Every time I serve wine, I make two recommendations. The first is to decant the wine for a period of time, and the second is to aim for a specific serving temperature. For the next couple of months, I will briefly address why you should follow these guidelines to enhance your wine-drinking experience. After that, we will dedicate the rest of the year to discussing other details often found in the write-up, such as farming practices, winemaking, and aging. Stay tuned; this is going to be an educational year!
For our features this month, we will examine two examples of Pinot Noir, both from the southern hemisphere. I chose them because I find the quality and value of wines from countries like Chile and New Zealand hard to beat, especially for those who prefer a restrained, less fruity style of Pinot Noir. Since one of them has a screw cap, make sure you decant it for the complete experience.
Download Full Club Write-upWhy Decanting Is Important
I may sound like a broken record, but in all my tasting notes for club selections and weekly features, I recommend decanting the wine. Yes, it’s an extra step and means one more thing to clean, but the results are worth it! Space does not allow for a full explanation here, but I covered the subject in my blog post, The Argument For Decanting, which you can find on our website under Tim’s Blog.
The most basic reason for decanting is to allow the bouquet of the wine to blossom. This happens due to a chemical process between the wine and oxygen that facilitates the release of aromatic compounds called esters. All the fruit and floral components described in the write-up are produced during this process. This is why I suggest decanting white wines too.
For red wines, there is the added benefit of the color compounds, known as anthocyanins, binding with tannic acid in the presence of oxygen to form microscopic chains. These chains grow longer as the wine opens, becoming too long to be perceived by your taste receptors, which gives the impression of a softer texture. (If you read my blog, you’ll find a lengthy and somewhat convoluted metaphor about an all-girls school dance to illustrate this point.)
Finally, for wines bottled under screw caps, which are far superior to cork closures, it’s common for the wines to smell “reductive” when first opened. This occurs because sulfur compounds, both naturally occurring during fermentation and possibly added at bottling, can bind to the wine over time. The smell of matchsticks indicates that this has happened in both red and white wines. Oxygen from decanting breaks these bonds and allows the wine to develop more quickly, enhancing your enjoyment.
Escudo Rojo Pinot Noir 2022 | $23
Many of you will remember that we featured the Gran Reserva from this winery a year ago, and at the time, I contemplated their Pinot Noir instead. The truth is that everything Escudo Rojo produces is stunning, so do not hesitate to try their other wines as well. For our feature, the Pinot Noir comes from vineyards in the Casablanca region of Chile, the closest wine region in the country to the Pacific Ocean.
Calling Casablanca a “cold” growing region is a bit of a misnomer. The region is classified as having a Mediterranean climate, which means warm summers and temperate winters. The average temperature for the entire year is 56 degrees, similar to Florence, Italy. If weather were the only factor, then almost all grape varieties would thrive here. However, the summer growing season is relatively short, meaning that only varieties that bud late and ripen early will flourish. This eliminates Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet and Merlot but is ideal for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The soils are primarily degraded granite, which also has a low water-holding capacity. This means the vines produce only a few clusters of intensely flavored grapes, which is the secret to great Pinot Noir (and Chardonnay).
The Escudo winery is owned by the Rothschild family, who also control Château Lafite-Rothschild, the famed Bordeaux First Growth. The same winemaking team directs production, although there is a separate Chilean group that handles the day-to-day work. Winemaking is fairly straightforward, with 80% of the wine aged in oak barrels—10% of which are new—for eight months.
Fans of Oregon Pinot Noir will find much to enjoy in this wine. After decanting for half an hour and chilling it to cellar temperature, it delivers a subtle nose of dried cherry, Damson plum preserves, dark chocolate, black rhubarb, and white pepper. It shows moderate concentration on the palate with surprising texture and balance, accompanied by a touch of minerality that emerges at the finish. Drink from 2026 to 2028 with tuna or salmon sushi, dried sausages, or creamy pasta dishes.
Nuala Pinot Noir 2022 | $29
This is a relatively rare bottling of Central Otago Pinot Noir from New Zealand. It is a category often overshadowed by examples from Marlborough because most importers will buy an estate’s Sauvignon Blanc and then add a few cases of Pinot Noir for good measure. This leads to producers in Central Otago being overlooked, although they enjoy significant popularity among New Zealanders and Australians.
The Central Otago region is located on the South Island of New Zealand, roughly in the middle of the island’s widest part. It is a five-hour drive from Christchurch, the largest city on the South Island, making it geographically isolated. The region is protected on the west side by the Southern Alps, which means that summertime temperatures can reach into the 90s. The proximity to the mountains also allows for cooler air to blanket the region at night, creating a substantial diurnal temperature swing. As a result, Pinot Noir reaches full ripeness—often over 14% alcohol—while retaining good acidity.
Our featured estate, Nuala, also has French roots; its owners and winemaker hail from France. Winemaker Paul Martung did his early internships in France, particularly at Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte, before moving on to Australia and working at Rikard Wines. It was under the mentorship of Will Rikard-Bell that he developed a less-is-more approach to winemaking, which he employs at Nuala today. The vineyards are farmed using organic practices, and everything in the cellar is minimally processed. It is a fun comparison, as this wine was aged in 10% new French oak barrels, just like the Escudo Rojo.
Since this wine is bottled under a screw cap, it is even more important to decant it before serving for at least 30 minutes. You will immediately notice a difference between this and the Chilean example, as this displays a darker profile of fruit: black cherries, black raspberries, dried black plums, licorice, and pipe tobacco. It is also richer and more concentrated on the palate, with a lush core of fruit buffered by moderate and more prominent tannins. Enjoy this with fried pork chops, chicken thighs in curry, or steak tips over buttered noodles.
Roasted Salmon with Dill
Salmon and Pinot Noir go together like peanut butter and jelly. This easy recipe is perfect for week night meals, but tastes good enough for romantic weekend nights too. The only note I have is to make sure and marinate the salmon skin side up for a half hour, not much longer, before cooking. If you marinate for too long then you may cook the fish in the lime juice.
Ingredients
1½ pounds skin-on, center-cut salmon fillet
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ cup fresh lime juice or orange juice, plus additional wedges, for serving
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon dried dill or 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 large garlic clove, crushed
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
Preparation
Heat the oven to 425 degrees with the rack in the center position. Choose a baking sheet or baking dish that fits the salmon snugly (so the juices don’t disperse and burn) and line it with parchment paper. Place the salmon skin-side down on the baking sheet and season well with salt and pepper.
Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small bowl and spoon over the salmon. If you have time, flip the salmon and let marinate directly on the baking sheet, flesh-side down, for 15 minutes.
Roast the salmon skin-side down until cooked through to your liking, 9 to 12 minutes. Serve with extra lime or orange wedges, and drizzle the pan juices over the salmon and rice.