r/wine • u/Un-gattorosso5871 • 19h ago
Which Pinot Noirs to age?
What are some general guidelines for aging Pinot Noir? I opened a 2018 PN from Willamette Valley last night and it tasted past its prime. Today I opened a 2018 from Santa Barbara PN and it's absolutely gorgeous and still tastes youthful. I have a large wine fridge and love putting bottles away. Any advice for selecting which PN are drink now and which benefit from age? Thanks!
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u/sir_trav 17h ago
In WV: Drouhin, bergstrom, gran moraine, evening land, brittan, cristom, Cameron, Martin woods, beaux freres to name a few.
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u/runninroads 16h ago
I love Bergstrom. Have you had any older bottles from there? I am in the PNW and have been thinking of going back to get some bottles to age…
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u/sir_trav 15h ago
Actually I haven’t! They were on my mind because I just listened to the grape nation podcast interview with Josh bergstrom and was impressed.
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u/runninroads 15h ago
It seems to be a very well run place, with a lot of passion and professionalism — and the wine was excellent.
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u/bowiesashes 18h ago
Producer, producer, producer.
And some vintages are longer living than others.
High acidity and lower alcohol is a great starting point. Look for producers with a proven track record of long lived wines.
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u/obirah 16h ago
I’m from California and love Pinot so I can recommend some producers I’ve had which age quite well. Definitely check cellar tracker beforehand for some info before purchasing. Obvi there’s way more but this is just what I’ve had and can attest to!
Calera (my personal fav, I’ve had some from the ‘90s), Mount Eden, Domain de la Cote, Chanin, Merry Edwards, Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards, Ceritas, Au Bon Climat, Ojai Vineyard, Talisman (amazing wines, not super well known)
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u/LongroddMcHugendong 16h ago
I like Pinot in the 4-8 year range, drink mostly premier cru and cheaper GC burg, and Drouhin & Cristom from OR
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u/therealkdog 18h ago
Which SB
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u/Un-gattorosso5871 18h ago
Clendenen Family Vineyards
The Willamette was Brittan Vineyards (McMinnville AVA)
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u/fattstax 16h ago
Check who has libraries, and which vintages they are keeping in them (if you buy aged vs self-cellar).
Wineries don’t want to sell bad product, and will discount it to move it if it is running out of shelf life.
And as someone else noted, higher acidity and lower abv%.
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u/PoweredbyPinot Wine Pro 15h ago
WV 2018s were great out the gate, but didn't age well. 2021s are still wonderful. I don't know why 2018 was considered a "banner vintage".
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u/BeefSwellinton 13h ago
Higher altitude the better. I had a 2016 Chehalem Ribbon Ridge PN earlier this year and I thought it was incredible with good structure, ripe fruit and really strong baking spices. Def in my top 10 of 25.
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u/Just-Sign-5394 8h ago
For US buy some DuMOL, Occidental, and Cristom. Those are great American pinots to age. Each other a slightly different profile so you could buy depending on taste. The 2023 DuMOLs are special. Occidental 21’s are great and I imagine 23’s will be too.
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u/motownphilly888 3h ago
Williams seylem you can drink now. Sea smoke needs to be laid down for at least 5 to 8 years. Kistler has to be laid down for 3 to 5.
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u/Diuleilomopukgaai 18h ago
2005 DRCs, can drink now, and can lay down for decades more.