As we celebrate Pinot Noir Day this 18th August, we wanted to bring you the ultimate guide to Pinot Noir in South America. If you are looking for the best Pinot Noir in Chile or the best Pinot Noir in Argentina, we’ve got you covered in our guide to this elusive grape in the major wine regions of South America.
Guide to Pinot Noir in Chile
Hectares planted: 4,143 hectares in Chile
Often seen as the holy grail of wines, Pinot Noir is notoriously difficult. If you get it wrong, you can make a rather bland wine. But if you get it right, it can be among the world’s most thrilling. Over the last 20 years, Chilean winemakers have been gradually coaxing their Pinot Noir from the former camp to the latter. This recent quantum leap in Chilean Pinot Noir quality reflects this generation’s greater understanding of Chile’s diverse climate types and soils, better genetic material in the vineyard and more sensitive winemaking in the cellar.
Following a major genetic upgrade in the vineyards and the discovery of more suitable sites for still (and sparkling) wines, the quality of Chilean Pinot Noir is now firmly on the rise. There are a myriad of cool-climate Pinot Noir terroirs in Chile — from the coast of the Atacama Desert down to the volcanic slopes of the Lake District in the far south. And as one of the ultimate grapes for transmitting terroir, Chilean Pinot Noir now has a riveting diversity of expressions.
Favourite producers
Tabalí, Aquitania Sol de Sol, Leyda, Miguel Torres Escaleras de Empedrado, Concha y Toro Amelia & Maycas del Limari, Reta, Trapi del Bueno, Clos de Fous, Undurraga Trama, Montsecano, Cono Sur, Casa Silva Lago Ranco, Villaseñor Peulo.
Guide to Pinot Noir in Argentina
Hectares planted: 2,011 hectares
The earliest Pinot Noir success in Argentina was actually as sparkling wine, and so many of the Pinot Noir clones available in Argentina are Champagne clones used for sparkling wine rather than still. Since the 2000s, producers have been looking more carefully at their genetic selection and red Pinot Noir wines have improved greatly.
I think the best Pinot Noir in Argentina comes from the cooler regions of high-altitude Uco Valley (notably Gualtallary), low-latitude Río Negro (notably Bodega Chacra’s excellent old-vine Pinot wines), and there are promising early results in Chubut and along the coast. In my opinion Argentina is still very much in the early days of its quest to discover the true identity of Argentine Pinot Noir, although there are some delicious high-end examples out there.
Favourite producers
Guide to Pinot Noir in Brazil & Beyond!
Hectares planted: >442 hectares in Brazil
By far the most exciting wine being made from Brazilian Pinot Noir is sparkling. Often blended with Chardonnay, it can make wonderfully balanced, traditional method sparkling wines that display light red fruit aromas, age well on the lees for greater complexity and can be sublime when made in a bone-dry style.
It is grown for sparkling wine in almost all of Brazil’s wine regions but very few interesting still wines are made from it. As a notoriously heat- and humidity-sensitive variety, it doesn’t perform particularly well for still wines in Brazil’s typically sub-tropical climate.
Elsewhere in South America, Pinot Noir is still a fringe variety. There are some attractive Pinot Noir wines being made in Uruguay’s Maldonado, San Jose and Canelones wine regions, but nothing too exciting to try from Bolivia or Peru yet.
Favourite sparkling Pinot Noir producers in Brazil
Sparkling producers: Cave Geisse, Don Giovanni, Casa Valduga, Pizzato, Miolo, Peterlongo, Estrelas do Brasil, Pizzato, Aurora
Terroir Selection: Top Pinot Noir wines to try from Chile and Argentina
VIÑA TABALÍ, Pai Pinot Noir
Talinay / $$ / Drinking window <15 years
If you like your Pinot Noir pretty as a flower but sharp as a knife, this is the wine for you. Pai is breath-taking with its racy acidity, nuanced floral and red fruit notes and incredibly long finish with chalky tannins. A grand cru for Chilean Pinot Noir.
See full tasting note of Talinay Pinot Noir
MIGUEL TORRES, Escaleras de Empedrado Pinot Noir
Empedrado DO / $$$$ / Drinking window <20 years
This Pinot Noir from vines planted on schist terraces brings a whole new face to Maule. With a few years in bottle before release, this Pinot Noir shows more evolved tertiary notes of stewed red berries and leather but ultimately it’s a savoury, mineral wine with graphite and grip on the finish. The early vintages are promising, and I’m sure there’s a lot more to come from this special site.
MAYCAS DE LIMARI, San Julián Pinot Noir
San Julián / $$ / Drinking window <10 years
The slightly warmer sub-region of San Julián further inland on the river terraces gives this silky Pinot Noir juicy notes of ripe strawberries and black cherries. A seductive wine with freshness and layers of liquorice, red fruit and black pepper.
