2022 Whitehaven Marlborough Pinot Gris
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TASTING NOTE
Colour / Appearance: Pale lemon with bright clarity.
Aroma / Bouquet: Fragrant notes of Beurre Bosc pear, red apple, honeysuckle with a hint of clove and aniseed are displayed on the nose.
Palate: Ripe pear and apple flavours, with hints of savoury yeast lees notes and a thread of minerality on the palate. Dry to taste, this wine has gentle acidity and supportive, fine-textural tannins which promotes a long, clean finish to this wine.
Cellaring: Although delicious to drink now, this wine should age gracefully for another 3-4 years if cellared carefully.
Food Match: This Pinot Gris is made to be enjoyed with food. We recommend dishes featuring richer seafoods, mushrooms, light game and poultry.
Serve: Lightly chilled.
WINE ANALYSIS
Alcohol: 13.5%
Residual Sugar: 2.7 g/L
Titratable Acidity: 5.3 g/L
pH: 3.47
VITICULTURE
Harvest Date: Multiple pick dates from the 15th to 29nd March, 2022.
Climate: The 2022 growing season started with soil moisture at capacity, following an unusually wet winter which had seen flooding in parts of the region. Pleasingly, the region did not suffer any major frost events and despite conditions in November being a little wet, the warmth that went with it meant that flowering was not drawn out and resulted in good fruit set and the prospect of healthy yields. The remainder of the season was punctuated by cooler weather and rainfall events, and we were vigilant around disease pressure as we entered the harvest period. Harvest was later this year and Brix accumulation was slow. We experienced another rain event in the final third of March which then required us to harvest quickly in order to retain pure fruit expression. This is where Whitehaven’s new receival building came to the fore, allowing greater throughput while maintaining the quality focus and attention to detail that Whitehaven prides itself on.
Grape Growing: The fruit used to make this wine is from our Tussocks (55%) and Pauls Road (45%) vineyards. Throughout the growing season the vines were thoughtfully managed, with open canopies and prudent crop thinning helping to create fully ripe, clean fruit come harvest time.
VINIFICATION
Winemaking: The fruit used to make this wine was hand harvested and whole bunch pressed. After pressing, the juice was settled for 12-24 hours and then racked, retaining some solids in the juice. This juice was then fermented using a selection of aromatic yeast strains. After fermentation the tanks were topped without the addition of sulphur, and the wine was left on lees for 3-4 months prior to blending. After blending, the wine was cold stabilised and filtered, and then bottled on the 31st August, 2022.
ACCOLADES
- Gold, Japan Womens Sakura Wine Awards 2023.
- Plenty of flint, white pepper and lemon with hints of grapefruit. Medium body. Attractive fruit and density. Drink now or hold. 91/100 Pts, James Suckling.
- Bright, even, pale straw-yellow. The nose is soft, sweet-noted pear drop, apple puree melded with blossom and citrus zest. Medium-light bodied, aromas of pear, apple intermixed sage and apple blossom. The brisk flavour of sweet pear and apple flows smoothly with lively acidity, lending a refreshing, dry finish. Match with dim sum or pulled pork over the next 2-3 years. Candice Chow, NZ, Nov 2022.
- Tangy, light, off-dry pinot gris with fresh pear, apple and subtle spicy flavours supported by bright, mouth-watering acidity. Bob Campbell, MW, NZ, Nov 2022.
- Pristine and elegantly aromatic, the wine shows apple, green pear, lemon peel and jasmine notes, leading to a finely flowing palate that's succulent and lingering. Beautifully rounded and fleshy with a lengthy juicy finish. Sam Kim, 93/100, 5 stars
