<P> The leaves of pinot noir are generally smaller than those of Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah . The pinot vine is typically less vigorous than either of these varieties . The grape cluster is small and conico - cylindrical; shaped like a pine cone . Some viticultural historians believe this shape similarity may have given rise to the name . In the vineyard pinot noir is sensitive to wind and frost, cropping levels (it must be low yielding for production of quality wines), soil types and pruning techniques . In the winery it is sensitive to fermentation methods, yeast strains and is highly reflective of its terroir with different regions producing very different wines . Its thin skin makes it susceptible to bunch rot and similar fungal diseases . The vines themselves are susceptible to powdery mildew, especially in Burgundy infection by leaf roll and fanleaf viruses causes significant vine health problems . These complications have given the grape a reputation for being difficult to grow: Jancis Robinson calls pinot a "minx of a vine" and André Tchelistcheff declared that "God made Cabernet Sauvignon whereas the devil made Pinot Noir ." It is much less tolerant of harsh vineyard conditions than the likes of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot or Grenache . </P> <P> However, pinot noir wines are among the most popular in the world . Joel Fleischman of Vanity Fair describes pinot noir as "the most romantic of wines, with so voluptuous a perfume, so sweet an edge, and so powerful a punch that, like falling in love, they make the blood run hot and the soul wax embarrassingly poetic ." Master Sommelier Madeline Triffon calls pinot "sex in a glass". </P> <P> The tremendously broad range of bouquets, flavors, textures and impressions that pinot noir can produce sometimes confuses tasters . In the broadest terms, the wine tends to be of light to medium body with an aroma reminiscent of black and / or red cherry, raspberry and to a lesser extent currant and many other fine small red and black berry fruits . Traditional red Burgundy is famous for its savory fleshiness and "farmyard" aromas (these latter sometimes associated with thiol and other reductive characters), but changing fashions, modern winemaking techniques, and new easier - to - grow clones have favored a lighter, more fruit - prominent, cleaner style . </P> <P> The wine's color when young is often compared to that of garnet, frequently being much lighter than that of other red wines . This is entirely natural and not a winemaking fault as pinot noir has a lower skin anthocyanin (coloring matter) content than most other classical red / black varieties . Callistephin, the 3 - O - glucoside of pelargonidin, an orange colored anthocyanidin, is also found in the berry skins of pinot noir grapes . </P>

What type of red wine is pinot noir