In this week’s vineyard, we are looking at a pinot noir again, but from Argentina. Throughout this column, there have been quite a few pinots and almost all are from California. Therefore, this week I thought it would be a good idea to show you a different option.
Koskil Pinot Noir Patagonia, is this week’s wine. It’s produced in Argentina’s most southern wine region named Patagonia. This region is known for both their pinot noirs and malbec. Patagonia is predominantly desert landscape, so producing wine is only possible in areas near rivers that run from the Andes Mountains. The unique climate in this area provides warm days and cold nights which results in a long growing season where the grapes ripen slowly. This slow growing process results in the grapes developing a rich flavor, with a more balanced level of acidity.
Because both pinot noirs from Argentina and California are grown and produced in what is known as a warm climate area, their taste, aroma and flavor profile will be very similar. Pinot noirs are traditionally fairly light, and inch into the spice area as opposed to being fruity. This is a theme we have seen with the pinots that have been reviewed so far. With pinots, you can generally divide them into three categories.
1. Old world, European.
- This is usually countries like France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Their flavor profile is traditionally dominated by cranberry, tobacco and mushrooms.
2. New world, warm climate.
- This includes the U.S., Argentina, Chile and South Africa. This flavor profile usually consists of cherries, licorice and vanilla.
3. New world, cold climate.
- This includes the U.S. too and New Zealand. Their flavor profile is dominated by raspberry, cola and rose.
However, with an Argentinian pinot noir like this one, there isn’t the sort of heavy aroma of dark berries. There is a larger focus on cherries, tobacco, vanilla and floral aromas. The tobacco aroma is very subtle but it adds a bit of smokeyness to the flavor, which gives a slight but pleasant bite in the back of your throat. The reason behind this is the tannins, or acidity. This is very low in comparison to other pinot noirs, but because of the notes of tobacco it can feel heavier than it actually is.
What I love about this pinot noir is that it works well alone, but it would also complement food very well. A good food pairing for this wine would be pork, beef or chicken dishes that are not too heavy so they don’t overpower the wine. There is a decent amount of sweetness in the wine, but it doesn’t taste too sweet. This makes it ideal to open for dinner, followed with a pairing to your favorite chocolate and Hulu show.
As usual you can find this at Total Wine & More in Sand City for $16.99. It’s a really good wine, which has a lot to offer for a good price. This will definitely be on my list to buy again!
Cheers!