Pinot Noir vs Pinot Meunier
Pinot Noir
A pale, high-acid red grape of red cherry and fine tannin, and the grape behind red Burgundy.
- Red cherry
- Pale color
- Fine tannin
Recognize it
Pale color with high acidity and fine tannin. Red cherry and raspberry are common fruit markers. Earthy and mushroom notes can develop with bottle age.
Pinot Meunier
A soft, early-ripening mutation of Pinot Noir with low tannin and red cherry fruit, and one of Champagne's three principal grapes.
- Red cherry
- Low tannin
- Light body
Recognize it
Medium to high acidity with very low tannin and a light body. Red cherry and red apple lead, rounder and fruitier than Pinot Noir from the same place.
How they compare
- SimilarBoth are pale, red-fruited members of the Pinot family.
- DifferenceMeunier is usually softer, rounder and lower in tannin, while Pinot Noir tends to show more structure.