Sommelier Randy Caparoso speaks out about balanced Pinot

Below is an excerpt from Randy Caparoso regarding balance in Pinot Noir. Go to his blog to read the full piece.

Ah, but therein lies the problem: there are also lots of less desirable wines made in the so-called “balanced” style. After all, who’s to say a leaner, tighter pinot noir with more accentuated acidity and less oak is more appealing than a rounder, softer, richly oaked pinot noir? Of the 24 producers showing their pinots in the tasting following the San Francisco seminar at RN74, I can’t say that all of them floated my boat, even though I personally prefer the finesseful style. Not that I’M the arbiter of good taste, but a good number of them were just… boring.

Here are the unique pinot noirs tasted over those two days that DID bowl me over:

2007 Clendenen Family, LE BON CLIMAT, Santa Maria Valley – Super fragrant, electrical pinot perfume, with a zesty edge prolonging the lush yet sharply defined flavors.

2008 Chanin, LE BON CLIMAT VINEYARD, Santa Maria Valley – Baskets of strawberryish fruit tingling the nose, with just as much lift and zest on the palate.