…light & fuller style Pinot Noir

What is the difference between lighter & fuller style Pinot Noir...?

During tastings, wine classes, formal dinners and during casual occasions - I regularly get asked what is the difference between this grape or this wine compared with...? It could be a grape varietal which they have never heard of or tasted or a new winery or wine label.
But the following series - and yes there are going to be a few. Is going to look at what is the difference between a ‘lighter style’ Pinot Noir and a ‘fuller style’ Pinot Noir. Describing the typical primary flavours and palate characteristics from winemaking choices, highlighting 2 drinking now examples - and then suggesting food pairing ideas for you to try out next time you have a bbq, dinner party and evening out.

Pinot Noir owes its reputation to the wines of Burgundy - France. For most of wine history, this 3.5km-wide, 50km-long stretch of gentle hills, called the Cote d'Or ('Slope of Gold'), was the first region to achieve consistent success from the Pinot Noir vine. The quality of Burgundy is due to a number of factors. Its vineyards gentle slopes facing down toward the east, providing the vines with early morning sun exposure, while at the same time avoiding extreme afternoon heat. The soils there are very calcareous, offering good drainage. Pinot Noir seems to reflect more pronounced 'Gout de Terroir', or 'flavour of the soil', than other red/black grape varietals, making vineyard and site selection critical.
There are some *200 recognized clones (genetic variants) of Pinot Noir in the Burgundy wine region, and an estimated *800+ clones of Pinot Noir worldwide. The most appealing quality of Pinot Noir may be its soft, velvety texture on the palate. Plus when physiologically ripe and handled correctly, e.g. given the appropriate amount of time in new or used oak, can taste like liquid silk. A lighter style Pinot Noir will showcase red cherries and subtle herbs, while a fuller style Pinot Noir will express dark cherries, earthy notes like truffles and typically have more time in oak.

• Classic Flavours: Sweet red to dark cherries, red plums, wild small berries, dried herbs and floral-herb notes, berry chocolate, mushrooms, earthy, forest floor, mocha, truffles, and smoky characters depending upon the use of oak.