New Zealand Listener - October 13, 2018

40 LISTENER OCTOBER 13 2018

GETTY IMAGES

O

ur love affair

with pinot gris

shows no signs

of abating. From

130 hectares of

vines in 2000,

plantings have skyrocketed

to 2500ha today. A muta-

tion of pinot noir, with

skin colours ranging from

blue-grey to reddish-pink,

pinot gris is our third-most-

planted white-wine variety,

trailing only sauvignon

by Michael Cooper

WINE

Fruitful

mutant

Aromatic pinot

gris has found

firm favour

with fans of NZ

white varietals.

blanc and chardonnay, and

you can choose from more

than 300 labels.

Amisield Central Otago Pinot

Gris 2017

Showing good personality,

this is a full-bodied (13.5%

alc/vol), medium-dry style,

still youthful, with generous,

ripe, peachy, slightly spicy

flavours, showing very good

complexity, and a tightly

structured, lingering finish.

$30

Askerne Hawke’s

Bay Pinot Gris 2017

Made in a mouth-

filling (13.5% alc/

vol), off-dry style,

this ripely scented,

Alsace-style wine

is rich, with good

concentration of

stone-fruit, pear

and spice fla-

vours, a hint of ginger and a

smooth finish. $23

Awatere River by Louis Vavasour

2017

Grown mostly in the Awatere

Valley, this fresh, vibrantly

fruity wine is attractively

scented and full-bodied (13%

alc/vol), with pure, delicate

pear and lychee flavours, some

peachy, spicy notes and a dry

finish. $21

Babich Marlborough Pinot Gris

2017

Made in a dry style, this is a

fragrant and fleshy, Alsace-style

wine, mouthfilling (14% alc/

vol), with generous, peachy,

slightly spicy, vaguely honeyed

flavours and a very

harmonious, well-

rounded finish. $22

Black Cottage

Marlborough Pinot

Gris 2018

From Two Rivers,

this instantly

appealing, freshly

scented wine is

mouthfilling (13%

alc/vol), with good depth of

pear, peach and spice flavours.

Dryish and lively. $18

Blackenbrook Nelson Pinot Gris

2018

Estate-grown and hand-

harvested, this floral, finely

textured wine is a medium-dry

style, full-bodied (13% alc/vol),

with fresh pear, lychee and

spice flavours, showing excel-

lent delicacy and depth. $25

Chard Farm Central

Otago Pinot Gris 2017

Already delicious,

this impressive

wine was hand-

harvested in the

Cromwell Basin.

Full-bodied (13.9%

alc/vol), it is vibrant

and sweet-fruited,

with generous, ripe

peach, pear and spice flavours,

balanced acidity and a dry,

well-rounded finish. $27

Domain Road

Deiance Bannock-

burn Pinot Gris 2018

Pale and perfumed,

this single-vineyard,

Central Otago wine

was mostly handled

in tanks; 14% was

barrel fermented.

Mouthfilling (13%

alc/vol), with fresh

pear and spice aromas, it is a

vividly varietal, off-dry style,

showing very good delicacy,

depth and harmony. $25

Durvillea by Astrolabe

Marlborough Pinot Gris 2017

Bargain-priced, this is a full-

bodied (13% alc/vol), dry style.

Freshly scented, it has clearly

varietal flavours of citrus fruit,

pear and spices showing very

good depth. $15

Georges Road Selection Waipara

Pinot Gris 2017

THIS LIFE