Pinot Gris Info & Lipizzan Port

Brad Post:

As one of the fastest growing wine segments in the U.S., Pinot Gris is favored by many as a light, easy to drink, and uncomplicated wine.  My last tasting featured three Pinot Gris’ one from Italy, California, and a spectacular wine from Oregon (King Estates, Acrobat: Pinot Gris)!

We learn things when we taste vertically, meaning the same varietals from different regions, such as how winemaker decisions can really affect the contents in the bottle.  Same grape, different process yields wildly different wines.  I guess that’s why there is a winery on every street corner in California.  Nonetheless, there is much to be learned from these grapes beginning with the grape itself.  What do we know about Pinot Gris?

Thought to be a mutant clone of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris/Grigo has been around since the Middle Ages making its way throughout Europe by the 14^th Century.  The name Pinot Gris is derived from two words: pinot, meaning pinecone (i.e., the shape of the cluster) and Gris, French for grey.  Unlike traditional white varietals that produce yellow to green fruit clusters and red varietals producing blue to red to black berry clusters, Pinot Gris produces light pink clusters whose juice, if pressed without skin contact, yields a clear to straw hued juice.  Extended skin contact will impart a rose color to the wine.  Generally made into light, innocuous white wines, Pinot Gris has lots of potential and depth of character.  Last week, after we finished with our three Gris’ we opened a bottle or Pinot Gris Port-styled wine from Colorado.  Here are my notes:

Graystone Vineyards, Pinot Gris, Lipizzan White Port (Cliffton, CO). (18% alc. Source: winery, Cost: $23, size: 375ml).

This past fall our wine tasting friends, Kurt and Lu, visited their son in Colorado and together experienced several wineries in the Grand Junction area. This particular winery features only dessert styled wines: a white port (Pinot Gris, called Lipizzan White Port), Port II and Port III.  The attractive bottle, features a Lipizzan horse on the label and a “double hand-waxed dip” top.  I began by trying to remove the stubbornly affixed “double hand-waxed” cap and ultimately was successful after a prolonged knife battle.  (Note to winery: this is a pretty addition but is potentially dangerous – I’d consider an alternative closure).  On to the notes:

First, I must confess I love the idea of a winery specializing on one product line, in this case crafting dessert wines.  I began my tasting in a good mood (remember we just finished tasting three traditionally styled Pinot Gris wines) and was greeted to a pleasantly tinted orange-red-tawny, but not quite crystal clear, white port. Hefty wafts of chocolate, hazelnut and caramel characterize the aromatics of this interesting port-styled wine.  My palate was awakened to HUGE chocolate-covered cherries, hints of caramel, and a little zing of orangey goodness.  Tasty.  Nice.  Makes me want to take a road trip to the Grand Valley of western Colorado.

Pinot Gris - Tasting Notes

Brad Post:

Pinot Gris/Grigio Tasting Notes:  If this is wine boot camp then last week must have been “hell-week” where our drill sergeant, Paul, pushed us to our sensory limits.  The last thing I remember, with my face in the mud, was his comment about me holding my wine glass incorrectly, he said something like “grasp by the stem not the bowl, maggot!”…everything after that was a blur.  Doing an about-face, this week we turn our taste buds to the innocuous Pinot Gris/Grigio.  Here are my notes, in the order we tasted:

1.  Torresella (2008) Pinot Grigio, Veneto – Italy.  (12% alc., Source: Hy-Vee, Cost: $12)

The first wine was a simple and easily slurpable white wine without much depth or personality. Light aromas of peach, strawberry and kiwi were barely noticeable in the pale light straw colored wine. In the mouth this summertime white was easy, if not a little boring, and exhibited a round, rich and tart (lemony zing) sensations.  A quickly fading wine leaving behind a slight sense of astringency mid-palate. Easy to drink. Not very memorable.

