Pinot Noir

The Grape

Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned red grape variety that is notoriously difficult to grow but capable of producing wines of unparalleled complexity. Its ancestral home is the Côte d'Or in Burgundy, where it has been cultivated for over a thousand years.

In Champagne

In Champagne, Pinot Noir is concentrated in the Montagne de Reims, particularly around the Grand Cru villages of Ay, Bouzy, Ambonnay, and Verzy. It brings structure, depth, and aging potential to blends, and forms the backbone of many prestige cuvées.

Character

Pinot Noir tends toward red fruit — cherry, raspberry, strawberry — with earthy and forest-floor notes as it ages. In Champagne, it contributes backbone and longevity. In Burgundy, it is the benchmark against which all red wine is measured.