We love Pinot Noir and enjoy challenging American vs French Pinot Noir producers in one tasting.
“Pinot Noir country. My grape. The one varietal that truly enchants me, both stills and steals my heart with its elusive loveliness and false promises of transcendence. I loved her, and I would continue to follow her siren call until my wallet–or liver, whichever came first–gave out.”
― Rex Pickett, Sideways
It must be the mindset not just us Pinot Noir lovers but also those who make it. After all, this finicky grape it’s among the hardest to cultivate and achieve perfection with. Like no other grape, Pinot Noir reflects its terroir and is why some of the most expensive wines in the world made from grapes grown on a few small land plots in Burgundy, the birthplace of Pinot Noir. It’s also why we enjoy comparing Pinots from different regions is so much.
American vs French Pinot Noir Tasting
Garry Farrell Russian River Valley 2017, Au Pied du Mont Chauve Saint Aubin Le Charmois Rouge 2015, and Roco Ancient Waters 2015 was the Pinot Noir wineswinging night to remember.
To make it even more fun, we tasted these wines blind. While they are made from the same varietal and have similar profiles, the difference was apparent in both aromas and flavors.
Garry Farrell Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2017
2017 Garry Farrell Russian River Pinot Noir revealed its Californian character with notes of black cherry, ripe strawberry, pink peony, and vanilla.
It’s a well-structured Pinot Noir with a medium body, substantial acidity, and black fruit profile on the palate.
Au Pied du Mont Chauve Saint Aubin Le Charmois Rouge 2015
2015 Chauve Saint Aubin Le Charmois Rouge is Pinot Noir from Burgundy. We recognized it by dusty, earthy aromas and strawberry and cherry flavor profile.
Roco Ancient Waters Pinot Noir Yamhill Carlton AVA 2015
The 2015 Ancient Waters Pinot Noir comes from Rollin Soles, the owner, and winemaker of Roco winery and one of Willamette Valley of Oregon veterans.
Ancient Waters sourced the highest quality fruit from Wapato Ridge Vineyard and the famed Shea Vineyard. The name refers to the old marine sedimentary soils in which the vines are planted.
Just like in Burgundy, it was a warm year, and it’s reflected in the wine.
The 2015 Ancient Waters Pinot Noir is driven by the black cherry, ripe raspberry, and touch of dry rose and smoke both on the palate and nose.
The ripe fruit is balanced by moderate acidity and tannin. The finish is long and dominated by blackberry.
Finish
It’s amazing how different these wines are despite being made from the same grape. As we tasted them, we were trying to rank them, and it changed a few times.
It was challenging to choose the winner because we enjoyed all three wines and could see how we might pick each for a different occasion.
In the end, Ancient Waters slightly edged St. Aubin, and Garry Farrell finished third. Still, we must note if we ever taste the same wines in the future, we might come up with a different winner.
What are your thoughts on American versus French Pinot Noir? Which one do you prefer and why?
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