2. Francis Ford Coppola (2007) Presents - Bianco: Pinot Grigio (CA). (13.4% alc. Source: ? Cost: $11)

Subtle straw hues and flavors reminiscent of honeydew melon are the hallmark of this innocent white wine. Indistinguishably modest flavors from the citrus family were underwhelming with maybe a suggestion of light spice on the finish.  Quaffable. Warm to Hot and some bitterness in the finish. 

3.King Estate (2008) Acrobat Pinot Gris (OR). (12.5%. Source? Cost: $12).

Incredibly light straw to almost clear this Oregon Pinot Gris surprised my taste buds. Expecting another mass-produced, factory-made, and board-room conceived Pinot Gris, I was astounded by the aromatic and flavor profile of this seductively delicious Gris.  A blast of tropical fruit pleasantly captured my olfactory attention. Pleasing layers of apple, pear, and lemon zest accompanied by just a tease of residual sugar. Jam-packed with glorious, mouth-filling Pinot Gris that lasts and lasts.  Amazing!  Extraordinarily Yummy!  A bottle to fight over!

Post Tasting Comment:  Pinot Gris is the second fastest growing segment in the white wine production world totaling more than $709 million in the past 52 weeks (according to Wine Business Monthly and Nielson – 2/2010). With almost more than twice the number of dollar sales than White Zinfandel, Pinot Gris is expanding at a rate of more than 4% per year (contrast that to Chardonnay with sales of $1.95 Billion and increases of 2.7%).  A neutral wine, mostly, and continues to build as a crowd-pleaser.  All the wines in this tasting were fine.  The Torresella and Francis Ford Coppola were both good wines and it is easy to understand why large numbers of consumers would enjoy this wine style.  Thankfully, there are variations on a theme and the King Estate – Acrobat: Pinot Gris was an extraordinary and sensational example of how this wine should be made. The winemaker notes for the Acrobat indicates cold fermentation and sur lee treatment.  All I can say is…I want more!

2007 Mirassou Pinot Grigio

Terry post:

Another in a series of good/great wines which can be found in restaurants for less than $30.

Okay. You may ask what is the difference between Pinot Grigio, and Pinot Gris? The answer is, “virtually nothing”. They are essentially the same grape but the names vary based upon where in the world you find yourself. In the U.S. the grape is called Pinot Grigio. I am not sure about which nation calls it which other than Italy where it is typically known as Pinot Gris.

Many Pinot Grigio’s have“issues” when served with food:
1) Lacking sufficient structure to stand up to foods. A typical situation is a wine which has a subtle floral or citrus nose and nothing else. This issue is common for many of the Italian Pinot Gris which I have tasted. Or,

2) Overwhelming floral nose and too much residual sweetness. Wines like this don’t complement the meal – they overwhelm the meal. This issue, in particular, is far too common with American Pinot Grigio.

They are generally fine summertime wines suitable for sipping poolside.

We carried the Mirassou brand on-and-off over the years I was Wine Director at Restaurant 213. We never committed deeply to the brand due to the inconsistency of their products: quite a few “hits” and a few too many “misses” to be perpetually listed. With this wine they hit a homerun and I recommend it without reservation.

My impressions: Multi-dimensional, food-friendly Pinot Grigio with the guts to be more than a summertime picnic wine. Very dry and hugely acidic (a good thing) for a Pinot Grigio while retaining the typical citrus and spice characteristics on the nose and finish. I would not avoid it poolside, but it is so superior to most of its type that it would be a shame not to take advantage of its food-friendly traits.

I paired a bottle with a Pork Calvados (pork filet medallions in a veal reduction) entrée and it held its own quite nicely – though I would not push it any further. I think it is perfectly suited to complement fish (grilled, fried or in a broth-based soup), fresh cheeses or fresh fruit.

We carried this wine at $27 per bottle (restaurant price) making it a very good value. It is widely distributed with over 50,000 cases produced so you should not have any problem finding it at your local wine shop or grocery store.

~ Terry