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Pinot Noir Masters 2018: the results in full

The results for 2018’s Pinot Noir Masters are out, with top performers hailing from Oregon, California, Marlborough and… the Languedoc.

Continuing a theme seen over past Pinot Noir Masters, this year’s competition highlighted the quality on offer from the US and New Zealand in particular, although, in keeping with previous judging sessions, the results, whatever the source nation, were hugely variable – more so than in any other competition we run.

Indeed, the judges this year were to some extent flummoxed as to how a particular place can produce a star wine in one flight, and a disappointment in another.

Nevertheless, such an outcome did lend weight to the notion that Pinot is a difficult grape to get right, even when the climate is perfect.

While we had some wonderful examples with ripe fruit, fine tannin, floral overtones and a touch of sweet oak, we also had some wines that swung towards two extremes – either too light and green, or too rich and alcoholic, although the latter was rarer, suggesting that producers are trying to capture the delicate side of this variety.

The greatest wines were from a fairly wide sweep of sites, proving the commercial significance of this grape: everyone wants to crack Pinot, both because it’s a sign of winemaking and viticultural prowess, but also because there is such a strong market for the variety.

Jonathan Pedley MW

Highlights this year, like 2017, included blanc de noirs from Champagne, in particular those from De Venoge and Gosset, confirming Pinot’s suitability for the creation of truly great sparkling wines.

Among the still wines, it was notable that only Pinots over £10 achieved really high scores, with the best-value Golds coming from Chile’s Limarí Valley, California, the Yarra and Marlborough (Marques de Casa, Three Thieves and De Bortoli).

Moving into the £15-20 price band, a notable top performer was the Montes ‘Outer Limits’ Pinot Noir from Zapallar in Chile, showing that this producer is adept at finding new terroirs for crafting great wines.

But we were also impressed by the quality-to-price ratio from Copain in California, and there were lots of very good wines achieving Silver medals in this price band from a range of sources, from southern France to the Adelaide Hills, Central Otago and Baden.

Once the wines surpassed the £20 mark, as one would expect, the number of Gold medal-scoring samples increased significantly, with great Pinots from Napa, Yarra, Marlborough, Oregon and Aukland, as well as perennial high performer, Tapanappa, the only Pinot from Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula.

Above £30 and the judges tasted their first Master-winner – an award only handed out for the truly outstanding – and this went to Penner-Ash in Willamette Valley, proving that Oregon really is a great place for perfumed New World Pinot.

In fact, two further Golds in this price category were awarded to Oregon (Domaine Serene), along with delicious Pinots from Wairarapa (Matahiwi) and California (Hahn).

Keith Isaac MW

The day’s tasting then finished with the very top end in terms of price, and also the greatest wines of the competition. Again, Oregon featured, with a further wine from Domaine Serene wowing the judges with a Master-earning score – this really is a producer with a great talent for crafting fine Pinot – while Oregon’s new Gran Moraine brand, founded by Jackson Family Wines in 2013, gained a Gold, proving that this label is already a wonderful addition to the world of great Pinot.

However, along with Domaine Serene, this year’s other Master in the over £50 flight turned out to be somewhat surprising. Hailing from France, but not Burgundy, it was made by Languedoc star producer Gérard Bertrand, and come from a particular site in the northernmost part of the Haute Vallée de l’Aude winemaking region, where a vineyard 500 metres above sea level combines cool nights from high altitude conditions with Pinot’s favoured soil type: clay and limestone.

Finally, seriously impressing the judges too were the wines of New Zealand’s Marisco Vineyards. Founded by famous Marlborough winemaker Brent Maris (formerly of Wither Hills), these great, layered, medium-weight and pricy Pinots from the land of Sauvignon Blanc were a real find for the judges, and proved that the deeper clay soils of inland Marlborough – the Southern Valleys sub-regoin – can now claim to be a source of New Zealand’s best Pinots, along with Otago and Martinborough.

So, once again, our tasting format that sees wines assessed without knowledge of the source region drew attention to the hot spots for Pinot in the world. Some of these we knew, some of these required confirmation, and some of these were complete surprises. But, importantly, every result was significant.

