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SKU 734918
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Owen Roe Pinot Noir Sharecropper's 2011 750ml
Owen Roe
- Washington State
- United States
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Regularly described as being the grape varietal responsible for producing the world's most romantic wines, Pinot Noir has long been associated with elegance and a broad range of flavors The name means 'black pine' in French, and this is due to the fact that the fruit of this particular varietal is especially dark in color, and hangs in a conical shape, like that of a pine cone. Despite being grown today in almost every wine producing country, Pinot Noir is a notoriously difficult grape variety to cultivate. This is because it is especially susceptible to various forms of mold and mildew, and thrives best in steady, cooler climates. However, the quality of the fruit has ensured that wineries and vintners have persevered with the varietal, and new technologies and methods have overcome many of the problems it presents. Alongside this, the wide popularity and enthusiasm for this grape has ensured it will remain a firm favorite amongst wine drinkers for many years to come.
The popularity of fine red wines, made with classic Old World grape varietals, has continued to increase in the United States over the past few decades. Washington state has consistently impressed with their red wine grape varietals, and many of the most popular American red wines of the past twenty years have come from this unique and interesting state with its two distinct regions. The vast majority of Washington's wines come from the arid eastern half of the state, a semi-desert irrigated by the rivers which run through the area, with considerably fewer wineries found in the wetter western side. Washington is renowned for the production of strong, fruit-forward wines made with Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and other varietals, with many fine white wines being produced there also.
Of all the New World wine countries, perhaps the one which has demonstrated the most flair for producing high quality wines - using a combination of traditional and forward-thinking contemporary methods - has been the United States of America. For the past couple of centuries, the United States has set about transforming much of its suitable land into vast vineyards, capable of supporting a wide variety of world-class grape varietals which thrive on both the Atlantic and the Pacific coastlines. Of course, we immediately think of sun-drenched California in regards to American wines, with its enormous vineyards responsible for the New World's finest examples of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot based wines, but many other states have taken to viticulture in a big way, with impressive results. Oregon, Washington State and New York have all developed sophisticated and technologically advanced wine cultures of their own, and the output of U.S wineries is increasing each year as more and more people are converted to their produce.