Italian Pinot Noir vs. Austrian

Or the Disappearance of Tannin

Many of us have started our wine journey fascinated by full-bodied, robust reds, aged in barrels, perhaps cuvée belle pienotte. They are opulent wines that strike those who approach them for the first time. On the other hand, ostentatious richness always has an immediate effect on naive eyes. However, with repeated tastings, one tends to recognize the influence of wood, often poorly balanced by the ambitious producer, and a certain uniformity of taste: these are wines of style, not of variety.

Trying to move away from the predictable profiles of great reds, there are two paths. On one side, there are the so-called territorial wines: acidity, lively and wild tones. They are indigenous grapes that capture the specificity of their terroir, putting winery work in the background.

On the other side, there is the “tannin-free” finesse of Pinot Noir, which fascinates for being the antithesis of opulent red wines. Here, complexity and elegance emerge not so much from the power of tannins or the depth of wood nuances, but rather from the upward elevation of aromas, from the verticality of the structure supported by good acidity, and from the ethereal notes that seem to escape from the glass. What is lacking, however, are the tannins.

This is the general idea, but the facets of Pinot Noir are obviously many. So, curious to discover how much it can do without tannin and what kind of elegance it prefers, I tasted on two different evenings two distinctly different bottles of Pinot Noir: the Burgum Novum Pinot Nero Riserva 2014 from Castelfeder (Alto Adige) and the Pinot Noir Reserve 2015 from Jurtschitsch (Kamptal, Austria). Both wines were paired with chicken dishes, with the idea of ​​assessing their intrinsic qualities and gastronomic versatility (as I did later on with the Austrian and French Rieslings).

Burgum Novum Pinot Nero Riserva 2014 – Castelfederer

The Burgum Novum Pinot Nero Riserva from Castelfeder is made with grapes from clayey soils that also contain deposits of limestone and porphyry. It is, along with the Chardonnay Riserva Burgum Novum, the flagship of the company. Coming from the Südtirol – Alto Adige DOC region, the wine is the result of a meticulous selection of grapes from the vineyards of Bassa Atesina (interesting that the producer does not indicate which ones and at what altitude). After fermentation in steel, the wine ages for 18 months in barriques, followed by another 12 months in steel and 6 months in the bottle.

2014 was not the happiest of years in Alto Adige: after a promising start with warm spring temperatures that favored early flowering and budding, long periods of rain and growth at low temperatures followed. The summer was not without rainfall, causing berry splitting and increasing the risk of fungal diseases. The threat posed by the Asian fruit fly added further pressure on Alto Adige’s winemakers. The grapes still arrived in the cellar healthy, but less was produced than hoped for. The high-altitude vineyards emerged as winners, but as the producer writes, it does not tell us where the grapes used for this wine come from.

The wine is still so vital in the glass, it has shown very well what a ten-year-old wine can be. The acidity is vibrant, the tannins are almost completely rounded, silky, and felt on the central gums and lips. In the mouth, earthy and barnyard tones emerge, while sometimes the fruit lost during aging is perceived, and the more I perceived it, the more I missed it: perhaps a couple of years ago I would have appreciated this wine more. The body is still fresh, full of life, a fascinating contrast with aged flavors. The tannins leave a pleasant almost savory sensation on the lips, and the finish is composed, again earthy and refined. It filled the mouth.

In summary, perhaps I waited too long to drink it, but it aged very well, without losing freshness and character.

Pinot Noir Reserve 2015 – Jurtschitsch

Jurtschitsch is a bit more generous in the information it provides about its Pinot Noir Reserve. The wine is produced with grapes from two distinct vineyards, characterized by different attributes. In the Schenkenbichl vineyard, the vines are rooted in limestone soil, while in the Steinberg vineyard, they are found on gneiss foundations.

In addition to the geological differences, climatic differences are significant, mainly due to different exposures and marked differences in altitude. Due to diversified harvest times, the two sites are fermented separately, with a portion of the destemmed grapes and a portion fermented whole. The wine matures for at least 20 months in wooden barrels of 300-500 liters and is then bottled without filtration.

In the Lower Austria region (Niederösterreich), the 2015 vintage presented a predominantly positive picture, however, an unusual nighttime hailstorm in early May caused significant damage, especially in the Kamptal region (here compared to the Kremstal). Fortunately, significant problems related to fermentation or the appearance of aromatic defects were the exception in this vintage. Although acidification was allowed, sparing use of this option was made.

The wine has very little alcohol, but medium body and acidity. Tiny tannins are slightly present on the palate. In the mouth, notes of damp bark and sweet spices emerge: it is a truly elegant wine that expresses itself lightly, without ever exaggerating despite the excellent concentration of fruit. Extremely clean and clear. Eternal finish, with tertiary tones (especially spices) supported by powerful salinity that invites another sip. Excellent with chicken, with which it adapted well without exceeding, and with which the spiciness interacted showing its character. A truly successful pairing.

The Best Pinot Noir

So, two beautiful wines, but who wins?

Although the Castelfeder seemed more tired than the Jurtschitsch, the slightly more captivating tannin of the former made this wine more fascinating to my palate. Pinot Noir, precisely because it does not rely on tannins, has the great freedom to completely dispense with them or play on a more or less softened form. And in this case, the tannin gave grit to a wine still full of nuances. As always, this is not a definitive recipe, and we leave it gladly to the producers the arduous task of giving the right space to tannin in their Pinot Noirs and to us the pleasure of tasting them.

The elegant nature and food-friendly characteristics of these Pinot Noirs would also make them excellent choices for the best wines for a picnic, where their versatility with different dishes truly shines.

Another interesting pinot noir is the one from Cantina Colterenzio.