•Cluster-zone leaf removal affected Pinot noir grape composition.•Leaf removal at 100% level increased β-damascenone concentration in grapes.•Increase of β-damascenone was positively correlated to grape bunch sunlight exposure. The influence of cluster-zone leaf removal on Pinot noir vine growth and fruit chemical and volatile composition was investigated in 3years. Different severities of leaf removal (0%, 50%, 100%) were imposed during the pea-size stage of development from the cluster zone. Results show that cluster-zone leaf removal had little influence on vine growth, crop load, or grape maturity in terms of total soluble solids (TSS), pH or titratable acidity (TA) at harvest. However, 100% leaf removal resulted in higher concentrations of quercetin glycoside in grapes compared to 0% leaf removal. The 100% leaf removal also increased concentrations of petunidin- and malvidin-3-monoglucoside anthocyanins in two out of 3years (2010 and 2012) by an average of 62% and 53%, respectively. In addition, 100% leaf removal resulted in higher concentrations of β-damascenone, and some bound-form terpenoids. The increases in β-damascenone were positively correlated to the increased sunlight exposure.