CLOS DE FOUS, Pucalán Arenaria Pinot Noir
Aconcagua Costa / $$ / Drinking window <15 years
This terroir wine project is all about hunting down unique soils and climates for certain varieties, and in this case it is Pinot Noir on sandstone with calcarious deposits. This complex Pinot has earthy aromas of talc and graphite with fresh red fruit and spice, and a saline, mineral finish — hinting at its proximity to the coast.
BODEGA CHACRA, 32 Pinot Noir 2018
Río Negro / $$$ / Drink until 2030
Chacra’s old-vine Pinot Noir has long been one of the best in South America, and this is the grand cru of their impressive portfolio: a lo-fi Pinot Noir made with grapes from vines planted in 1932. With intoxicating perfume and exotic spice on the nose, filled with aromas of wild meadow flowers and crushed berries, the finish is delicate, elegant and long. Deservedly an icon of Argentine Pinot.
SALENTEIN, Single Vineyard Los Jabalíes Pinot Noir 2016
San Pablo GI / $$$$ / Drink until 2028
This more humid, cooler sub-region of the Uco Valley is good terrain for Pinot Noir and this top pour from Salentein proves how good it can be. Deep cherry, truffle and dried rose petal aromas make for a charming wine with fresh acidity and a long finish. With this textured and elegant wine, winemaker Pepe Gallante shows how it’s done without overdoing it.
LEYDA, Pinot Noir Lot 21
Leyda / $$ / Drinking window <15 years
This single lot Pinot Noir has a lovely combination of intensity and freshness, with complex layers of raspberry liqueur, ripe strawberries and cocoa and a long, slightly saline finish. Another impressive Lot wine from one of the valley’s most iconic producers.
UNDURRAGA, Trama Pinot Noir
San Antonio / $$ / Drinking window <15 years
Taking a fresh and delicate approach to coastal Pinot Noir, winemaker Rafael Urrejola selects parcels from different soil types (calcareous, granite and alluvial) to produce this fresh and tangy Pinot Noir. Fragrant red fruit aromas linger in this balanced, nuanced Pinot.
CANOPUS VINOS DEL FRIO, Pintom Pinot Noir
Pampa El Cepillo / $$$ / Drinking window <10 years
Biodynamic, lo-fi and seriously cool climate, this Pinot Noir from winemaker Gabriel Dvoskin exudes the fresh style that El Cepillo is capable of. Notes of raspberries and violets haunt the nose while the palate reveals fine tannin, a gravelly texture and a racy finish.
KAIKEN, Ultra Pinot Noir
Añelo, Neuquén / $ / Drinking window <5 years
A typically Neuquén Pinot, with notes of blood and stone. Meaty, graphite-y, and with hints of ripe red cherry and wild herb, this is textbook Neuquén and a full-bodied yet fresh Pinot Noir.
MATETIC, EQ Granite Pinot Noir
Casablanca / $$ / Drinking window <20 years
From Matetic’s Casablanca vineyard with its iron-rich granite soils, this is ultimately a terroir-driven wine, expressing minerality and bloody notes on the nose and tension on the palate. After a few years in bottle, this wine starts coming into its stride. Deep red fruit aromas emerge in the long, bracing finish. Strictly for wine geeks.
KINGSTON, Alazan Pinot Noir
Casablanca / $$ / Drinking window <15 years
This is a vibrant Pinot Noir which sings in the glass with notes of rose hips, fresh strawberries and cranberries. Wonderfully balanced, bright and silky, from one of the cooler sites in Casablanca.
ERRÁZURIZ, Las Pizarras Pinot Noir
Aconcagua Costa / $$$$ / Drinking window >15 years
Tangy and mineral, this coastal Pinot Noir from the slate soils of Aconcagua is one of Chile’s finest. With great length and purity, it is a focused and driven Pinot noir that will age like a dream.
MONTSECANO, Pinot Noir
Casablanca / $$$ / Drinking window >10 years
Montsecano is a cult producer in Chile. This small production of biodynamic wines from one of the cooler parts of Casablanca, really hits the spot with its Pinot Noir. Fragrant with dense black cherry, granite and sage notes, it’s a full-bodied wine that lingers.
VINOS BAETTIG, Los Primos Pinot Noir
Malleco / $$$ / Drinking window >15 years
Coming from Chile’s deep south, this is one of the most exciting new projects of late in Malleco showing the immense potential of the terroir as well as the masterful hand of Franciso Baettig in the cellar. With tension, racy acidity and wild forest notes, it is an invigorating but sophisticated Pinot.
OTRONIA, Pinot Noir
Chubut / $$$ / Drinking window >10 years
As the southernmost commercial vineyard in the world, you would expect Otronia’s Pinot Noir to be rather wild… and it is! With notes of shitake and raspberry, it’s a playful wine with a striking, electric acidity and a mouthwatering finish with chalky tannin.
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