2009

We have long since stopped entering our Pinot Gris into Wineshows. With the plethora of this varietal now available, the successful wines are most often either wooded like a chardonnay, or sweet and fruity to beguile the Ladies who Lunch and wine judges alike. As one of the earlier NZ producers of this oft misunderstood variety, we vehemently believe the best expression of Pinot Gris is subtly fruited, bone dry with a deep and powerful palate. The Loretta West of wines!

As soon as the wine hits the glass, the chaff-like hue suggests it has something to say. A voyeuristic glance also reveals long, well muscled legs which surround the glass like a time-out huddle during a Netball International. Heady wafts of Kiwifruit blossom, boiled raspberry drop and the beguilingly sweet scents of rock melon and honey nougat rise to meet the senses. As the wine evolves in the glass, these are joined by dried quince, fragrant grapefruit compote and sea salt infused dark chocolate which bring the kind of vibrancy to the nose that broccoli soup can deliver to the eye. Powerful and weighty on the palate, it slaps its chest like a sumo wrestler and gets to work on the sides of the tongue with pinking shears. There is an initial impression of sweetness, though this comes likely as not from a combination of juicy stone fruit characters and ample glycerol; since the wine is bone dry. From its monolithic Stonehenge phenolic base, the wine builds with a beautiful broad acidity, raspy artichoke-heart fleshiness and rippling peppery texture to a warm friendly finish. Kind of like a birthday kiss from your brothers’ girlfriend which lingers just a little too long… An extra 6 months on yeast lees has given a third dimension to the mouth feel which makes it more than a match for any cream sauce based dish. Look for further complexity over the next 2 to 5 years.

We believe our Pinot Gris is best served at approximately 11 degrees Celsius.