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Vintage: 2011
The year 2011 was an interesting year for many northern and central European countries, as the weather was more than unpredictable in the spring and summer. However, in most countries, the climatic conditions thankfully settled down in the late summer and fall. The result of this slightly difficult year of weather in France was a set of surprisingly small yields, but overall, these yields were of a higher quality than those harvested in certain previous years. A fantastic set of wines was also made in Italy and Spain, and the Rioja wines - when released - are set to be very good indeed. Austria also had superb year in 2011, with almost fifty percent more grapes being grown and used for their distinctive Gruner Veltliner wines than in the year before. Possibly the European country which had the finest 2011, though, was Portugal, with wineries in the Douro region claiming this year to be one of the best in decades for the production of Port wine, and the bright, young Vinho Verdes wines.
In the New World, the Pacific Northwest saw some of the best weather of 2011, and Washington State and Oregon reportedly had a highly successful year, especially for the cultivation of high quality red wine grapes. Chile and Argentina had a relatively cool year, which certainly helped retain the character of many of their key grape varietals, and should make for some exciting drinking. South Africa had especially good weather for their white wine grape varietals, particularly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and many South African wineries are reporting 2011 as one of their best years in recent memory.
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir translates as 'black pine' in French, and is named as such due to the extremely inky color of the fruits, which hang in bunches the shape of a pine cone. Wineries often struggle with Pinot Noir vines, as more than most red wine grape varietals, they fail in hot temperatures and are rather susceptible to various diseases which can be disastrous when hoping for a late harvest. Thanks to new technologies and methods for avoiding such problems, however, the Pinot Noir grape varietal has spread across the world to almost every major wine producing country. Why? Quite simply because this is considered to be one of the finest grape varietals one can cultivate, due to the fact that it can be used to produce a wide range of excellent wines full of interesting, fresh and fascinating flavors Their thin skins result in a fairly light-bodied wine, and the juices carry beautiful notes of summer fruits, currants and berries, and many, many more.
Region: Burgundy
The beautiful region of Burgundy in France is famously home to some of the most exquisite red wines to be found anywhere on earth, and is most commonly associated with the silky, elegant and flavorful Pinot Noir varietal wines which are commonly produced there. However, the superb and mineral rich soils fed by the Rhone river, and the long hot summers and mild autumns of the region produce a wide variety of fine grapes, and as such, Burgundy produces plenty of different wines which are equally as good as the produce the region is famed for. The region of Burgundy itself has a wine-making history which stretches back at least two thousand years, and as such, it comes as no surprise that the wineries which fill the dozens of controlled appellations of the region rely heavily on traditional methods and techniques when it comes to producing their famous wines.
Country: France
French winemakers are subjected to several laws and regulations regarding the wines they produce, and how they can be labeled and sold. Such procedures are designed to increase the overall quality of the country's produce, and also to ensure that wines made in each particular region or appellation are of a character and type which is representative of the area. Thankfully for consumers of wine world-wide, the French have a particularly high reputation to uphold, and seem to do so flawlessly. Every year, wineries from all over France produce millions upon millions of bottles of fine wine, making the most of their native grape varieties and the excellent terrain which covers most of the country. From the expensive and exquisite red wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy, to the white wines and cremants of central France, the French are dedicated to providing the world with wines of the highest quality and most distinctive character.
Appellation: Cote De Beaune
Anyone who knows anything about fine white wines, and especially fine Chardonnay wines, will surely tell you that there is nowhere on earth quite as impressive as Cote De Beaune when it comes to this particular grape varietal. This beautiful part of the Cote d'Or has been producing many of the world's finest Chardonnay wines for centuries, and their blend of traditional and modern techniques mean that their reputation has been upheld and maintained in the twenty-first century. However, it isn't all about white wine in Cote De Beaune, as the area also produces vast amounts of characterful and interesting red wines, predominantly made from the Pinot Noir grape. Cote De Beaune Pinot Noir tends to be lighter and fruitier than others, and absolutely delicious.