Frequently Asked Questions
What are the differences among Pinot Noir wines from various regions?
While different soil types, climate, and winemaking team have a strong effect on Pinot Noir’s qualities, you can generally expect refined versions to have polished tannins and flavors of cherry, milk chocolate, and orange peel, while bolder iterations may showcase blackberry, coffee bean, and dried herb notes. Outside of its spiritual home, Burgundy, Pinot Noir grows around the globe, but some of the best bottles on the market come from Sonoma, California’s Central Coast, Oregon Australia, and Argentina. Different soil types, winemaking technique, and the winemaker’s hand all contribute to the flavor profile.
How should you drink Pinot Noir?
Pinot Noir should be served in a glass with a large, deep bowl and narrower top, which is often referred to as a Burgundy glass. The bowl size allows for more airspace above the wine and offers the best conditions for aromas to be released and appreciated and for allowing the wine to open, while the narrower top concentrates aromas. It should be served at a temperature between 55º and 65º F; if you store your bottles in a temperature-controlled cooler or cellar, they should be perfect when removed.
How did we choose the nine Pinot Noir wines on this list?
We took many elements into consideration when making our choices, and the most important is taste, but how a wine actually “tastes” involves a variety of impressions, including flavor, texture, tannins, acidity, and finish. We also considered ability to age and a combination of rarity and accessibility: We sought out wines that are made in relatively small quantities but at the same time are available to purchase without having to join a winery club or allocation list. The majority were tasted blind in comparative tastings with similar wines, but some were enjoyed at dinner with winemakers or opened by friends.
Why should you trust us?
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report’s wine editors, have been writing about wine for two decades, have visited wine regions and wineries around the world, and have tasted wine with the people who make it. Last year they tasted over 6,000 wines and are on target to sample more than 7,000 in 2024. They are judges for the internationally renowned Concours Mondial de Bruxelles wine competition, and their work has appeared in Wine Spectator, Forbes, Wine Enthusiast, Huffington Post, Saveur, and books published by Oxford University Press. They have been featured for their expertise in wine on The Today Show, The Martha Stewart Show, CNN, CBS, Fox, WGN, WPIX and NBC. Known as the World Wine Guys, they are the authors of six wine books which have received various accolades and awards including “Best Wine Book in the World” from Gourmand International.
