New World single vineyard Pinot Noir: Panel tasting results

James Doidge, Roger Jones and Dirceu Vianna Junior MW tasted 100 wines with one exceptional, six outstanding and 43 highly recommended.

Entry criteria: New World producers and UK agents were invited to submit their latest-release, 100% Pinot Noir still red wines produced from grapes from a single vineyard

The verdict

While ‘Pinot Noir’ on the wine label is enough of a lure for most wine lovers, what unique selling point do the additional words ‘single vineyard’ provide?

The consensus among our judges was that a single vineyard is the New World’s version of a ‘climat’ in Burgundy – a specific parcel of vines – and that labelling a bottle with a single-vineyard designation implied that it was of higher quality than a producer’s ‘basic’ Pinot Noir.

Scroll down to see top 50 tasting notes & scores

‘It indicates this is a producer’s best-quality fruit,’ explained James Doidge. ‘This is the wine they will spend the most time and energy on because it will be the reference point for the estate’s ultimate quality.’

Dirceu Vianna Junior MW felt the term helped the ‘real wine lover’ who wanted to know the story behind the wine. ‘A less-involved consumer will probably be happy with a bottle that just says “Pinot Noir” regardless of the country or region it comes from, let alone the vineyard, so long as it satisfies on a varietal level.’

Doidge agreed. ‘I do wonder about the point of indicating single vineyards outside the classic regions. It’s useful in Burgundy when you can compare this guy’s Nuits-St-Georges to lots of other Nuits-St-Georges. But I doubt most of these New World vineyards are sufficiently well known to consumers that it makes a difference – apart from the increased price. So the term becomes slightly artificial.’

A more defined sense of place was what Roger Jones wanted a single vineyard Pinot Noir to offer. ‘The generic wine should say “This is Pinot Noir”, the single-vineyard should say “This is Pinot Noir from here”.’

New Zealand and Chile comprised more than half the wines submitted, so this tasting was not a balanced representation of single-vineyard Pinot Noir globally, but nevertheless the judges felt all 100 wines displayed good varietal character and the best were also expressive of their origins.

‘I was surprised to see so many Chilean wines,’ said Jones, ‘but I was blown away – brilliant! There’s now great diversification in Chile where you can say that a Pinot from this region is different to that region.’

‘Chile was very consistent,’ noted Vianna. ‘I was very excited by that, particularly Leyda. And you could taste the vintage variations.’

He and his fellow tasters also singled out South Africa’s Hemel-en- Aarde and Elgin wines for consistently high quality and regional expression, despite the small number entered.

Doidge found the ‘huge number’ of Marlborough wines ‘all over the place stylistically’: some light and elegant, others dark and concentrated. ‘Jones said the region had ‘changed dramatically’ from when it was purely known for its Sauvignon Blancs, and many sub-regions were now making ‘amazing, affordable Pinot Noirs’.

New Zealand was ‘rewarding but very safe’, for Vianna, who didn’t find the excitement he’d expected, apart from in Martinborough and Waipara. In Australia, judges were disappointed there was only one Tasmanian wine, but Mornington Peninsula impressed.

Vianna found a stylistic similarity across the US wines. ‘They’re really powerful, intense, exuberant and ripe. Maybe too blowsy for many British palates, but well made.’ Oregon stood out for Doidge. ‘People talk about it as being halfway between California and Burgundy and that came across clearly, with most of the wines having lovely balance between ripeness and acidity, thanks in part to widespread use of whole-bunch fermentation.’

Discussion copy by Tina Gellie.

See all wines from the panel tasting here

The scores

100 wines tasted

Exceptional 1

Outstanding 6

Highly Recommended 43

Recommended 45

Commended 4

Fair 0

Poor 0

Faulty 1

About New World single vineyard Pinot Noir

Burgundy dreamers? Many winemakers beyond Europe now have the know-how and the quality of fruit to produce Pinot Noirs that truly reflect their own local terroirs, says Dirceu Vianna Junior MW

The marriage between Pinot Noir and the complex array of soils created by a geological fault that formed the low hills facing east across the Saône plain has helped give Burgundy its reputation as one of the world’s greatest wine producing regions. And for decades New World producers have been pursuing the magic that red Burgundy can achieve.

