Vavasour Awatere Valley Pinot Gris 2023

Description

• Dry style
• Ripe pear
• Honeysuckle
• Tangy acidity

"Freshly-picked tree-fruit flavours with ripe pear, apple, and honeysuckle playing the dominant role. Refreshing wine in a bone-dry style with a backbone of tangy acidity" Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, Real Review, Nov 2023

Layered aromas of fresh pear and apples, woven with distinct saline minerality typical of the Awatere Valley. Delicate aromas of ginger and florals give the wine an attractive and complex bouquet. The palate is bright and buoyant with nashi pear and red apple flavours, tied together by an elegant acid line. Fine textural components bring weight and depth woven with a distinct saline minerality typical of the Awatere Valley. This wine will pair well with richer, warmer foods given its clean, crisp profile.

Marquee sites in the lower Awatere Valley, are noteworthy for their wide diurnal temperature swings, contributing to strong personality and incredible balance in the wines. Soils are low in fertility with stones and pebbles mixed with clay and loam. The rainfall ranges from 279-406 millimeters (11-16 inches) a year, very arid by any measure.

The fruit for our 2023 Pinot Gris was selectively harvested at peak ripeness. A combination of canopy and yield management ensured great concentration and flavour in the fruit. After whole bunch pressing, 10% of the juice was fermented in older French oak barriques. While in oak, the lees were stirred regularly. The remaining 90% was fermented in stainless steel with a selected yeast strain, allowing us to retain the vibrant fruit flavours of the variety. Post fermentation the wines were left on light lees for a period to promote complexity and structure. The wine was filtered and prepared for bottle in mid winter 2023.