Hope this helps. It's evident that these terms are not purely objective or scientific. There is a purely scientific method of measuring color and clarity that measures how much light and the quality of light that passes through a specific amount of wine in a specialized apparatus. Clos Pepe doesn't use this type of measurement, focusing more on the taste and balance of the wines produced. They seem to produce wines of deep fruit intensity, and is the favored yeast of many top Burgundian producers.
French stems tend to be 'browner' and 'riper' and lends to a little more tannic extraction.
Fining can occur any time, usually after the first racking. I believe that clean wine with no problems, especially pinot noir, deserves to be treated gently and put into bottle without fining or filtration. Pinot is a fickle mistress, and I believe flavors can be 'stripped' by these processes. I've read with interest your notes on Burgundy, and on the WS page. I went to Sonoma anyway, and had a good time.