Composing for Pinot Noir
Sensitive in the vineyard and delicate in the glass, Pinot Noir also appears to be one of the varieties most influenced by music
Some years back at a major Pinot Noir conference, I presented the same Pinot Noir with five very different pieces of music, one of which I’d specifically composed for that wine. In its audience of several hundred international wine professionals, there were plenty of skeptics at the start of my Pinosthesia presentation. However, many commented afterwards on their surprise in how an elegant Central Pinot Noir could transform into something that felt more like a full-bodied Primitivo, saw its aromatics decimated, or its acid focus increase. What I hoped to demonstrate through this tasting, that if you appreciate the subtleties of Pinot Noir, you should also pay attention to the music you’re playing with this most sensitive of varieties.
Read on to discover the results of my own Pinot and music study and try some powerful Pinot shape shifting for yourself...