Are Wine Lovers Embracing Elegantly Styled Pinot Noir?

SEBASTOPOL, Calif., March 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Pinot Noir, the most exciting, confounding, and challenging wine, has been the focus of the Pinot Noir Shootout and Summit for 10 years.

New World Pinot Noir has been steadily evolving towards a style of elegance, finesse and varietal authenticity versus the muscular Syrah-like renditions that had previously achieved popularity.

"It's exciting to see winemakers allowing the delicacy and complexity of Pinot Noir shine through," states Barbara Drady, Chief Wine Evangelist at Affairs of the Vine. "It was again apparent in this year's 10th Annual Pinot Noir Shootout as elegance won out over brawn."

The Pinot Noir Shootout, the most comprehensive tasting of Pinot Noir in the U.S., boasts a diverse panel of 47 wine professionals. This year's 460 submissions were tasted over 3 months. Only 32 wines are tasted per day in the prelims, allowing judges to be completely focused and fair to each without palate fatigue as an obstacle. Wines were tasted blind without reference to appellation, vintage or price.

Detailed notes accompanied the scores of each judge. Gender counts, with scores recorded separately.

The beautiful and technically superior 24-ounce Prestige Reserve Burgundy glasses used were provided by Debbie Douglas Designs.

The AOTV Pinot Noir, Cabernet, and Rhone Shootouts are the industry's only competitions in which the judges' findings are challenged by an unbiased group of wine lovers. The 42 top-rated Pinot Noirs were featured in a blind consumer tasting at The 10th Annual Pinot Noir Summit on February 25th. 

A distinctly different format from other wine-tasting events, 389 attendees blind tasted the top 42 and pitted their palates against the expert panel. Wines were divided into 2 groups of 21 (the White Group and the Purple Group), individually wrapped and identified by a random color. Following the tasting, consumers cast their votes with male and female votes tallied separately.

The top picks of judges and wine lovers at The Pinot Noir Summit were consistently elegant and balanced ... wines of finesse and structure.

AOTV is pleased to announce the 10th Annual Pinot Noir Shootout results as proclaimed by MC Spencer Christian of KGO/ABC.

Male Wine Lovers Favorites:
1st Place: 2009 Barbed Oak Zara's Block, Bennett Valley
2nd Place: 2008 Stephen's Cellar Estate, York Mountain
3rd Place: 2009 Coghlan, Santa Rita Hills

Female Wine Lovers Favorites:
1st Place: 2009 Sharp Cellars Keenan's Cove, Sonoma Coast
2nd Place: 2009 Dunstan Estate Durell Vineyard, Sonoma Coast
3rd Place: 2009 Grey Stack The Fisherman Four Brothers, Bennett Valley

Men Judges - Top Selections:
1st Place: 2008 Alysian Allen-Rochioli Blocks Rochioli Vineyard, Russian River Valley
2nd Place: 2009 Davis Family Soul Patch, Russian River Valley
3rd Place: 2010 Angeline, Russian River Valley

Women Judges - Top Selections:
1st Place: 2008 Gloria Ferrer, Carneros
2nd Place: 2009 RN Estate Kruse Vineyard, Paso Robles
3rd Place: 2008 Kenneth Volk Enz Vineyard, Lime Kiln Valley

Male Wine Lovers selections were distinct from the Male Judges as were the results from the females. What does that prove? Who's right? Who wins? Simple ... everyone!

The 10th Annual Pinot Noir Shootout also included amazing sparkling wines crafted from Pinot Noir. This year's top ranking selections included:

Domaine Carneros Brut Rose, Carneros

Domaine Chandon Blanc de Noirs, California

Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir Rose, North Coast

Freixenet Elyssia Brut Pinot Noir, Cava, Spain

Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs, Carneros

Gloria Ferrer 2007 Brut Rose, Carneros

Gosset Grand Reserve Brut Rose Champagne

Gruet Rose Brut, Lower Rio Grande Valley, New Mexico

Laetitia 2009 Brut De Noirs, Arroyo Grande Valley

Louis Roederer 2006 Brut Rose Champagne

Mumm Napa Brut Rose, Napa Valley

Roederer Estate Brut Rose, Anderson Valley

Scharffenberger Brut Rose, California

Schramsberg 2008 Blanc de Noirs, North Coast

Sea Fog 2007 Blanc de Noirs, Sonoma Coast

Segura Viudas Aria Brut Pinot Noir, Cava, Spain

Westport Rivers Vineyard 2001 Blanc de Noirs, Southeastern New England

Complete Results of the 10th Annual Pinot Noir Shootout and Summit here

For Additional Information:

Visit http://www.affairsofthevine.com

Contact:

AFFAIRS of the VINE         
Barbara Drady, Chief Wine Evangelist                                           
707.874.1975                         
[email protected]

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SOURCE AFFAIRS of the VINE