Unique Pinot Noir

Unique Pinot Noir is a red wine from Massachusetts, bottled under the Esplanda label. Pinot Noir is a thin-skinned grape, so wines made from it are usually lighter in color and body than Cabernet or Syrah. In a cool-climate New England setting, expect a bright, fresh style rather than a heavy, jammy one. The usual profile is red cherry, cranberry and raspberry, sometimes with earthy, mushroom-like or dried-leaf notes. Tannins are typically soft and fine-grained, and acidity is lively enough to keep the finish clean. Whether this bottling saw oak isn't specified, so treat any toasty or vanilla character as a possibility rather than a certainty. That acidity and low tannin make it flexible at the table. Roast chicken, duck breast, pan-seared salmon and mushroom dishes are the classic matches, and a cherry or cranberry sauce on roast turkey or pork tenderloin suits the fruit. Lentils, roasted root vegetables and soft cheeses such as Brie or Camembert also work. Very spicy or heavily sauced dishes will overwhelm a wine in this style, as will big grilled red meats. Serve it lightly cooled, around 55 to 60°F (13 to 16°C). About 20 minutes in the refrigerator before opening usually gets it there, and it shouldn't be served at warm room temperature. Decanting isn't necessary for most Pinot Noir. If the first pour seems tight or reserved, 15 to 20 minutes in the glass or a brief splash in a decanter will open it up. A wide-bowled glass, ideally a Burgundy-style one, concentrates the delicate aromatics and gives the wine room to breathe. Pinot Noir from a regional producer like this is generally made to be enjoyed on release rather than cellared for years. Drinking it within a few years of purchase will best preserve the fresh fruit. A few months of bottle rest won't hurt it, but it's best drunk young rather than treated as a long-term ageing candidate.