Pinot noir is a red wine grape variety of the species Vitis Vinifera. As a Macedon Ranges wine, Pinot is often lights in colour, medium on body and generally has relatively low levels of tannins, this is due to the grapes natural thin skins and low levels of phenolic compounds. Its not the easiest Macedon Ranges wine to age as it can go through “dead” periods only for it to come back in later years, however this is common to the varietal rather than the winemaking techniques utilised at the winery. Victorian wineries produce some fantastic Pinot, with a lot at world class level, so to be in a region that is naturally conducive to the plants growth habits is a huge blessing. That being said, Pinot Noir can be grown in a lot of places around the world, from Oregon in the US, to the Walker wine region of South Africa to the other successful regions of Tasmania, Mornington, Bellarine and New Zealand.
Interestingly enough the name is derived from the French words, pine and black; the pine alluding to the grape variety having tightly clustered, pine cone-shaped bunches of fruit.
It is widely considered to produce some of the finest wines in the world, but is a difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine. The grape's tendency to produce tightly packed clusters makes it susceptible to several viticultural hazards involving rot that require diligent canopy management. When young, wines made from Pinot noir tend to have red fruit aromas of cherries, raspberries and strawberries. As the wines age, Pinots have the potential to develop vegetal and "barnyard" aromas that can contribute to the complexity of the wine.
Interestingly enough the name is derived from the French words, pine and black; the pine alluding to the grape variety having tightly clustered, pine cone-shaped bunches of fruit.
It is widely considered to produce some of the finest wines in the world, but is a difficult variety to cultivate and transform into wine. The grape's tendency to produce tightly packed clusters makes it susceptible to several viticultural hazards involving rot that require diligent canopy management. When young, wines made from Pinot noir tend to have red fruit aromas of cherries, raspberries and strawberries. As the wines age, Pinots have the potential to develop vegetal and "barnyard" aromas that can contribute to the complexity of the wine.
