A Horse of a Different Color

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When is Pinot Noir not Pinot Noir?  When it is subjected to Carbonic Maceration, of course.

For those who are unfamiliar with the technique, carbonic maceration is a process by which whole bunches of grapes are fermented in a closed tank filled with carbon dioxide, or carbon acid gas as it was once referred.  This process yields an immediately quaffable, fruity, and in most cases, inexpensive wine.  It is the primary fermentation method used for Gamay-based  Beaujolais Nouveau wines, typically priced around $10.00.

So, much to my chagrin, the  2008 Willamette Valley Vineyards Whole Cluster Fermented Pinot Noir resembled more of a Beaujolais-styled wine than the Burgundian-styled wine I had hoped to enjoy.

Your obvious response would be to tell me, “well, the style was plainly indicated on the label”, and you would be 100% correct.  But, at a price of $23.99, you may have also been caught off guard.  Because, like me, you may not have referred to the exhaustive, explicit details on the back label.  Shame on me.

However, the wine was light and pleasant but not what I was looking for in a Pinot Noir and quite expensive for a Beaujolais-style wine.  I was looking for a Drouhin and was handed a Duboeuf.

The moral of the story is, “Read the Labels.  Front and Back.  Know what you are buying.”  This is the last time I’ll run through Whole Foods relying on my wine memory to choose without vetting.

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• Beaujolais: a Quick Primer (underthegrapetree.blogspot.com)
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Tagged as: Review, Wine