Pinot Noir

A red grape which can make red or white wines. It is sometimes blended with Chardonnay to make Champagne, and when used by itself for Champagne is called Blanc de Noirs, or, a white from black. As a red wine it shows characteristics including plums, raspberries, strawberries, black currants and cherries (when vinified for maximum extracted result, people will often describe it as a fruit bomb), and when mature give us figs, prunes, chocolate, violets, smokiness and truffles. It is also used to make off-dry (Spatlese) and sweet wines, especially in the eastern regions of Switzerland.