Italo Cescon Pinot Noir

Italo Cescon Pinot Noir is listed as a Massachusetts red from the producer Esplanda. Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned grape, and cooler growing regions like New England tend to give it a lighter, more savory profile than warm-climate versions. The listing doesn't include a vintage, ABV or official tasting notes, so what follows is what the grape usually delivers. Expect a pale to medium ruby color, red-fruit aromas such as cranberry, red cherry and raspberry, and perhaps a touch of dried herb or forest floor. Pinot Noir is typically light to medium in body, with fine tannins and fairly bright acidity. In a cool-climate bottle the acidity is often the defining feature. If there is oak, it is usually a light spice note rather than a heavy vanilla or toast layer, and the finish tends to be clean and moderate in length. Pinot Noir's modest tannin and lively acidity make it flexible at the table. It suits roasted chicken, duck breast, pan-seared salmon or trout, and mushroom dishes such as risotto, pasta with browned butter and sage, or a mushroom tart. It also works with pork tenderloin, roasted root vegetables and soft-rind cheeses like Brie or Camembert. Heavily spiced or very rich red-meat dishes can overpower it, so a sturdier grape suits those better. Serve it lightly cooled, around 55 to 60°F (13 to 16°C). Thirty minutes in the refrigerator before opening will usually get it there. Served too warm, the fruit turns flat and the alcohol stands out. Decanting isn't needed for a wine of this style, though pouring it into a large glass and letting it sit for ten minutes can open the aromas. A wide-bowled Burgundy-style glass concentrates the delicate fruit and gives the wine room to open. Most Pinot Noir at this level is made to drink within a few years of release, while the fruit is fresh and the acidity is bright. Without a stated vintage or cellaring guidance from the producer, treat this as a bottle to open now rather than one to lay down.