Pinot Noir was first planted in Oregon in the early 1960s. In 1968, Chile’s search for cooler areas identified Chimbarongo in Colchagua Valley as the best spot for the variety at that time. Many other countries outside Europe joined the quest to make great Pinot Noir, including New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Argentina and more recently Uruguay and Brazil.

Confident strides

Burgundy remains the benchmark for quality and style. Many estates still seek to emulate its Pinot Noirs, but an increasing number of producers have acquired sufficient experience and confidence over the years to follow their own path. Combined with better fruit quality from vineyards gaining in maturity, this has led to producers developing their approach and increasingly making wines that reflect their own sense of place.

An interest in more terroir-driven wines has inspired quality-focused producers to explore whether differences could come from single-vineyard sites in the style of a Burgundy grand cru. This trend has gained momentum since the turn of the century and will continue as long as the opportunity for financial gains for producers exists, and the increase in better-quality wine continues to satisfy progressively demanding and sophisticated consumers.

In the US, Oregon, Carneros and cooler parts of Sonoma offer excellent potential. Tasmania, Mornington Peninsula, Yarra Valley and Geelong have been building a reputation in Australia.

Pinot Noir & single site expression

Pinot Noir is the quintessential interpreter of terroir due to its ability to capture nuances of the land where it is grown. It is a demanding variety, both in the vineyard and the cellar. As long as vines are well established, yields kept at suitable levels and there is no excessive use of winemaking trickery, it is capable of retaining varietal expression, exuding elegance and conveying a sense of place.

A single vineyard can have an essential impact on the wine’s character. Pinot Noir from loess soils is often lighter and elegant; granite soils contribute to wines that are linear, angular and display attractive mineral notes; whereas red clay is responsible for wines that are rounder and plump. To respect single vineyard characteristics, producers are increasingly focusing on the viticultural practices in individual plots to ensure that the fruit enters the winery in pristine condition. Furthermore, winemakers are adopting a more hands-off approach, with the aim of allowing varietal flavours and terroir to express themselves.

To that aim, whole-bunch fermentation is becoming more popular and the vast majority of New World producers seem to have mastered a more judicious use of oak, which improves texture and imparts complexity without noticeable or excessive intrusions on flavour.

In New Zealand, besides Central Otago and Nelson, Martinborough has surprised critics and delighted consumers with convincing style, displaying exceptional generosity and purity of fruit. Both eastern and western Canada have shown potential, and cooler parts of South Africa such as Elgin and Hemel-en-Aarde have entered the frame with exceptional examples. Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil remain minor players, but Chilean producers have been gradually improving, gaining consistency and demonstrating promise.

This Decanter panel tasting comes at an opportune moment as it enables comparison between styles, and an assessment of each region’s genuine potential. Single-vineyard wines connect the variety with a precise location, helping to enhance the perception that wine is an artisanal product.

With consumers increasingly looking for wines that are genuine, authentic and display a sense of place, this trend towards single-vineyard wines shows no sign of abating.

Top 50 wines in the New World single vineyard Pinot Noir panel tasting

See all wines from the panel tasting here

The judges

James Doidge

Doidge has been involved in the wine trade for his entire career. In 2002 he became managing director and buyer for The Wine Treasury, a London-based importer specialising in New World wineries, with a particular focus on partnerships with top producers in California, Oregon and Washington State.

Roger Jones

Jones owns award-winning restaurant The Harrow at Little Bedwyn, together with his wife Sue. Both a wine critic and Michelin-starred chef, he frequently visits Australia to promote food and wine pairing, and set up The Tri Nations Wine Challenge to promote wines from South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

Dirceu Vianna Junior MW

Originally from Brazil, Vianna studied forest engineering and law, before moving to London, where he began to work in the wine trade in 1990. In 2008, he became the first South American male to obtain the title Master of Wine. He now works as a wine writer, educator, technical consultant and competition judge.