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MICHAEL FRIDJHON: New World producers have given depth to pinot noir
Pinot noir has become properly established on the wine lover’s pantheon, writes Michael Fridjhon
Pinot noir has become the gout du jour almost everywhere that fine wine is appreciated. This was not always the case and its rise in popularity is not something that could easily have been predicted 30 years ago, when cabernet enjoyed an unrivalled claim on the attention of the wine-drinking public. Until the late 1970s the major plantings of pinot were limited to Burgundy, where the region’s arcane appellation system made nomenclature inaccessible and confusing to all but the most avid enthusiasts. Its lack of appeal was exacerbated by the fact that many growers had selected the most productive clones (yielded wines which were thin, pale and weedy) in order to optimise yields at a time when the business was largely unprofitable. In Burgundy wines are named after the region (Bourgogne); a sub-region (Côte de Beaune Villages); a village (Aloxe-Corton); or the most highly classified village vineyards (Aloxe-Corton Premier Cru); a single site within this category (Aloxe-Corton Premier ...
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