Pinot Noir

Pinot Noir is native to Bourgogne, and the region's wine board holds that only a few generations separate it from the wild vines present in the forests even before Roman times. The first written record of the variety, under the name Pinot Noir or Plant Fin, dates from 1375, and its name was inspired by the tight formation of its bunches, resembling a pinecone. The origins of this ancient black grape can be traced back to 14th-century Burgundy, and genetic research suggests crossings between Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc have produced 21 grape varieties grown in France. In Germany, Charles the Fat brought the variety to Lake Constance in 884, and it was planted in the Rheingau in the 13th century.

• First written record: 1375, under the name Pinot Noir or Plant Fin
• Name: inspired by the tight, pinecone-like formation of its bunches
• Germany: brought to Lake Constance in 884 by Charles the Fat and planted in the Rheingau in the 13th century

France is the country of origin of Pinot Noir, which the Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) lists as variety number 9279. One critic calls it "This ancient eastern French vine". Its pedigree, confirmed by markers, gives Savagnin (catalogued as Savagnin Blanc) as one parent, with the other parent recorded as unknown. Pinot Noir is in turn a parent of Gamay (catalogued as Gamay Noir), Pinotage, Schönburger (catalogued as Schoenburger) and St. Laurent (catalogued as Saint Laurent). Because the vine is so old there are many well-established mutations, such as Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Meunier.

• Country of origin: France
• Pedigree (confirmed by markers): Savagnin (catalogued as Savagnin Blanc) and one unknown parent
• Offspring: Gamay, Pinotage, Schönburger, St. Laurent
• Mutations: Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier

Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned black grape variety whose wines have pale to medium colour intensity and low to medium tannin. It is naturally high in acidity, and its red-fruit characters range from fresh to cooked. A red Bourgogne AOC is light- to medium-bodied, with low tannin, high acidity and fresh red-fruit flavours. Style shifts with climate. Central Otago produces New Zealand's ripest and most powerfully flavoured Pinot Noir, with medium to full body and medium tannins. More generally, in temperate zones the quality of wines is lower in more southern regions, as the alcohol level increases and the aromas become less distinctive.

Pinot Noir only grows successfully in cool or moderate climates; if it is too warm, the grapes can lose their fresh fruit flavours and taste unattractively cooked. It ripens relatively early, so it is not suitable for very warm regions, while many of the cooler regions in which it thrives suffer autumn rains which can rot its thin-skinned berries. It is widely grown in Europe (Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Romania, Hungary, Spain) and in the New World (United States, New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Argentina, South Africa), with 112,000 hectares worldwide in 2015. In one wine magazine's assessment, the greatest wines of red Burgundy are concentrated in the east and south-east-facing limestone hills of the Côte d'Or, and Pinot Noir likes the region's limestone soils, which range from the Upper Jurassic limestone of Givry to the fossil-rich Bajocian subsoil found in Gevrey-Chambertin. Beyond Burgundy, Pinot Noir is also one of the major grape varieties in Champagne, where plantings of Pinot are even more extensive than in Burgundy itself.

• Burgundy (France): the region most closely associated with the variety; all the red Bourgogne Grands Crus lie on the Côte de Nuits except Corton Grand Cru on the Côte de Beaune
• Champagne (France): a major grape of the region alongside Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier
• Germany: around 11,519 hectares in 2023 and the country's number one red grape variety
• Oregon (USA): generally cooler than California owing to its northerly latitude and exposure to the Pacific Ocean; Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is often age-worthy, with high levels of acidity and flavours of red cherry, cranberry, mushroom, forest floor and spice
• California (USA): key cool areas are Santa Barbara County (cooled by sea breezes from the west and south), Sonoma (western parts cooled by Pacific Ocean breezes) and Los Carneros (cooled by morning fogs from the San Pablo Bay)
• Chile: the coastal Casablanca Valley is cooled by sea breezes and morning fogs from the Pacific Ocean
• South Africa: production is focused on the coolest coastal regions, and strong southerly sea breezes encourage vibrant red-fruit flavours in Walker Bay
• Australia: the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula in Victoria are among the few regions cool enough for Pinot Noir; Geelong and Tasmania have also been identified as cool enough for Pinot
• New Zealand: the premier black grape variety, well suited to Martinborough and Marlborough, with Central Otago producing the ripest and most powerfully flavoured examples; there are also fine examples in Nelson and Waipara

Raspberries, strawberries, cherries and violets are among the flavours found in young red burgundies, evolving with time into a bouquet often reminiscent of game, liquorice and autumnal undergrowth. Red berry aromas are closest to raspberry and strawberry, often tinged with incense and cola-like spice, and overripe Pinot Noir becomes jammy. Young Bourgogne shows aromas from fresh berries like blackcurrant and cherry to spicy pepper and cinnamon; over time these turn to cooked notes of jam or kirsch, with wild mushroom or truffle and animal notes like leather or fur. A typical Californian Pinot Noir shows ripe red-fruit flavours (strawberry, red cherry), often with notable flavours from oak (smoke, cloves, vanilla).

