Right Now!

"So when are you going to actually write something about Pinot"? I keep hearing that, and yes, with a name like "The Pinot Diatribes" I guess it's reasonable to expect that there should be an occasional piece about Pinot. And at lest once in awhile, there should be a good old fashioned diatribe. So, while not old-fashioned, and without hellfire or brimstone, here we go...

Burgundy. What the fuck is so goddamn special about Burgundy? We are kicking the ever living snot out of the French when it comes to the comparing the quality of Pinot Noir from California versus Burgundy. I know, some will howl and call this blasphemy, but as Monalisa Vito said when asked if something was her opinion, "It's a fact".

Imagine a pyramid of quality- with the utter crap at the bottom, and the creme de la creme at the top. A very large portion of the Burgundy pyramid is utter crap- tart, tight, overly acidic and lacking substantial palate weight. Setting aside the warm vintages there (the exceptions) when the wines are more California than Burgundy, this is the norm for that place. Often sold as "village" or AOC wines- these often overpriced bottle of plonk are riding the coattails of the few great wines from great vintages. Are there exceptions? Certainly. But it ain't the rule.

In contrast, California has one great year after another. Pinots, in a wide array of styles, are made here every year at a very high quality level. The "quality pyramid" here is very little crap- and a whole lot of very good to great wine. Our typical weather year would have the french dancing naked in the streets. Yup, there's a new sheriff in town, and it's Pinot from California that is running the show.

And yet, if you asked me where the very finest Pinots ever made have haled from, I'd say without hesitation "Burgundy". It was true in the past, just as it is today. Does it pain me to admit that? It should- after all, I am an unabashed cheerleader for the Russian River Valley (which I consider the greatest place for Pinot in California - along with the "true" Sonoma Coast). But it doesn't bother me one iota. I'll stand up among any group of Pinotphiles- no matter how devoted they might be to California and say the same thing. 'cause it's a fact.

Not all of Burgundy makes this grade. Not even all Grand Cru sites rise to this level. Hell. I've had wines from Premier Cru vineyards that absolutely rocked the world, and overshadowed many of their Grand Cru brethren. But when you open a bottle of "the kind", it transcends all efforts from all other places in the world.

I've had more transcendent experiences from one small part of Burgundy than any other- that being the wines from the commune of Vosne Romanee. Sure, I've got to give a nod to some other villages/vineyards in Burgundy that have consistently rocked my world, but for my palate, the wines from Vosne Romanee consistently offer the very best, even in "lesser vintages".

Why? There are three simple reasons: location, location and location. Which is the cornerstone of any good wine. But there, soil and climate converge to make something extraordinary. Is it a coincidence that the world's two most renowned Pinot houses are both there (DRC and Leroy)? And this isn't a "chicken and egg/which came first" question- the place was there first, and these two houses came later. They, and the others who make wine from there, have made wines that reflect how special this place is.

This isn't just the Grand Cru's either. The Premier Cru wines from the vineyards in that area are often astounding. Vineyards like Les Beaux Monts, Les Suchots and aux Malconsorts produce wines that can simply stop you in your tracks. Monday, I shared a bottle of 2002 DRC Cuvee Duvault-Blochet- a blend of grapes from various Grand Cru parcels picked five days after the first pass from a number of Grand Cru vineyards (which DRC then labeled as Premier Cru rather than Grand Cru). This "lesser" wine was just stunning- and it showed the vibrancy, elegance and quiet confidence that reflect that very special place.

The best of Burgundy rarely is about muscle and power. Instead, it's about capturing a sense of place. It's something we in California have a long way to go to grasp. And Burgundy, first and foremost is about cexpressing that sense of place. Which is a hell of a lot easier said than done. This is what the French recognize so much better than us- it's not about the winemaker- it's about the place. It's why their wine labels usually have the place of origin in the most prominent place and the domaine name takes a lower profile.

Pinot should tell a story of place and time. The winemaker should be a footnote to that story. And to this point in history, in my ever so humble opinion, the very best place in the world for Pinot Noir isn't in California, it's in France- specifically in Vosne Romanee. If our leaders tried to reconcile our differences over a bottle or two of Vosne Romanee instead of unleashing missiles, the world would be a different place today. You want "shock and awe"? Try opening some killer Burgundies for a negotiating tactic.

So a tip of the hat goes not to the French, but to that magical piece of land therein. We may be whipping them in general terms, but they are still control the very, very tippy-top of the pyramid. But we're trying...we're trying real hard.....