma. One winery represented each area: Domaine Kirrenbourg for Alsace, Mission Hill for British Columbia, Cono Sur for Chile, Domaine Nico for Argentina, and Sangiacomo Family Vineyards for Sonoma.
The panel consisted of representatives from five wineries and was officiated by Michael Schachner from Wine Enthusiast Magazine. The panelists are Laura Catena from Domaine Nico in the Uco Valley of Argentina, Gonzalo Marina from Cono Sur in Chile, Samuel Tottoli from Domaine Kirrenbourg in Alsace, Darryl Brooker, Iconic Wineries of British Columbia, and James MacPhail, Sangiacomo Family Vineyards in Sonoma.
Evaluating the wine, a couple of aspects became quite clear: latitude matches with altitude. The old-world versus the new-world approach to winemaking was also evident. Alsace and Sonoma signified old-world style winemaking, while the Okanogan region in British Columbia, Argentina, and Chile represented new-world styles.
Altitude Seminar Pinot Noir
Here are my favorites, which highlight the distinction between new and old-world styles from these various locations.
Mission Hill Prospectus 2017. Representing a younger region in the Okanogan, this wine was bright and fresh. In British Columbia, 2017 was a warmer vintage, resulting in higher tannin levels. A small portion of the wine was aged in concrete and part in new oak.
Cono Sur 20 Barrels 2017: The vineyards are closer to the ocean, and the soils are red clay. I found more minerality and more intense fruit flavors due to the deeper soils.
Sangiacomo Family Vineyards Sonoma Coast 2017: From the Los Carneros district, the 2017 is a bit sharper Pinot Noir because the area was emerging from a drought.
Domaine Kirrenbourg Premier 2017: The depth of this Alsace wine was quite apparent compared to some of the other wines at this tasting. The soils are Marl and limestone. The wine exhibited darker fruit and showcased an old-world style.
Mission Hill Martin’s Lane Naramata Ranch 2015: This wine displays a bright character with depth, featuring beautiful florals and ripe fruit.
Domaine Nico Le Paradis 2016: The winery is named after Laura Catena’s daughter. The winery represents a project that Laura was excited to pursue, as it allowed her to work with her favorite variety. Finding a spot in Argentina with a cooler climate and located at a higher elevation was paramount to establishing Domaine Nico. Laura found it in the Uco Valley. I found a wine with bright acidity and a nice finish.
Sangiacomo Family Vineyards Roberts Road Vineyard 2017: This iconic vineyard with its sandy, loam, and clay soils shows off a balanced wine with flavors of raspberries and cherries.
Interested in learning more about individual wineries producing Pinot Noir? Check out these articles: