2024 Whitehaven Marlborough Pinot Gris
$25.00
TASTING NOTE
Colour / Appearance: Bright, pale lemon
Aroma / Bouquet: Red apple skin, mango and fresh Beurre Bosc pear, with fresh sage and subtle floral notes.
Palate: Lifted flavours of juicy pear, apple, toasted spice and nectarine. These flavours sit on a dry, textual palate, with hints of minerality on the finish.
Cellaring: We recommend drinking our 2024 Pinot Gris while it is young and fresh, but the wine can develop nicely beyond five years if carefully cellared.
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: 2.64 g/L
Titratable Acidity: 5.7 g/L
pH: 3.43
VITICULTURE & VINIFICATION
Harvest Date: 8th March - 30th March, 2024.
Climate: Unlike the previous two years, the growing season leading into the 2024 vintage began after a dry winter, with the soil water balance in deficit. Fewer inflorescences generally and then a protracted flowering window in November and December, resulted in poor fruit set and fewer berries per bunch than the average in most areas. Dry conditions persisted for the duration of the growing season, minimising disease threats and resulting in clean fruit at harvest. A spell of warm weather through late December and January, in combination with the lighter crop, resulted in a rapid physiological advancement against the long-term average. This trend continued until the start of harvest in early March, ahead of earlier predictions in late 2023. Fortuitously, the headwaters of the Wairau and Awatere river systems received enough rain to keep irrigation schemes open through the season and into harvest, at which point a return to cool, crisp days became the norm. Fruit was harvested at more elevated sugar levels than the previous two seasons. Peak intake for the winery was from the 13th March through to the 29th March.
Grape Growing: A mix of three Pinot Gris clones were used to make this wine. Pruned to two or three canes vertical shoot positioning, the vines were trained to produce ripe, clean fruit come harvest time.
Winemaking: The fruit used to make this wine came from the Wairau (60%) and Awatere Valley (40%). A good portion of the fruit was hand-picked, with the majority machine harvested in the cool Autumn mornings. At the winery, the juice was gently pressed off, and then carefully selected yeast strains were used to ferment the juice. On completion of fermentation, the tanks were topped and the wine let to sit on yeast lees for 4-5 months, aiding complexity and mouthfeel in the resulting wine.
ACCOLADES
It's finely expressed on the nose, showing aromas of rock melon, Asian pear, lemon peel, and subtle spice. The palate displays juicy fruit intensity with supple texture and beautifully integrated acidity, finishing long and refreshing. Sam Kim Wine Orbit NZ, 94 pts, 5 Stars.
Bright, even, pale yellow. The nose is full and appealing, with aromas of pear, quince, lemon, white floral and a touch of honey. Full-bodied, dry to taste, aromas of pear and quince melded with lemon, grapefruit, honeysuckle and a hint of ginger. The fruit is pure, supported by crisp acidity and a silky mouthfeel, lingering with gentle floral and crunchy acidity to an elegant, dry finish. Match with white fish and chicken over the next 3 years. Fermented to 13.5% alc. Vegan friendly. Candice Chow (Raymond Chan Wine Reviews), 18.5/20 pts (93 pts)
Very bright with a translucent polished gold hue, leading to a bouquet and palate of pomaceous fruits led by yellow and red apple then pear and a lick of quince. There’s a mix of lees and white spice then sweet Asian pear suggestion. Just off-dry with a touch of residual sweetness then crunchy and refreshing from a decent line of acidity accentuating the spice and warmth of alcohol. Well made - as always - with best drinking from day of purchase through 2028. Cameron Douglas MS, 90 Pts, Premium
