PINOT NOIR ESSENTIALS
Pinot Nero, Spätburgunder, Blauburgunder... these are some of the other names for the grande dame of red grapes, a variety with a diva-esque reputation who knows herself to be unique and seductive, exquisite and expressive. The world of prestigious wines would be unimaginable without her. Let's call her by her best-known name: Pinot Noir.
Once you know her, you can't help but fall in love. This is why we'd like to share the five main characteristics that make Pinot Noir stand out among all the varieties that make up the great house of the wine world:
1. Noble lineage. Mention Burgundy and you conjure up the birthplace of this variety and the sublime wines it produces in the French region, where Pinot Noir is still the timeless regina of the prestigious Côte d'Or.
2. The variety of a thousand faces. The variety's long history, which can be traced back to Roman-era Gaul, means it has undergone various mutations to adapt to terrains as geographically distant as they are viticulturally united. As a result, Champagne in France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the US states of Oregon, California and New York, Chile, Argentina, South Africa and New Zealand all present different versions of the same variety, but with one constant: it is always special and very particular in its expression.
3. In search of the cold. The variety prefers cool or temperate climates in order to preserve its highly distinctive fruit characteristics. Perhaps this is why Pinot Noir's small, delicate berries form compact clusters, squeezing together tightly, seeking warmth within a bunch that, once ripe, produces very sweet juice.
4. The flavors. Although the variety's flavor profile changes depending on where it is grown, the classic examples, which are always varietals, display distinctive red fruit expressed in notes of cherry, raspberry and strawberry. Thanks to the fine skin of the grapes, the tannins are soft and pleasant, and the delicate color intensity is a far cry from the deep pigmentation of other varieties.
5. Untamable heart. Pinots usually age unpredictably, turning the winemakers' work into a quasi-heroic feat to achieve the vegetable and animal notes that add nuances to the strong presence of fruit. Most Pinots are youthful in spirit and ask to be drunk within a year of bottling, but given the chance and right amount of time, the variety can produce mature and sensual wines: leather, tobacco and tantalizing fruit compote that might be a bit much for some palates.
The Wine: Mas Borràs (D.O. Penedès, Familia Torres)
Familia Torres's venture into the world of Pinot Noir maintains the prestige of the most exemplary varietals.
Located in the highest areas of the Penedès wine region, the eponymous estate of Mas Borràs is home to the Pinot Noir vines, which experience shifts in daytime and nighttime temperature that allow for optimal maturation.
Mas Borràs wears an intense cherry robe of rather unusual depth that signals the enological complexity of a truly magnificent wine. Fruit aromas expressed in notes of raspberry and cherries in liqueur over undertones of coffee and mocha; lush and mature.
It is almost tactile in the mouth, a velvety palate caress that appeals to the most tangible part of our senses.
With its exquisite acidity, soft and fragrant tannins, Mas Borràs expresses the variety's elegance in its own emphatic way, reminding us of its place of origin and innovative concept.
This is a timeless wine of charming color and deep soul. A varietal exception in a world of blends that doesn't need company to yield its best
