So as you may recall we covered off some Pinot Gris' before Christmas, but this was when our lovely Green Goddess Wendyl was away and as it's her fav style of wine, we thought we should cover it off again. Also, it is a varietal that EVERYONE seems to be making these days and it's definitely the wine I get sent the most. Unsurprisingly it is NZ's third most popular white.
Our easy-drinking friend Pinot Gris is a white wine made from red grapes, which is why sometimes you will see a tinge of pink every now and then in some Pinot Gris. This just means that in the winery the winemaker has left the skins on the grapes just a touch longer to get some of that gorgeous colour.
As an aromatic, you can expect there to be a bit going on in the nose of a Gris with pear, apple, honeysuckle, and spice being frequent descriptors and unlike its light & quaffable European cousin Pinot Grigio NZ Pinot Gris is fuller in texture and tends to richer & more fruit forward.
This wine is one that I just tried last weekend in Hawkes Bay & it's a 2017, so a brand new release! The Brookfields Robertson Pinot Gris 2017 (named after winemaker - Peter Robertson) is fresh and teaming with aromas and flavours of pear and honey with just a hint of spice and off-dry at 7 grams of residual sugar. The team at Brookfields also reckon this beauty will cellar for up to 6 years. A pretty sweet drop for only $17
Organic winery Darling Wines in Marlborough have created a full-flavoured 2016 Pinot Gris will all the hallmark flavours of a Gris - apples & pears. It's also off-dry but only just at 5 grams of residual sugar. This wine is available for only $23 which especially considering it is organic is amazing value.
To date, I haven't featured very many Auckland wines, but I am definitely looking to change that as the humid north has some stunners - case in point Kumeu River 2016 Pinot Gris is delicious in the extreme, apples, pears, spice, with a wonderful texture and weight in the mouth. This wine is a typically Gris in the best possible way with just enough sweetness at 6 grams of residual sugar all for $25.
No doubt about it Gris is becoming more and more popular and I feel it's a great introduction to other aromatics, who knows Gris today, Gewurtz tomorrow!
Click the link below to hear my chat with Wendyl about great Gris'