The judges (left to right): Alistair Nicoll MW, Patrick Schmitt MW, Tobias Gorn, Nicola Thomson, Keith Isaac MW, Patricia Stefanowicz, David Round MW, Emma Symington MW, Roberto della Pietra, Jonathan Pedley MW

Sparkling Pinot Noir

Company Wine Name Region Country Vintage Medal
£20-£30
Bertè & Cordini Cuvée Nero d’Oro Pavia Italy 2010 Silver
Quaquarini Francesco OP Pinot Nero Metodo Classico DOCG “Classese” Pavia Italy 2010 Silver
£30-£50
Champagne A Soutiran Champagne Soutiran Cuvée Perle Noir Grand Cru Champagne France NV Silver
Nicolas Feuillatte Brut Millesime Blanc de Noirs Champagne France 2008 Silver
Lyme Bay Winery Blanc de Noirs Devon England 2014 Silver
Champagne Drappier Rosé Nature Champagne France NV Silver
Lyme Bay Winery Rosé Devon England 2014 Bronze
£50+
Champagne de Venoge Princes Blanc de Noirs Champagne France NV Gold
Champagne Gosset Grand Blanc de Noirs Extra-Brut Champagne France NV Gold
Champagne de Venoge Princes Rosé Champagne France NV Gold
Champagne Laurent-Perrier Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé Champagne France NV Silver

Pinot Noir rosé

Company Wine Name Region Country Vintage Medal
Under £10
Bodegas Alta Pavina Pavina Rose Castilla y León Spain 2017 Bronze
Halewood Romania Colina Piatra Alba Pinot Noir Rosé Dealu Mare, Murfatlar Romania 2016 Bronze

 

Unoaked Pinot Noir

Company Wine Name Region Country Vintage Medal
Under £10
Gruppo Mezzacorona / Nosio Stemmari Pinot Noir Trentino-Alto Adige Italy 2016 Silver
Giesen Wines Giesen The Brothers Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2015 Silver
Giesen Wines Ara Single Estate Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2015 Silver
Badischer Winzerkeller Black Forest T/312 Pinot Noir Dry Baden Germany 2015 Silver
Pelee Island Winery Pinot Noir VQA Ontario Canada 2015 Bronze
Viña Maipo Mi Pueblo Pinot Noir Central Valley Chile 2017 Bronze
Qualia Wines Barramundi Pinot Noir Murry Darling Australia 2017 Bronze
Les Vignobles Foncalieu Le Versant Pinot Noir Occitanie France 2016 Bronze
Brian Dominic The Interlude Pinot Noir South Eastern Australia 2017 Bronze
Gruppo Mezzacorona / Nosio Anterra Pinot Noir Trentino-Alto Adige Italy 2016 Bronze
Le Château de la Tour François Labet Pinot Noir Ile de Beauté Corsica France 2016 Bronze
Qualia Wines Little Eden Pinot Noir Murry Darling Australia 2017 Bronze
Direct Wines Le Chai au Quai Le Champ des Etoiles Languedoc France 2016 Bronze
£10-£15
Alma Wines Ambo Nero Pinot Noir Pavia I.G.T Lombardy Italy 2017 Bronze
£30-£50
Cedar Creek Platinum Block 4 Pinot Noir British Columbia Canada 2014 Silver
Cedar Creek Platinum Block 2 Pinot Noir British Columbia Canada 2014 Bronze

Oaked Pinot Noir (under £10 to £20)

