On Jun 12, 2:30*pm, Mark Lipton > wrote:
> On 6/12/12 11:29 AM, lleichtman wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >> Hi Mark-I too have observed this trend. *I made a couple of
> >> assumptions based on nothing more than my own observations. *I think
> >> that "Parker" and many critics likes this style of pinot better than
> >> the red fruited style so the growers and vintners tend to be moving to
> >> that clonal selection more and more. *Personally I like it when it's
> >> well made and to me represents the difference (very generally
> >> speaking) between Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune. *Unfortunately too
> >> many times the vintners go overboard (think Aubert or Marcassin) and
> >> produce over extracted over oaked monstrous pinots that are closer to
> >> Syrah in nature than Pinot Noir. *Just my 2 cents.
>
> > I also wonder about some of the wine makers adding Syrah to the blend
> > and getting the darker color and deeper but less fresh taste. If it is
> > just clonal selection, my preference is to go back to the older
> > lighter colored style as I find many of the pinots becoming much more
> > tannic and longer to resolve. Of course, my preference in Burgundy is
> > Cote de Nuits.
>
> Gentlemen,
> * *I appreciate the responses, but suspect that we're talking at
> cross-purposes. *I agree about the overextracted, Syrah wannabe PNs, but
> what I'm talking about here is a PN that starts out its life (at
> release) as a red-fruited, light and bright wine but becomes, after a
> few years of bottle age, a darker-fruited, deeper and less bright wine.
> *Does this ring any bells with you?
>
> Mark Lipton
>
> --
> alt.food.wine FAQ: *http://winefaq.cwdjr.net

OK, I haven't really noticed this in the Californian or Oregonian
pinots I have. They seem to stay the same color for me. I pulled out a
selection of 3-9 year old pinots and did not notice any darkening.