Stonier International Pinot Noir Tasting 2011 comes to London, & stirs it up again

1997 was the year wine got under my skin.  And, after my first wine tasting course had finished if you’d asked me my favourite grape variety, without hesitation or deviation, I’d have shot back Pinot Noir.  Ask that question now and you’ll be waiting a long time for an answer, if you get one at all.  At any rate there’ll be plenty of deviation.

Coming back to Pinot Noir, though it’s produced some of the most ethereal, sensual wines I’ve had the pleasure to taste, it has confounded and disappointed in greater measure.  Talking with panel member Anthony Hanson MW at the 14th Stonier International Pinot Noir Tasting last night (pictured far right below), we discussed how, compared with other varieties, Pinot Noir carries a heap of expectations, prejudices too.  Like Miles in Sideways, I fear it’s sometimes a little too thin skinned to shoulder the burden.  Still, once again, it made for a lively discussion as we picked over the bones of a dozen leading Pinot Noirs, hand selected by Stonier’s winemaker Mike Symons (pictured above).

As is the Stonier way, the wines were tasted blind and, reassuringly, opinions about the wines and their origin differed wildly.  For Guy Woodward, Oregon seemed to be everyone’s default region of choice, which prompted Brian Croser’s Tapanappa to say he reckons Orgeon is producing the New World’s best Pinots.  So how did they fare?

Here are my notes on the wines.  I don’t yet know how they scored overall, but I’ve included my table’s top three wines in each flight in brackets.

Flight one

Tamar Ridge Kayena Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009 (Tasmania, Australia) – a very charming, fragrant wine with wide appeal thanks to its sweet yet sappy, translucent (glace) red cherry fruit and violet top notes.  A pippiness lends vitality to its silky palate.  Lovely freshness, definition and sweetness to the fruit, all of which correctly lead me to Tassie when called upon to feedback our tables thoughts on the wine. Drinking well now and over the next five plus years. (Joint second, we all thought it was New World).

Domaine Confuron-Cotetidot Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Lavaut-Saint-Jacques 2008 (Burgundy, France) – a deeper more evolved hue than the first wine with a spicy, slightly smoky nose with coltsfoot – some whole bunch here (according to Symons, the last flight all had 10-90% whole bunch and, in the last three years, there has been a strong upward trend in its use).  While the first wine was silky, layers of tannin are interlaced with its red and black fruits on a fairly dense, solid even, palate with a curious salty note to the finish though, for me, it doesn’t season the ffruit enough – finishes a little flat footed.  (Scored nil points for overbearing tannins and lack of animation/freshness; 3 votes to two favoured Old World; I was in the minority and incorrectly guessed New World on account of the coltsfoot and lack of freshness).

Martinborough Vineyards Pinot Noir 2009  (Martinborough, New Zealand) – again relatively evolved hue compared with the first wine and an earthy, slightly smoky nose,  In the mouth, it’s much earthier, spicier and darker than the previous wine, plenty of oomph and saturation to its dark fruits, here extended over a long finish, so it didn’t suffer from the solidity/four-squareness of the second wine.  Again clear use of stems makes for ripe but present tannins which frame its generous fruit and brush the finish, lending subtle grip.  Chocolate orange/bergamot notes, a hint of baked fruit (raisins/violets) suggest New World to me.  They don’t deaden the wine at all – lovely length and complexity – my table’s top wine and my favourite wine of this flight; 3 to 2 in favour of Old World).

Domaine Tollot-Beaut Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru 2008 (Burgundy, France) – a tight nose signals a lithe, fresh, poised and intense palate with penetrating minerality, translucent black and red (cranberry) fruits and well melded tannins.  My notes query if it’s a bit simple (I don’t know why looking back!) or just needs time. (Joint second and my second favourite wine; I though Old World, the majority view – 3 to 2).

