The Ageworthiness of Still Red Pinot Noir Wines

Dominic Buckwell

dominic.buckwell@seacoglobal.com

The aim is to examine typicity of tertiary character expressed by the grape, and to what extent this varies depending on clone, terroir or wine making technique. Pinot Noir is celebrated for its nuanced aging potential. From a sensory perspective, Pinot Noir is transformed with age, not always for the better.  The youthful notes of vibrant red fruit - cherry and raspberry - coupled with floral and herbal tones, tend to give way as the wine matures into tertiary characteristics such as earthy mushroom, forest floor, leather, and truffle.  The tannins soften and acidity integrates, creating a smoother silky texture with a complex flavour profile that can be captivating. Beyond the polymerisation of anthocyanins and other flavonoid compounds reacting with acids and acetaldehyde little is understood about the complex chemistry of aging. What is the impact of limestone v clay soils, annual weather patterns, harvest dates? And the winemaking options such as destemming, pressing, filtration, use of sulphur, oxygenation, cask aging etc?

Liberation Tardive is an organisation set up to promote availability and the appreciation of wines that age positively. As well as arranging tastings we would like to encourage research about what happens with aging certain wines. The session will focus on a few questions and invite debate and discussion in the conference, with a view to refining some key questions for further research.

Dominic Buckwell is a shipping lawyer turned wine professional. I present tastings and events and consult on wine lists for venues in Sussex. I was a non-executive director of WineGB from 2019 to 2022, and currently a UK government representative to the OIV Economy and Law commission. In 2024 I helped set up Liberation Tardive.