Pinot Noir tasting notes: a worked example
See what a structured Pinot Noir tasting note looks like, line by line, then fill in the blank sheet for the bottle in your glass.
A Pinot Noir tasting note, line by line
This is a worked example of how a note can read for the typical style of the grape. It is not a review of one bottle. Your wine will differ, so write what you find.
| Line of the note | What a typical Pinot Noir note says |
|---|---|
| Appearance Depth of colour | Pale to medium, a result of the grape's thin skins. |
| Nose Fruit | Raspberry, strawberry and cherry. Red fruit leads. |
| Nose Other | Hibiscus, tea leaves, clove and incense. A little mint or vegetal note can appear. |
| Nose With age | Forest floor, mushroom, truffle, game and leather. |
| Palate Acidity | Medium-high. |
| Palate Tannin | Low. |
| Palate Body | Light to medium. |
| Palate Alcohol | Usually 12 to 14% ABV. Check the label. |
| Conclusions Where it is from | Burgundy in France is the classic home. California, Oregon, Germany and New Zealand are also major. |
The same note in two sentences
Pale to medium colour. Raspberry and cherry on the nose, with a little tea leaf and clove. Medium-high acidity, low tannin and a light to medium body. Silky rather than grippy.
What to look for
- Thin skins give Pinot Noir a paler colour and lower tannin than many reds, so judge depth of colour on its own terms.
- Tick red fruit first. Cherry, raspberry and strawberry are the core of the grape.
- Savoury notes (mushroom, forest floor, leather) point to a wine with some age. A young bottle may not show them.
Now write your own
Fill this in for the bottle in front of you. It saves on your device only. Nothing is sent to us.
Questions
What does Pinot Noir taste like?
Typically red fruit such as raspberry, strawberry and cherry, sometimes with hibiscus, tea leaves or clove. Older bottles can show mushroom, forest floor, truffle and leather.
Is Pinot Noir high in tannin?
No. Wine Folly lists Pinot Noir as low in tannin, because of its thin skins. Acidity is medium-high.
How do I write a Pinot Noir tasting note?
Work in the same order every time: look, nose, palate, then your conclusions. Judge depth of colour, name the fruit, then rate acidity, tannin and body. The blank sheet on this page follows that order.
Sources
The typical aromas, structure and regions above come from these grape guides.