Bay of Fires Pinot Noir 2009 (Tasmania, Australia) – a very expressive, forward Pinot with swathes of glossy ripe fresh picked fruit – fruits of the forest, so ripe you can almost smell the sticky fresh juice on your hands.  Silky tannins, nice length and animation/brightness to the fruit.  A touch warm (abv) and too obvious and tick box for me and most of my table, though we’re agreed it’s super drinkable and well made and I guess that’s the point – made with the consumer in mind not from the vineyard.  Jamie Goode’s and Charles Metcalfe’s table agreed, Goode calling it “spoofy,” but Roger Jones of The Harrow Little Bedwyn and his table gunned for it, while panel chair Willie Lebus was also upbeat, describing it as “classic Eurotrash Pinot, which is high praise.”  (Didn’t make our top three; we all agreed New World).

Cristom Jessie Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008 (Willamette Valley Oregon, USA) – a pale garnet hue-  quite evolved, with a smoky, spicy whole bunch edge on the nose.  In the mouth it’s closed but there’s discernable depth  – subtle layers of earth, fresh fruit, spice and milk chocolate, framed by quite present tannins, which are a tad bitter on the finish for my taste.  (Didn’t make our top three, we favoured Old World (my call too) over New World 3 to 2).

Flight two

Chehalem Ridgecrest Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008  (Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA) – a deep hue with a stemmy, slightly stalky nose.  In the mouth there’s no greeness, rather the whole bunch brings subtle texture – a fine spine of tannins – and an attractive forest floor complexity, with earthy mushroom and dried pine needle hints as well as chocolate truffle.  Though forward (New World?), it’s very composed and elegant.  (My second favourite wine of the flight and, overall, the table’s third favourite; we correctly guessed its New World origins 4 votes to 1).

Stonier Windmill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009 (Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia) – there’s mushroom and a stalky note, a touch of greeness to the nose, quite prominent oak too, which brings a balancing sweetness.  In the mouth it steadily builds, finishing long – really pushes out.  A muscular wine with plenty of palate presence, which made it my favourite wine of the flight; I incorrectly thought it was an Old World wine.  (The table’s second favourite; we voted 3 to 2 in favour of Old World)

Domaine Armand Rousseau Clos de la Roche Grand Cru 2008 (Burgundy, France) – a real pine needles green quality to the nose.  In the mouth, it’s really quite austere – its red fruit veneer-like, which gives it a tightness and structure.  The finish is tightly tapered, very controlled and closed; there’s a wee elbow – nudge of alcohol which will perhaps be integrated with time.  And it needs time – has to be Burgundy.  (our top wine of the flight and my number 3; 4 to 1 voted in favour of Old World).

Tapanappa, Foggy Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009 (Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia) – a deeper hue with a rich, chocolatey nose and palate.  Lacks structure and too warm (abv) for me.  New World. (Nil points from the table; 4 to 1 voted in favour of New World).

Escarpment Kupe Pinot Noir 2009 (Martinborough, New Zealand) – quite jammy on the nose and palate with ripe fruits of the forest, chcolate orange and raisin notes as well as brighter cranberry which make for a disjointed palate, baked sweet and bitter.  Not keen, though for two of my table, it was their top wine of the flight.  (Didn’t make the cut for top 3; we all agreed New World).

Domaine de l’Arlot Vosne-Romanée, 1er Cru Les Suchots 2008 (Burgundy, France) – very pungent, eggy nose – super-reduced.  I had to check with the panel whether we should ditch our wine and move on to another bottle but no.  We couldn’t get through this quality on the palate, which seemed to make, I suspect, an already austere wine, super-duper-austere.  Thoroughly charmless.  By the time we got to discussing it, it had opened up a tad and sure, had good line but even though our assessment of the Bay of Fires led to a charge that we were “too Jesuit,” this was a hair shirt too far! (Nil points; query Old World but none of us felt able to make a call).

For Brian Croser the Domaine de l’Arlot would have been kicked out of an Australian show on account of being faulty.  However, opinions about which fault varied widely (which is very typical in my experience).  My table and Goode’s made a reduction call, Roger Jones’ table and Neal Martin thought it bretty and Croser said oxidised – a cross-section of opinion which characterised the entire evening and perhaps illustrates why points are less meaningful than tasting notes!  That said, I look forward to hearing the overall results, but take them with a pinch of salt!

Click here for my report on last year’s event.