8th Annual Pinot Noir Shootout
&
Summit Results

Results here....

People are passionate about Pinot Noir in a way that exceeds any other varietal. Sometimes called Pinotphiles or just plain crazy, lovers of Pinot are driven to discover and experience the ultimate wine.

I admit it. I have a fascination with Pinot Noir. Some would say I am obsessed. I'm not alone. An obsession by definition is a desire to have something that may not be attainable. There are folks who are obsessed with the game of golf. A difficult, frustrating game that provides a challenge each time it's played regardless of the expertise of the golfer. Pinot Noir is similar to golf. Perfection is difficult to achieve regardless of the expertise of the winemaker.

Many winemakers aspire to create the Holy Grail of Pinot Noir, a wine that is recognized as amazing… but this is not an easy task. Pinot is notoriously difficult to grow and produce. Every viticultural and winemaking decision is complex when it comes to working with Pinot Noir. This fickle grape, AKA, the heartbreak grape requires the right growing conditions and allows little margin for error in winemaking decisions. If mistakes are made, they are very difficult or even impossible to correct.

Winemakers and Pinot Lovers are generally pleased with well made wines. If everything goes right in the vineyard and the winery, they are absolutely joyous when they taste and experience the exquisite wines that can be produced - wines that are like no others, wines that sing and exude passion in a glass.

Affairs of the Vine and International Wine Review orchestrated the 8th Annual Pinot Noir Shootout which follows on the heels of other highly acclaimed "Shootouts." The tasting panels are comprised of a diverse range of wine industry professionals from varying disciplines including restaurant and retail trade, winemakers, wine writers, wine educators, and consultants.

Complete results with comments by gender.

The Pinot Noir Shootout is a three month long competitive wine tasting. The judging panel of 40 Pinot Noir loving wine professionals tasted through an incredible 277 wines submitted from growing regions the world over.

About Our Process

At the completion of our finals, forty top rated wines were selected to be showcased at the Pinot Noir Summit on February 27, 2010.

A very fortunate group of wine lovers joined Affairs of the Vine and International Wine Review in a journey of exploration to taste, discover and unearth some amazing Pinot Noirs at the 8th Annual Pinot Noir Summit, the culmination of the Pinot Noir Summit. Over 250 lucky Pinot Noir Lovers gathered in San Rafael, California to participate in a blind tasting of award winning Pinot Noirs, attend Pinot Noir workshops and meet the winemakers.

They tasted forty luscious Pinot Noirs in The Final Showdown of this year's Pinot Noir Shootout. The wines were tasted totally blind and were assigned random colors for identification purposes. The wines could be tasted in any order to avoid any undue advantage to a particular wine or group of wines. All of these wines are winners. All received
and cumulative scores of 90 or above by our judging panel.

Top wines as announced on February 27, 2010

The results of the delegates were compiled and verified by three volunteers.

Complete details of all of the wines tasted with scores and comments by gender.

At the Summit:
Men:
First Place
Pacific Coast Vineyards 2007 Babcock Vineyards Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills ~ Gray

Second Place
Hahn SLH Estate 2007 Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands ~ Gray Blue

Third Place
Claiborne & Churchill 2007 Pinot Noir, Edna Valley ~ Tan

Women:
First Place
Claiborne & Churchill 2007 Pinot Noir, Edna Valley ~ Tan

Second Place
Pacific Coast Vineyards 2007 Babcock Vineyards Pinot Noir, Santa Rita Hills ~ Gray

Third Place
Nicholson Ranch 2007 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast ~ Orchid

Judges Shootout Panel By Gender:
Men:
First Place
Claiborne & Churchill 2007 Pinot Noir, Edna Valley ~ Tan

Second Place
Left Edge 2008 Timberline Block Sea Ridge Vineyards Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast ~ Purple

Third Place
Perception 2007 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ~ Light Green

Women:
First Place
Dierberg Vineyards 2006 Estate Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley ~ Lime Green