Company Wine Name Region Country Vintage Medal
Under £10
Wakefield/Taylors Wines Fourth Dimension Pinot Noir Adelaide Hills Australia 2016 Silver
SC Cramele Recas SA I Am Pinot Noir Banat Romania 2017 Silver
SC Cramele Recas SA Alamina Pinot Noir Banat Romania 2015 Silver
Casa Girelli Canaletto Pinot Noir IGT Provincia di Pavia Trentino Italy 2016 Bronze
Henri de Villamont Bourgogne Pinot Noir Prestige Burgundy France 2015 Bronze
Babich Wines Rongopai Marlborough Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2017 Bronze
Wakefield/Taylors Wines Jaraman Pinot Noir Yarra Valley Australia 2016 Bronze
Viña Cono Sur Cono Sur Reserva Especial San Antonio Chile 2016 Bronze
£10-£15
Viña Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Pinot Noir Limarí Valley Chile 2016 Gold
Trinchero Family Estates Three Thieves Pinot Noir California USA 2016 Gold
De Bortoli Wines Villages Pinot Noir Yarra Valley Australia 2016 Gold
Tiki Wine & Vineyard Tiki Single Vineyard Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2014 Gold
Viña Apaltagua Pinot Noir Colección San Antonio Valley Chile 2016 Silver
Bodega Trapiche Trapiche Oak Cask Pinot Noir Mendoza Argentina 2016 Silver
Australian Vintage Tempus Two Platinum Pinot Noir Adelaide Hills Australia 2016 Silver
Casa Vinicola e Antonutti Pinot Nero Friuli Venezia Giulia Italy 2016 Silver
Kalfu Wines Kalfu Molu Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Chile 2015 Silver
Maison Champy Pinot Noir “Signature” Burgundy France 2015 Bronze
Casas del Toqui Casas del Toqui Reserva Pinot Noir Cachapoal Valley Chile 2015 Bronze
Trinchero Family Estates SeaGlass Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County USA 2016 Bronze
Vinedos Terranoble TerraNoble Gran Reserva Colchagua Chile 2016 Bronze
Bodegas Alta Pavina Citius Pinot Noir Castilla y León Spain 2014 Bronze
Marisco Vineyards The Ned Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2015 Bronze
Bodegas Del Fin del Mundo Malma Finca La Papay Pinot Noir Patagonia, Neuquén, San Patricio del Chañar Argentina 2017 Bronze
Marisco Vineyards The Ned Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2016 Bronze
Tiki Wine & Vineyard Koko Pinot Noir Central Otago, Wanaka New Zealand 2016 Bronze
Tiki Wine & Vineyard Koro Pinot Noir Waipara New Zealand 2016 Bronze
Bodegas Del Fin del Mundo Reserve Del Fin Del Mundo Pinot Noir Patagonia, Neuquén, San Patricio del Chañar Argentina 2016 Bronze
Bodegas Del Fin del Mundo Malma Family Reserve Pinot Noir Patagonia, Neuquén, San Patricio del Chañar Argentina 2016 Bronze
Cantina Colli del Soligo “Levigato” Pinot Nero Marca Trevigiana IGT Veneto Italy 2014 Bronze
£15-£20
Montes Outer Limits Pinot Noir Zapallar, Aconcagua Valley Chile 2015 Gold
Jackson Family Wines Copain Tous Ensemble Pinot Noir California USA 2015 Gold
Constellation Brands Kim Crawford Small Parcels Rise & Shine Pinot Noir Central Otago New Zealand 2014 Silver
Gérard Bertrand Domaine de l’Aigle Pinot Noir Pays d’Oc France 2016 Silver
Australian Vintage Nepenthe Good Doctor Pinot Noir Adelaide Hills Australia 2016 Silver
Yealands Wine Group Yealands Estate Winemakers Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2014 Silver
Viña Cono Sur Cono Sur 20 Barrels Casablanca Chile 2015 Silver
Invivo Wines Invivo Central Otago Michelle’s Pinot Noir Central Otago New Zealand 2016 Silver
Trinchero Family Estates Folie à Deux Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast USA 2014 Silver
Burkheimer Winzer am Kaiserstuhl Burkheimer Feuerberg Spätburgunder Rotwein “Vini Grande” Baden Germany 2015 Silver
DeBortoli Wines The Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir Yarra Valley Australia 2016 Bronze
Hush Heath Estate Hush Heath Manor Pinot Noir Kent England 2016 Bronze
Pernod Ricard Winemakers New Zealand Brancott Estate Letter Series T Marlborough Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2016 Bronze
Giesen Wines Giesen Single Vineyard Ridge Block Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2014 Bronze
Domaine Chanson Bourgogne Pinot Noir Burgundy France 2015 Bronze
Maycas del Limarí Maycas del Limarí Reserva Especial Pinot Noir Limarí Valley Chile 2016 Bronze

Oaked Pinot Noir (over £20)

