Pinot noir

Other names: in France: Pinot Franc noir, Bourguignon noir;
in Germany: Spätburgunder, Blauer Spätburgunder, Blauburgunder, Clavner, Klavner, Klebrot; 
in Austria: Blauburgunder, Blauer Spätburgunder, Blauer Nurnberger;
in Switzerland: Klevner, but labelled "Dole" when often blended with Gamay Noir;
in Italy: Pinot nero, Pignol, Pignola;
in Croatia: Burgundac Crni, Modra Klevanyka;
in Czechoslovakia: Rouci, Rouci modré;
in Hungary: Kisburgundi kék;
also Franc Pineau, Noirien, Savagnin Noir, Morillon, Auvernat, Plant Doré, Cortaillod and Nagyburgundi;
in England: Wrotham Pinot: the Wrotham (pronounced "rootum") Pinot is an English variety with white hairs on the upper surface of the leaves, and is particularly resistant to disease. Ray Barrington Brock of Oxted Viticultural Research Station was alerted to a strange vine growing against a cottage wall in Wrotham in Kent, which local lore said was descended from vines brought over by the Romans. An experimental Blanc de Noir was made at Oxted, and in 1980 Richard Peterson took cuttings to California, where he now makes a pink sparkling Wrotham Pinot. Wrotham Pinot is sometimes (wrongly) regarded as a type of Pinot meunier, but it has a higher natural sugar content and ripens two weeks earlier. Gillian Pearkes in her book Vinegrowing in Britain published in 1982 wrote: "Wrotham Pinot, is an Anglicized sport of the Pinot noir." which is a correct description.

Mother: unknown
Father: unknown

For years, grapevine varieties have been identified by physical features of their leaves and fruit. But those traits can vary according to environmental conditions. In the 1990s DNA fingerprinting, which compares characteristic patterns in the genetic material of a plant, animal or human, proved to be a highly accurate way to identify grapevine varieties no matter where they are growing.
In 1997 University of California at Davis reported they had developed genetic fingerprints for 51 wine grape varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon. They crushed young grapevine leaves from each of the varieties, extracted DNA from the leaves and examined distinct DNA sites known as 'microsatellite' markers that differed from the surrounding DNA in chemical makeup. They then used statistical analysis to determine the likelihood of the Cabernet Sauvignon microsatellite fingerprint deriving from the fingerprints of any two of the other varieties. These analytical methods pointed to Cabernet franc and Sauvignon blanc, as being the genetic parents of Cabernet Sauvignon.
Expanding on that work, the researchers enlisted the collaboration of French colleagues. After reviewing the historical French literature on wine grapes and taking into account previous speculation on variety origins, they chose 300 varieties from among the more than 2,000 maintained in a collection near Montpellier, France, by the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique.
In France, leaf samples were taken from the 300 varieties, DNA was extracted from them, and taken to UC Davis where the DNA fingerprinting technique was used to generate a DNA profile for each variety. They first compared all the varieties at 17 distinct DNA 'microsatellite' markers and looked for genetic evidence of close family relationships. Then they chose 60 varieties for more detailed comparisons.
Their analysis of these 60 varieties at 17 additional DNA marker sites revealed that 16 of them were probably the offspring of the same pair of parent varieties - an original 'Pinot' and Gouais blanc. A further statistical test, similar to that used to validate human DNA fingerprinting results, confirmed the very high probability that these two varieties were indeed the parents. In 1999 they announced "We are more than 99.99 percent sure that Pinot and Gouais blanc are the original parents for these 16 varieties (including Chardonnay and Gamay noir).".

In August 2007, French researchers announced the sequencing of the genome of Pinot noir. It is the first fruit crop to be sequenced, and only the fourth flowering plant.

Breeder/License holder: clone producers
Number of clones: a very large number (French, German etc)
           Clones and selection massales - some thoughts from a French vine nursery.
           Information on French clones  and German clones.

Year of entry into the German Federal Office's Varieties Register: 
Area planted in Germany (July 2006): 11,660 hectares, 11.4% of the total vineyard area.
Area planted in England (as at August 2004): 49.1 hectares, 6th largest
It is grown in almost all wine producing countries, achieving particular success in the cooler climate regions. Notable success has been achieved in the Martinborough and Central Otago regions of New Zealand.
In California in the Carneros district (in both Sonoma and Napa Counties), also in the Russian River Valley (Sonoma County), in Santa Maria Valley (Santa Barbara County), in Anderson Valley (Mendocino County) as well as the Pinnacles (Monterey County) and more recently in Santa Lucia Highlands (Monterey County). Also in Oregon.

Because of the thinness of the skins, Pinot noir wines are lighter in colour, body and tannins. However the best wines have grip, complexity and an intensity of fruit seldom found in wine from other grapes. Young Pinot noir can smell almost sweet, redolent with freshly crushed raspberries, cherries and redcurrants. When mature, the best wines develop a sensuous, silky mouth feel with the fruit flavours deepening and gamey 'sous-bois' nuances emerging.

Pinot noir's key role in producing the finest Champagne should not be forgotten; particularly from the montagne de Rheims.

Leaf: - size: medium                              - shape: round, weak 3-lobed to 5-lobed
        - colour: dark green
      - surface undulation: low-medium    - petiolar sinus: V-shape, open