CONTE VISTARINO | Pinot Nero | Dell’Oltrepò Pavese | 2018
pinot noir

We will be evaluating wines in no particular order on no particular schedule. Just stay tuned and you will never miss our reviews. If the wine is tasted more than once, the rating table will be updated so as to reflect all the new impressions and observations.

Today we are going to review yet another single varietal pinot noir wine, but this time on from the Lombardy region in Northern Italy – Pinot Nero Dell’Oltrepò Pavese 2018 by Conte Vistarino. Pinot Noir has reached a legendary status over the last decades and today it is the most sought-after red wine in the world. The grape itself is quite vulnerable, suffering from a multitude of diseases and its genetics make it highly susceptible to mutation. But despite all the difficulty to grow pinot noir, when treated with utmost care, it is capable of producing the very best expressions of terrior. In Italy, the best expressions of pinot noir are found in the north, where the climate is much cooler and the flavors of italian pinot noir (known locally as pinot nero) are similar to that of french pinot noir, but the earthy flavors lean more toward the smoky, tobacco and white pepper spectrum, with more color depth and higher alcohol levels. This particular wine comes from the Rocca De Giorgi vineyards in the Oltrepò Pavese DOC, which are synonymous with pinot noir, both still and sparkling, now being the third largest area planted with pinot noir in the world, after Burgundy and Champagne. In order to preserve the varietal characteristics of the pinot noir grapes, this wine has been aged only in stainless steel tanks, without wood contact. That said and without further ado, let’s take a look at the wine tasting results.
_________________________________________________________________________
Take a look at the tasting notes below and our detailed assessment of the wine:

//Visual
colour: pale garnet color
clarity: hazy copper shades

//Olfactory
intensity: rich & savory
fruit profile: red fruits
__red fruits: cranberry | redcurrant | sour cherry | wolfberry
fruit character: ripe

//Flavor
non fruit: vegetal | spice | savory | earthy | other
__vegetal: wormwood | tomato leaf | sage
__spice: anise | thyme | rosemary | white pepper
__savory: brown olive | old leather | capocollo | iron | veal
__earthy: clay | loam | marl | turf | mushroom
__other: hints of lavender & white truffle
primary layer: fruity-savory

//Palate
sweetness: dry
acidity: high
alcohol: high
tannin: medium
__grip: fine
balance: good
__dominant: alcohol
body: supple | medium

//Taste
fruit profile: red fruits
fruit character: ripe
non fruit: savory
finish: medium
aftertaste: bitter-seedy

//Scoring
CONTE VISTARINO | Pinot Nero | Dell’Oltrepò Pavese | 2018
variety: pinot noir
country: Italy
region: Lombardia | Oltrepò Pavese
rating: 93.2

//Conclusion
maturity: developing | drink now or age for 2 more years
verdict: great | a must try wine
_________________________________________________________________________

This is definitely a great wine of Italy and, with a total of 93.2 points scored, this wine is right there, among the best wines we’ve rated so far. Check our complete database on the wine rating page, where you can find all the wines that we have tasted and reviewed or go to the about us page and find out more about our exquisite rating system.

Verdict: this is a quite ample, lean and delicate pinot noir wine that feels supple, crisp and savory – a wine that is still developing, therefore we would recommend to give it another two years of bottle ageing in order to allow it to develop further complexity, just keep in mind that it is always better to drink a wine a year too soon than a day too late. On the palate the wine displays mouth-watering acidity, seedy tannins and an overwhelming touch of alcoholic warmth that is showing through on the mouthfeel. On the nose the wine delivers a nuanced savory accent, mixed with vibrant red fruits in the foreground, supported by a delicate, earthy background and a very subtle, spicy-herbal layer in between the two. All in all, this is a well structured and slightly heady pinot noir wine, that in its current state tastes a bit angular – a wine with good varietal typicity of the pinot noir grape and a nuanced, savory-earthy character on the nose. Taking into account the wine’s flavour profile and its structure, we believe it will pair lovely with delicate dishes, like for example Tournedos Rossini or peppercorn-crusted filet mignon with wild mushrooms. Enjoy!

_________________________________________________________________________
© The WineStatistics ratings are based solely on our own knowledge of the world of wine and on our personal wine tastes, which may, or may not, differ from yours – the reader. Just remember that there are no absolutes of right and wrong in wine appreciation.