That is right, I’m living not far from it and visiting at least once a year, but I think the Chardonnay (often called Morillon) is even better there,not to speak of the Sauvignon blanc.
Germany also produces some great PinotNoir
I have not had a pinot noir from outside of Burgundy that would come within my top several thousand pinot noirs.
But, in the interests of not just answering with a list of Burgundies, I will say that the best non-Burgundy pinot noir I have had was a Sancere Rose from Cotat.
Cotat’s rosé is very interesting … I had a very good 2015 (quite closed) in june 2020.
Some red Sancerre are worth trying (Paul Prieur, Mathieu Delaporte, …).
Including François Cotat’s red (Vin de Table, the 1976 was delicious at the domain in 2017).
Some interesting pinot noir in Alsace (Deiss Burlenberg, Arthur Bohn), Jura, Irancy near Chablis (Dauvissat) and even Savoie (Dupasquier).
I would state the obvious here -
Burgundy, France
Alto Adige, Italy
Baden, Germany
Pfalz, Germany
Santa Barbara, California
Sonoma, California
Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Willamette Valley, Oregon
Finger Lakes, New York
How about Champagne and the Loire?
Always forget about Champagne, and most all of the Loire Pinot Noirs seem lean and mean to me, much prefer some of the older vine Pinot Noirs coming out of the Carcassonne area in the Midi -
Was thinking of listing it, but held back, but I have had some surprisingly wonderful Pinot Noirs from the Upper Peninsulas of Michigan as well - still too spotty to mention, but there have been some terrific surprises (including some serious bubblies).
DRC & Leroy.
Not a fan of Leroy. They all taste too much alike.
That’s why you just purchase the lower rung stuff like the Bourgogne Rouge, Savigny les Beaune and Santenay Rouge -
I’d have to respectfully dissent. Maybe in the early 1990s the producer signature was more powerful, but if you taste, for example, all the 2015s, 16s, 17s side by side the distinctions couldn’t be more pronounced. A friend and I are planning a blind tasting around this very subject.
To make a more general point, I don’t think a strong producer style is incompatible with site expression: Coche, Jayer, Reynaud, DRC all have very strong imprints yet the wines from different sites are also very distinct.
I’m a Dujac fan for Burg, it hits all the notes for me. I’ve had DRC and Leroy, would take Dujac over them.
New World, tougher call. Might need to taste through some bottles on that one. For science of course.
The finest Pinot Noir hails from Chambolle-Musigny, most notably the Les Amoureuses & Musigny vineyards. Several producers do exquisite work, so I dare not limit it to just one.
As I have not liked Leroy in the past, I don’t buy it or drink it unless someone brings it to a dinner. Thus, I have not had 2015s, 16s and 17s.
I understand your point. I love the wines of Jacky Truchot, my favorite producer. His wines to me clearly have a signature (I have an easier time telling his wines blind than I do from other producers, but the wines are very distinct from each other. But, even if what you say is correct (and I have no reason to think it is not), I don’t really like Leroy’s signature anyway. So, I don’t see myself buying any.
As with several of these “world’s finest” questions, imho I feel that few people can really speak with a high degree of authority, as doing so requires (in my view) that you have enjoyed dozens of bottles of DRC, Leroy, Roumier and other unicorns, as well as sufficient breadth from all sorts of other producers and parts of the world. Bottles, not just 50ml tastes as part of tasting extravaganzas, mind. So I freely admit I am not at all well-qualified, but offer my opinion anyway: Musigny.
By score on Cellartracker, Sojourn from California dominates page 1 of my Pinot Noir page.
The OP question should have been: What’s the world’s finest pinot outside of Burgundy.
For me, Santa Rita Hills. If I had to pick one non-Burgundy PN to be stuck on a deserted island with, Ojai Fe Ciega, preferably a vertical.
Back when Burgundy was more affordable, it was many of my most sublime moments with wine. d’Angerville, Dujac and others… sigh.
I don’t buy it much anymore. The prices are just stupid.
For domestic, I’d also say Santa Rita Hills. I spent a week there a few years ago and found the wines to be excellent. I’ve never had much luck with Oregon but maybe I’m missing the best wines.
I would like to say Vosne but my wife would want me to say Chambolle, so Chambolle. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
?
Rouget? Roumier?
Was thinking of a non-Burgundian example. I can think of several others that might be included in this context: Cédric Bouchard (whose wines taste like no one else’s), Selosse (his lieux-dits are very clearly differentiated when you line them up)…