Company Wine Name Region Country Vintage Medal
£20-£30
Trinchero Family Estates Napa Cellars Pinot Noir Napa Valley USA 2014 Gold
De Bortoli Wines Riorret Lusatia Park Pinot Noir Yarra Valley Australia 2016 Gold
Yealands Wine Group Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2015 Gold
Tapanappa Wines Fleurieu Peninsula Pinot Noir Southern Fleurieu Australia 2015 Gold
Revana Family Partners / Alexana Wines Alexana Willamette Valley- Oregon Pinot Noir Terroir Series Willamette Valley USA 2015 Gold
Clos Henri Vineyard Clos Henri Pinot Noir Wairau Valley, Marlborough New Zealand 2015 Gold
Falcon Ridge Estate Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2016 Gold
Babich Wines Family Estates Headwaters Organic Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2016 Gold
Tongue in Groove Pinot Noir Waipara Valley New Zealand 2015 Silver
Wineconsale Spätburgunder Wiesbaden Germany 2015 Silver
Alpha Estate Alpha Estate Ecosystem Pinot Noir Single Block “Strofi” Amyndeon Greece 2015 Silver
Yealands Wine Group Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2016 Silver
Tapanappa Wines Tapanappa Foggy Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir Southern Fleurieu Australia 2016 Silver
Jackson Family Wines La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast USA 2015 Silver
San Michele Appiano Alto Adige Pinot Nero DOC Riserva Alto Adige- South Tyrol Italy 2015 Silver
Mentzendorff & Co Akitu ‘A2’ Pinot Noir Central Otago New Zealand 2016 Silver
Rockburn Vineyard Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir Cromwell New Zealand 2016 Silver
E & J Gallo J Vineyards Pinot Noir California USA 2015 Silver
Burkheimer Winzer am Kaiserstuhl Schlossgarten Spätburgunder Rotwein ‘Grande Reserve’ Baden Germany 2015 Silver
Viña y Bodega Estampa DelViento Pinot Noir Valle de Colchagua Chile 2016 Silver
Bouchard Finlayson Galpin Peak Pinot Noir Western Cape South Africa 2016 Silver
GP Winery STEPP Pinot Noir Pfalz Germany 2016 Silver
Te Pa Family Vineyards te Pa Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2016 Bronze
Mentzendorff & Co Givry Côte Chalonnaise France 2015 Bronze
Gusbourne Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir Boot Hill Vineyard Kent UK 2016 Bronze
Bodega Trapiche Trapiche Broquel Pinot Noir Mendoza Argentina 2016 Bronze
Kahurangi Estate Ltd Abel Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Nelson New Zealand 2015 Bronze
Constellation Brands Nobilo Icon Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2015 Bronze
Accolade Wines Ltd Mud House Claim 431 Pinot Noir Wairau Valley New Zealand 2015 Bronze
Rockburn Vineyard Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir Cromwell New Zealand 2015 Bronze
Yealands Wine Group Yealands Estate Winemakers Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2015 Bronze
E & J Gallo MacMurray Russian River Pinot Noir California USA 2015 Bronze
Weingut am Nil Kallstadter Saumagen Spätburgunder Rhineland-Palatinate Germany 2015 Bronze
Mission Hill Family Estate Mission Hill Terroir Pinot Noir Okanagan Canada 2015 Bronze
Babich Wines Babich Winemakers’ Reserve Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2016 Bronze
Wakefield/Taylors Wines Taylors Winemakers Project Pinot Noir Tasmania Australia 2016 Bronze
Jackson Family Wines Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Pinot Noir Santa Barbara/Monterey/Mendocino Counties USA 2015 Bronze
Alde Gott Winzer Weitblick Spätburgunder trocken Baden Germany 2015 Bronze
Trinchero Family Estates Joel Gott Oregon Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, Oregon USA 2015 Bronze
DeBortoli Wines PHI Pinot Noir Yarra Valley Australia 2014 Bronze
Viña Ventisquero Herú Santa Cruz Chile 2015 Bronze
£30-£50
Jackson Family Wines Penner-Ash Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Willamette Valley USA 2014 Master
Matahiwi Estate Holly Pinot Noir Wairarapa New Zealand 2016 Gold
Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Oregon USA 2015 Gold
Domaine Serene Evenstad Reserve Oregon USA 2014 Gold
Hahn Family Wines Lucienne Santa Lucia Highlands, California USA 2015 Gold
Viña Ventisquero Tara Red 1 Santa Cruz Chile 2014 Silver
Domaine Chanson Pernand-Vergelesses Burgundy France 2015 Silver
Mission Hill Family Estate Mission Hill Prospectus Pinot Noir Okanagan Canada 2014 Silver
Viña Cono Sur Cono Sur Ocio Casablanca Chile 2014 Silver
Wineconsale Weiherberg Pinot Noir Wiesbaden Germany 2015 Silver
Appelsdrift Farm There Are Still Mysteries Single Vineyard Pinot Noir Western Cape South Africa 2015 Silver
Cantina Produttori San Michele Appiano Alto Adige Pinot Nero DOC Sanct Valentin Alto Adige – South Tyrol Italy 2014 Silver
Averill Creek Vineyard Somenos Series Pinot Noir Vancouver Island Canada 2015 Silver
Revana Family Partners / Alexana Wines Alexana Dundee Hills- Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Revana Vineyard, Estate Dundee Hills – Willamette Valley USA 2015 Silver
Domaine Queylus Grand Reserve Pinot Noir Niagara Peninsula Canada 2013 Silver
Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg Schloss Gobelsburg Pinot Noir Reserve Niederösterreich Austria 2015 Bronze
Maison Champy Savigny-lès-Beaune Burgundy France 2015 Bronze
Hamilton Russell Hamilton Russell Vineyards Pinot Noir Hemel-en-Aarde, Walker Bay South Africa 2016 Bronze
Akitu Akitu ‘A1’ Pinot Noir Central Otago New Zealand 2016 Bronze
Winemaking Tasmania Artisan Tasmania Pinot Noir Cambridge Australia 2016 Bronze
£50+
Gérard Bertrand Aigle Royal Pinot Noir Languedoc France 2016 Master
Domaine Serene Jerusalem Hill Oregon USA 2014 Master
Marisco Vineyards Craft Series Journey I Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2014 Gold
Marisco Vineyards Craft Series Journey II Pinot Noir Marlborough New Zealand 2014 Gold
Jackson Family Wines Gran Moraine Yamhill-Carlton Oregon Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton USA 2015 Gold
Château de Pommard Clos Marey-Monge Monopole Burgundy France 2015 Silver
Wineconsale GmbH Pinot Noir Reserve Wiesbaden Germany 2014 Bronze
Azienda Gulfi Societa’ Agricola SRL Pino’ Sicily Italy 2014 Bronze

