Attack of the Clones II
Those of you reading about all the Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, etc. for WBW10 might find this interesting. It's called, "Attack of the Clones." I believe it will help you sort out any white/gray/pink Pinot-confusion you may be experiencing...
Attack of the Clones
Almost
all wine, with perhaps the notable exception of that teal-colored stuff
next to the beer in the supermarket refrigerator case, is made from the
same species of grape: Vitis vinifera. This begs the
question: Whence wine diversity? The wonderfully diverse wine
selection that fills up shelves in your local wine store can be
attributed to different grape varieties rather than different grape
species. Do you find it difficult to get your mind around the concept
of grape variety? Think about apples. Compare Granny Smith to Gala to
Golden Delicious to Fuji. They’re all apples, right? Yet each one
smells and tastes dramatically different from the other. These
differences are attributed to apple variety not apple species. So,
while Merlot and Chardonnay are both made from vinifera grapes, they are quite distinct wines made from entirely different grape varieties.
Now that we have the grape variety concept all squared away in our minds, let’s scramble our brains again. You’ve seen wine labeled “Pinot Noir” before, correct? What about wine labeled “Pinot Grigio” or “Pinot Gris?” “That’s easy.” You say. “They are just different varieties.” Not so fast, Einstein. Technically speaking, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris/Grigio are the same grape variety. Pinot Gris/Grigio is simply the mutant clone of Pinot Noir. Huh?
A quick French lesson will help us out of this clonal confusion. “Noir” means black en français; and “Gris” is the Gallic word for gray. These terms refer to the grapes’ appearance. Pinot Noir’s skin is dark red, or black. While Pinot Gris’s skin is gray (well, pinkish gray to be exact). And, boy, do these mutant-clone siblings produce dramatically distinct wines.
Pinot
Noir is among the most persnickety of grapes to grow. Noir vines have
an affinity for cool climates, yet they are susceptible to spring
frosts. Pinot Noir is also vulnerable to almost any and all vineyard
pests, gout, mold, taint, dropsy, scurvy, etc. In fact, many growers
don’t want the headaches that planting Pinot Noir unavoidably brings.
As a result, Pinot Noir isn’t as common as other wines. It’s also
noticeably more expensive due to the fact that it’s such a high
maintenance vine. However, when Pinot Noir is planted and successfully
raised, it can produce a beautiful bottle of wine. Pinot Noir wine
ranges from lovely scents of strawberry and cherry to otherworldly
scents of mocha and eucalyptus. The gold standard for Pinot Noir is
the Burgundy region of central France. Up-and-coming areas for Pinot
Noir include Oregon, New Zealand, and the central California coast.
Treat yourself to a mini Pinot Noir flight from the simple (Brancott Pinot Noir, ’03, $11 – New Zealand), to the complex (Carneros Creek Reserve, ’01, $20 – California), to the sublime (Chehalem “Rion” Reserve Pinot Noir, ’01, $50 – Oregon).
Pinot
Gris comes bottled to most wine drinkers as “Pinot Grigio” (“Grigio” is
how someone named Vincenzo would say “gray”). Pinot Gris/Grigio
produces white wine that varies in character depending on how it’s
grown and vinified. Once upon a time Pinot Grigio was going to be the
next big thing - a la Chardonnay. As a result mucho Pinot Grigio was
planted and mucho mediocre wine was produced. When grown and vinified
with care, Pinot Gris/Grigio can produce a fairly full-bodied wine with
both citrus and floral character. When aged in oak barrels, a layer of
spicy-sweet complexity is added. Like its dark clone, Pinot Gris/Grigio
prefers cool climates. Oregon winemakers are producing ever more and
ever better Pinot Gris. The northern Italians also produce molto Pinot Grigio. Learn to love this clone; try King Estate Pinot Gris, ’02 ($16) and Kris Pinot Grigio, ’02 ($13).
In
conclusion let me say….Oh my god! Did you see that? Pinot Gris just
mutated into another clone. The grape’s skin is kind of a
grayish-white color. Actually, this Pinot Gris clone has been around
for quite some time. It’s called Pinot Blanc. Think of it as sort of
a second clone-cousin to Pinot Noir. This mutant clone makes a white
wine, which is more about texture and acidity and less about aroma and
flavor. While it doesn’t provide the nose with much action, Pinot
Blanc will make your mouth water and your tongue feel, well, better
lubricated. It’s what I would call a frisky, viscous-y wine. Let your
tongue dance to Trimbach Pinot Blanc, ’01 ($12). And get your mouth watering with Steele Pinot Blanc, ’02 ($16) from Santa Barbara (AKA Sidewaysville).
Raise your glass to varieties, mutations, and the three Pinot clones. Cheers.
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