Main Divide Waipara Valley Pinot Gris 2024

Description

Floral, Lychee, Off-dry

"Beautifully ripe and inviting, the bouquet shows poached pear, rockmelon, rich floral and subtle spice aromas. It's succulent and fleshy in the mouth, delivering terrific fruit intensity together with supple texture and beautifully infused acidity, finishing delicious and lingering" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Nov 2024

"hat tip to the classic style from Alsace, harvested at optimal ripeness to deliver a range of natural flavours and white spice with fresh white nectarine and pear, a satin texture, refreshing acid line and distinctive mouthfeel. The fruit is gently pressed then fermented in stainless steel tanks at a cool temperature to retain varietal purity and freshness. The wine is then lees aged (sur lie), prior to bottling. A decent acid line and fine tannins mouthfeel add length and complexity" Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Nov 2024

"You are greeted by a straw yellow to light gold colour and shining hue. On the inviting nose you have aromas of lychee, nashi pear, ginger and both freshly cut and partly dried floral notes. The palate has a medium-to-full landing on the dancefloor. This confidence comes with a fleshy personality showcasing luscious tropical fruit sweetness and served with a relaxed level of acidity, resulting in a smooth easy drinking expression, ideal for any casual occasion" Gavin Hubble, Grape to Glass, Nov 2024

"Hints of cologne, savoury aspects, beeswax/comb honey and pear, real volume. A touch of intrigue rather than pristinely clean with just adds to the interest. Generosity, great length and very enjoyable right now. With time, nose and palate show a musky botrytis touch with wisps of almond on the long finish" Mark Henderson, Otago Daily Times, Mar 2025

Pale gold in colour, the nose is vibrant and intensely aromatic. Tropical tones of lychee, cantaloupe melon and nashi pear, crest temptingly in a sea of perfume, floral and spice. Rose petal and honeysuckle awash the senses, infused with sage leaf, root ginger and droplets of almond nougat. The sprightly mouthfeel is texturised with ripe phenolics, balanced beautifully by fractional sweetness and a core of perky acidity, leading to a satisfying and structured finish.

Main Divide is the local name for the Southern Alps and is the backbone of the South Island, where grapes for Main Divide are exclusively sourced. Vineyards have been selected for their quality and ability to express unique regional flavours.

Cooler and windier conditions during Spring meant lower crop levels, keeping fruit thinning to a minimum. The weather gods then handed us the opposite during Summer, with a warm and settled state prevailing, so this smaller crop was able to mature beautifully. Autumn was similarly favourable, allowing each variety to be picked at its optimum ripeness. Our 2024 harvest saw smaller yields across the board, but as a result we were blessed with intense fruit flavour and concentration, delivering some outstanding wines.

Aiming for a classic Alsatian style with a North Canterbury twist, the fruit was harvested in stages over several weeks to optimise the grapes’ range of natural flavours. After picking, they were gently pressed, and the juice fermented in stainless steel tanks at a cool temperature to retain varietal purity and freshness. The wine was then given a short period of ageing on its natural deposit of yeast lees (sur lie), prior to bottling. At all stages, from fermentation to bottling, the wine was handled very carefully to help it retain a little of its naturally dissolved carbon dioxide. This may result in a small amount of spritzig when first poured, accentuating the freshness and liveliness of the wine.