Pinot Meunier

Pinot Meunier is probably a mutation of Pinot Noir. The word Meunier means miller and refers to the downy on the underside of the leaves, with a floury appearance. In Germany it is known as Muller-Traube, in Australia as Miller’s Burgundy.

It is best known as a blending partner for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in Champagne. The grape buds later than Pinot Noir and ripens earlier, so it is popular with growers in chilly Champagne, especially in frost-prone parts like Aube and Vallee de la Marne.

The grape favors rich clay soils but also suitable to calcareous soils. It provides softness, fatness and appealingly round fruit at early age, with high acidity but comparable sugar level.

France grew 11,088 hectares in 2009, the tenth most planted red grape, and the second most widely planted in Champagne behind Pinot Noir. Generally it is not for ageing, but Krug uses a fair proportion in their prestige champagne.

It is occasionally found in the Loire as well as a smoky pale pink Vin Gris near Orleans. In England it has 65 hectares, with an increasing interest coming from the sparkling wine.

There is much more grown in Germany, in Baden, Pflaz and Franken, known as Mullerrebe or Schwarzriesling, with 2,361 hectares. Color is usually light, even compared with Pinot Noir, often slightly higher in acidity and smoky in taste.

In California there is only 66 hectares which are used for sparkling. Also cultivated in small scale in Australia, the grape produces some aromatic reds that can age well, along with sparkling, with a total of 106 hectares.

Best producers include Best’s Great Western in Grampians, Seppelt, Tinhorn Creek, Nyetimber, Billecart-Salmon, Charles Heidsieck, Krug, Laurent Perrier and Roederer Estate.

I have recently tasted the 2010 vintage of the Best’s Great Western Old Vine Pinot Meunier and below is my tasting note:

Appearance

Bright and clear, pale intensity ruby in color, with legs.

Nose

Clean, with medium intensity of ripe red fruit such as red cherries, redcurrant and raspberry, oak notes of sappy, animal notes of meaty, floral notes of violet, maturity notes of forest floor, sweet spice of cloves. The wine is developing.

Palate

Dry, with medium (+) acidity, medium tannin of ripe and rounded texture, the wine has a medium alcohol and a medium (-) body, with medium intensity of red fruit such as red cherries and raspberry, oak notes of sappy, animal notes of meaty. The wine has a medium finish.

Conclusion

Good quality Australian Pinot Meunier showing a reasonably concentrated nose of good complexity, the wine is balanced, with nice acidity and elegant structure. On the palate it shows similar flavor profile, with fair intensity and length. It is ready to drink now though can benefit from further ageing of another 4-6 years.