About the competition

Patricia Stefanowicz MW and Patrick Schmitt MW

In a crowded wine-competition arena, the drinks business Global Pinot Noir Masters stands out for its assessment of wines purely by grape variety rather than by region. Divided only by price bracket and, for ease of judging, style too, the blind-tasting format allowed wines to be assessed without prejudice about their country of origin.

The best wines were awarded medals that ranged from Bronze through to Gold, as well as Master, the ultimate accolade, given only to exceptional wines in the tasting.

The wines were judged by a cherry-picked group of Masters of Wine and senior buyers on 7 February at Bumpkin in London’s South Kensington.

This report features only the medal-winners.

Judge’s comment: Patricia Stefanowicz MW

What I liked:

Although the tasting was a bit of a roller-coaster, some of the wines in this year’s Pinot Noir Masters were superb.

The Sparkling Blanc de Noirs, albeit a style not everyone loves, were generally good to very good, although the very best are ridiculously expensive.

With regard to the Oaked wines I was pleased to see that most producers are becoming more and more circumspect with their use of new and high toast oak, no more splinters! I found quite a lot to like among the oaked wines in the £10-15 price bracket. Of course, as expected there were some wonderful wines above £30: complex, layered, textured with concentrated flavours and fantastic balance.

There is some value to be had. Many of the Under £10 unoaked Pinots, showed succulent red berry fruits, fine texture and nicely balanced tannins, acidity and alcohol. Not in any way disappointing at that price point. And among the Oaked wines in the £10-15 brackets there were a number of gems with supple structure framing attractive fruit and a kiss of oak adding dimension.

What I didn’t like:

The £15-£20 and £20-30 wines were surprisingly variable in terms of quality. And origin didn’t seem to correlate particularly well with quality. I certainly couldn’t pick out a country or region that was a brilliant star or a complete failure. In both price groups, there were some rather delightful examples, showing purity of fruit, delicate touch and complexity, but also a few real duds, not really acceptable at these price levels.

In summary:

In this tasting Pinot Noir showed its true colours. Like the little girl in the nursery rhyme, ‘When they were good, they were very, very good; When they were bad, they were horrid.’ Word to the wise Pinot drinkers: Do your homework and taste before you buy.

3 responses to “Pinot Noir Masters 2018: the results in full”

  1. Hervé Lalau says:

    Were any Burgundy wines entered? Or Swiss pinot noir?

  2. torrents says:

    What a great article. it was really valuable. thanks a lot.

  3. John Duval says:

    After 5 years of wine tasting and comparing California and Oregon wines with Burgundies with the French buying public in my wine shop in lac Annecy, I have to say that I can no longer trust these kinds of articles.

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