The Matakana region is proving to have great potential to produce quality Pinot Gris wines, and our aim is to nurture the natural earthy stone-fruit character of this grape—along with the influence of our Matakana vineyard’s terroir.
Winemaking notes
Pinot Gris has elegant fruit characters but the flavours are subtle. This ‘vigorous’ variety needs to be pruned heavily to reduce the yield per hectare in order to capture these flavours.
To maintain the fine fruit flavours, the grapes are handled gently, whole-bunch pressed and then given a slow fermentation in a cooled environment. A proportion of the wine (20% in 2009) is fermented and matured in French oak barriques (10% new) for a relatively short period of four months. The oak contributes a layer of complexity and further depth of character to the wine. However, the delicate aromas of Pinot Gris are easily overpowered by oak. Each vintage the winemaker carefully ascertains the proportion of the wine to be matured in barrels and the duration in barrel required to achieve the perfect balance and integration of the oak with the delicate fruit flavours.
Description
This graceful wine has a light lemon hue. The bouquet offers delicate, sensuous aromas of sun-ripened pears, soft peach, subtle quince and a whisper of cloves. Rich and luscious flavours of ripe melon, succulent apple and lychee are wrapped seductively in a soft creamy texture. The full, stylish palate surrenders to a long smooth finish.
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