Power Entertaining by Eddie Osterland

Author:Eddie Osterland [OSTERLAND EDDIE]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781118283448
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2015-07-02T12:32:37+00:00

Pinot Noir grapes love a cool climate and soil rich in clay and volcanic ash. That said, they are finicky grapes that require warm (not hot) days to ripen and cool nights to retain their acidity. They also require a long time to ripen properly on the vine and a lot of care and attention along the way. (This is one reason Pinot Noir can be either very good or quite forgettable.) When Pinot Noir grapes ripen well, the results are extraordinary. That’s because when harvested, they can reflect their terroir like almost no other grape, a quality that shines through in the very best Pinot Noirs sold today.

Pairing #8: French Burgundy versus California Pinot Noir

Here’s a Pinot Noir pairing you’ll enjoy. It pits a classic French burgundy against a California (New World) Pinot Noir. French burgundy is considered the Holy Grail of Pinot Noir for winemakers around the world. But today the best producers of the New World are striving to capture some of the richness and character of classic French burgundy in the Pinot Noirs produced in the United States and elsewhere. So what do you experience as you taste these two wines side by side? What stylistic or character differences do you discern?

Hint: For this pairing, ask your wine merchant to choose a benchmark burgundy that is complex, earthy, and smoky with bright acids and voluptuous texture. The Burgundians have been growing the same grapes in the same places for so many generations that they know exactly which wines perform best in which areas. As with other wines, they have developed a Cru system of quality designation. In Burgundy’s case, this includes four levels of quality, including:

Level 1: Simple regional burgundy (Bourgogne)

Level 2: Village-level burgundy (e.g., Gevrey-Chambertin)

Level 3: First-growth (Premier Cru) burgundies from individual vineyards

Level 4: Great-growth (Grand Cru) burgundies produced by the very best vineyards, exemplifying the best wine quality that Burgundy has to offer In contrast to the leaner French burgundies, California Pinots are typically fruit-forward, juicy, and delicate. So which of these two wines do you prefer?

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