The history of Pinot takes us to one of the great French wine regions: Burgundy. It is here that the vine originated, already in the Gallo-Roman era, starting from a stock of wild vines that populated the many forests of the region.
The first mention of what would later take the name of Pinot Noir can perhaps be found in a document from 3rd-4th century AD . in which the inhabitants of Autun thank the emperor Constantine. The document mentions a high quality vine present in the pagus Arebrignus , today's Côte de Nuits.
In the Middle Ages, as with many other vines, it was the Benedictine monks who perfected the viticulture of Pinot , bringing it into modern times.
But it is in the 14th century, in some Burgundian documents, that the term Pinot appears in the archaic version of Pinoz or Pynos .
But how many Pinots exist? The answer is 6, but Pinot Noir is the original strain, thanks to its thousand-year history and more.
The other Pinots are:
- Pinot Grigio
- Pinot Blanc
- Pinot Meunier
- Pinot teinturier
- Early Pinot Noir
It is easy to imagine how Pinot is particularly loved at LE LASE. Just think that 4 out of 5 of our white wines can be traced back to this extraordinary grape variety. But let's go in order.
Why is it called Pinot?
Because the bunches of this vine, being small and compact, look like pine cones, in French precisely pinot .
PINOT BIANCO
Pinot Bianco is one of the many children (mutations) of Pinot Nero, which over the centuries have slowly conquered the world, putting down roots in every corner of the planet. But Pinot Bianco, often underestimated, is actually a vine variety still to be discovered and that can give perfumed, acidic and very elegant wines.
It produces a fresh wine, with a not too exaggerated structure, endowed with a unique aromatic profile, with light, lively, delicate aromas intertwined with notes of aromatic herbs.
We find these characteristics in ourSEMIA (70% Pinot Bianco and 30% Pinot Grigio) and in our EVAN ( 70% Pinot Bianco and 30% Incrocio Manzoni).
PINOT GRIGIO
Pinot Grigio is another noble vine born centuries ago from a rib of Pinot Noir, one of the many precious mutations that the king of French vines has magnanimously given us.
It is called “grey” because the skin of the grapes is neither white nor black, but rather copper-grey , with small, dense bunches.
This grape is said to have been a favorite of Emperor Charles IV, who had Cistercian monks export cuttings to Hungary: the friars planted the vines on the slopes of Badacsony (it is a volcanic hill, which reaches a height of 437 meters and offers a breathtaking panoramic view of the surrounding region and the lake) bordering Lake Balaton in 1375. Soon after, the vine developed the name Szürkebarát which means "grey monk". In 1711, a German trader named Johann Seger Ruland (re)discovered a grape growing wild in the fields of the Palatinate. The subsequent wine he produced became known as Ruländer and the grape variety was later discovered to be Pinot Gris.
Pinot Grigio is still called by its original name in different countries today: Szürkebarát in Hungary, Ruländer in Germany, Pinot Gris in France.
Fun fact: if you come across a wine produced overseas, for example New Zealand or American or Australian (the grape variety is now widespread almost everywhere) you may find Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris on the label. Synonyms of course, they are still the same grape, but with a fundamental difference:
- Wine produced with an ''Italian'' style in the first case, that is, a very fresh and lively wine, very often aged only in steel to preserve the delicate aromas of fresh fruit.
- Wine produced with a ''French'' style (more properly Alsatian) in the second case. It has a more full-bodied profile and the aromas are oriented towards more mature tropical fruits. Pinot Gris can range from dry to sweet, and in the second type they can be " Vendanges Tardives " (late harvests) or SGN “ Sélection de Grains Nobles ” (with botrytized grapes, as for Sauternes). Thanks to the often aging in oak barrels, the “Alsatian style” Pinot Gris then acquires a certain longevity.
THE ''COPYRENE'' PINOT GRIGIO
We have said that Pinot Grigio gives one of the most fascinating, complex and suggestive wines ever. The bouquet of Pinot Grigio (Italian style) is wide, elegant, varied, not exactly fine or subtle: the typical aromas are fruity with apricot, peach, citrus, then flowers such as jasmine, hazelnuts, acacia, honey, beeswax, mint, rocks and smoky memories, a clear legacy of Pinot Noir.
If you smell a macerate (or orange wine) the story changes: Mediterranean scrub, pine, eucalyptus, mineral notes, licorice, savoury…: another world.
Pinot Grigio Ramato (copper for its characteristic "onion skin" color) has the ability to maintain good basic acidity despite full maturation which, combined with the almost omnipresent saline mineral structures, allows this "white wine disguised as red" to often show off great agility and a never flat drinking dynamic.
Our SATRES has a generous character that develops characteristic opulence and flavour.
To learn more, you can read our article on 'orange wines' here .
AND WHAT DOES MANZONI HAVE TO DO WITH IT?
Why, if we talk about Pinot, do we also mention our ZEFIRO ? (Incrocio Manzoni 100%). What does Manzoni Bianco have to do with Pinot? Actually, it does.
Manzoni Bianco 6.0.13 , also known as Incrocio Manzoni , or even more simply as Manzoni Bianco , is the most famous clone among those conceived and developed by Prof. Manzoni at the beginning of the 1900s, with the ultimate goal of creating, through "guided pollination", a "super vine" capable of resisting attacks by phylloxera, the cursed insect that destroyed almost all European vineyards at that time.
The vine was created by crossing, listen up, Riesling Renano x Pinot Bianco . The ''father'' of Manzoni Bianco is therefore a Pinot!
However, if you want to know more about this extraordinary grape variety, read the history of Manzoni here .
This explains why, as we said at the beginning of this article, we at LE LASE really love Pinot.
Cheers!!