• Young red burgundy: raspberries, strawberries, cherries and violets
• With age: game, liquorice and autumnal undergrowth; wild mushroom, truffle, leather
• Colour: usually bright ruby when young, becoming increasingly pale over time until it may take on a brick colour
• Overripe fruit: jammy

Pinot Noir is most commonly produced as a single-varietal wine, with the notable exception of sparkling wines such as Champagne, and it can be blended with Chardonnay to make sparkling wines. It is often matured in oak, but strong flavours of oak can easily overwhelm it; it takes well to French oak. In Germany, two types are distinguished: a classic type, traditionally made from very ripe grapes and not very colourful, mild and low in tannins, and a modern type with a strong red colour, more tannin, less acidity and often a short ageing period in small oak barrels. In North America, producers are increasingly pursuing leaner, fresher and more restrained wines, with organic and biodynamic viticulture growing on the West Coast and more single-vineyard bottlings.

• Mostly single-varietal; blended with Chardonnay for sparkling wine, particularly in Champagne
• Oak: often used, but strong oak flavours can easily overwhelm the wine
• Vineyard: low fertility, small clusters and very small berries give low yields, 3 to 9 t/ha in Burgundy

One critic calls Pinot Noir a very transparent grape that can communicate the difference in terroir between adjacent plots of vineyard, citing Les Amoureuses in Chambolle, which tastes distinctly different from Le Musigny next door. Burgundy's wine board calls it the quintessential interpreter of terroir, which is why red Bourgogne is traditionally made from this single variety and the label rarely names the grape, giving preference to the place of production. Burgundy's quality hierarchy runs from regional appellations such as Bourgogne AOC at the bottom, through village appellations with more flavour concentration and complexity and then premiers crus, to grand cru vineyards that have their own appellations and produce the most concentrated and complex wines with the greatest potential for ageing. Most Pinot Noirs are fruity, refreshing and enjoyable to drink when young, while some very good or outstanding examples develop complex tertiary flavours in the bottle and may take several years to show their full potential.

• Bourgogne AOC: light- to medium-bodied and meant to be drunk while young and fresh
• Grand cru vineyards: generally small, well-situated plots with their own appellations
• Adjacent plots differ: Les Amoureuses versus Le Musigny in Chambolle

Pinot Noir is the number one red grape variety in Germany, where it is known as Spätburgunder. Around 11,519 hectares were planted in 2023, about 11 percent of Germany's total vineyard area, and the area has grown by more than 5,000 hectares since the beginning of the 1990s. Alongside that 2023 total, the regional breakdown puts most of the vines in Baden (5,029 hectares, with a focus on the Kaiserstuhl), followed by the Palatinate (1,739 ha), Rheinhessen (1,504 ha), Württemberg (1,302 ha), the Rheingau (403 ha) and the Ahr (342 ha). Pinot is now second only to Riesling in German vineyard area. Klevner is a synonym in parts of Baden, and the variety is often known as Blauburgunder in eastern Switzerland and is sometimes called Blauer Spätburgunder in Austria.

• Area: around 11,519 ha in 2023, about 11 percent of German vineyard area
• Regions listed alongside the 2023 total: Baden 5,029 ha, Palatinate 1,739 ha, Rheinhessen 1,504 ha, Württemberg 1,302 ha, Rheingau 403 ha, Ahr 342 ha
• Synonyms: Spätburgunder; Klevner in parts of Baden; Blauburgunder in eastern Switzerland

Every figure, date and descriptor in this article is drawn from the sources below. Last verified 2026-10-04.

• https://www.wsetglobal.com/media/13022/wset_l2wines_sessionplans_en_may2023_issue2.pdf
• https://www.oiv.int/public/medias/5888/en-distribution-of-the-worlds-grapevine-varieties.pdf
• https://www.winesofgermany.com/our-wine/grape-varieties/grape-variety/94/sp%C3%A4tburgunder-pinot-noir
• https://www.bourgogne-wines.com/wine-and-terroir/our-grape-varietals-our-colors/pinot-noir/the-bourgogne-wine-region-birthplace-of-the-pinot-noir-varietal,2798,10603.html
• https://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=9279
• https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/grape-varieties/red/pinot-noir
• https://www.decanter.com/wine/grape-varieties/pinot-noir/
• https://www.wsetglobal.com/knowledge-centre/blog/2025/august/coast-to-coast-pinot-noir-in-north-america/
• https://winefolly.com/grape-varieties/pinot-noir/