Tied for Second Place
Russian Hill 2007 Estate Vineyards Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley ~ Dark Gray
AND
Sonoma Coast Vineyards 2007 Freestone Hills Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast ~ White

Third Place
Artesa 2007 Pinot Noir, Carneros ~ Magenta

First Place Blanc de Noirs:

Champagne Pommery Wintertime Blanc de Noirs, Reims, Champagne

Chandon Blanc de Noirs Sparkling, California

Freixenet Elyssia Sparkling Cava, Spain

Gloria Ferrer Blanc de Noirs Sparkling, Carneros

Gloria Ferrer 2006 Brut Rose Sparkling, Carneros

Segura Viudas Aria Sparkling Cava, Spain

Windsor Vineyards 2006 Blanc de Noirs Sparkling, Carneros

The wines worthy of note are reviewed here. Each wine is awarded a numerical scores by the male and female panels and are recommended "from the heart with the additional reference of 's designating the following:
Key:
= Love at First Sip
= An Affair to Remember
= Will Provide Fond Memories

One of our judges, Laura Ness had this to say about the Pinot Noir Summit, “For those among us who love pinot noir, it is impossible to get enough of the enticing stuff. Magical in its allure, there is nothing quite as intriguing as a blind tasting of world-class pinots, accompanied by a troupe of fellow pinot lovers, as high on the experience as Trekkies at a convention.”

Check out this great video put together by Eric Hwang

Check out the "Bang for Your Buck Pinot Noirs" Women ~ Men. Wines which were awarded or more hearts and selling for under $20.

Read reviews but remember it's your palate that counts. Try to find a wine critic who commends wines that you like. Our judges included other wine writer palates that we respect including some in the blogosphere: Rick Bakas, Food & Wine Blogger, Back to Bakas ; Scott Clemens, Epicurean Traveler ; Thea Dwelle, Wine Blogger, Luscious Lushes ; Rusty Gaffney, Pinotfile ; Eric Hwang, Bricks of Wine ; Ray Johnson, Ray Johnson on Wine ; Nikitas Magel, Vinikitas; C. Jason Mancebo, Wine Blogger, $20 Dollar Wine Blog ; Ben Narasin ; Laura Ness, Appellation America ; Christian Oggenfuss, Vintuba ; Mike Potashnik, Publisher, International Wine Review ; Shana Ray, Breathe Media ; George Starke, St. Helena Star ; Rosina Wilson, Appellation America; Don Winkler, Editor, International Wine Review ; and Liza Zimmerman, Editor Cheers Magazine.

Begin an Affair with these great wines tonight!

If you have difficulty finding them at your local retailer, feel free to email Affairs of the Vine. We will be happy to put you in touch with someone at the winery who can help you acquire the wines that entice you.

There was a definitive gender split - men and women did not agree with each other or with the panel on numerous wines. When there were large discrepancies, the female delegates chose wines that were more elegant and balanced where the male delegates chose wines that were a bit more bold.

Our Mantra...Trust Your Own Palate
Read reviews but remember it's your palate that counts. Try to find a wine critic who commends wines that you like. Don't feel that you have to like the wines that wine critics praise. Don't be intimidated! If a movie reviewer gives 5 stars to a film, do you feel that you're unsophisticated if you don't like it too? Wine is no different. Personal preference is what counts. So drink and enjoy what you like. At Affairs of the Vine we say, "If you like the way it looks and you like the way it smells and you like the way it tastes...its good wine. So use our recommendations as a guide but you are the authority of what provides "Love at First Sip" for you.

If you see anything in these results which you think is of interest or noteworthy, we would love to hear from you and we will put as many comments up on our website as possible. And remember, trust your own palate. It's the only one that matters.

More About Pinot Noir:
Pinot Noir Shootout Overview
The Pinot Noir Shoot… About Our Process
Pinot Noir is…
Growing Pinot Noir (International Wine Review)
Pinot Noir is Meant for Lovers
Our Mantra