Fruity, sweet and hot is a common description of pinot gris, but sometimes you come acrossone that pushes the boundaries like Main Divide, or restrained and delicate likeRockburn or nutty with some lees contact or barrel fermentation like Odyssey.
BEST VALUE
$20
Four stars (out of five)
Good value
Pushing pinot gris to its lush, decadent fruitiness - ripe peaches, nectarines, dried apricot, honey, hints of mint and ginger, this is unashamedly sweet and velvety but with an attractive, fresh finish.
$20
Three stars
Average value
With a whiff of ripe pears and stone fruit, this is simple and fruity with an oily texture, and a hot, high-alcohol finish.
$25
Three and a half stars
Average value
Fresh, attractive aromas with hints of pear, apple and white peach, a light sweetness and crisp finish. Relatively restrained and nicely balanced.
$26
Three and a half stars
Average value
More about texture than overt fruitiness, this is nutty and mouth-filling with a dry finish. Made with lees contact and barrel age, this mature, two-year old wine is in a different style from some of the fruit-salady wines in this tasting.
$29
Four stars
Average value
Perfumed and floral with hints of apples, nectarines, a nutty creaminess and a faint sweetness, this stylish wine is restrained and elegant with a freshness, charm and lovely crisp finish.
$30
Four star
Average value
A complex, textural wine with fresh fruit and hints of nuts from wild yeast fermentation in old barrels and lees contact, and a firm, balanced finish.
ANOTHER GLASS
Gunn Estate Marlborough Pinot Gris 2013
$20
Three stars
Average value
Slightly creamy and nutty with a suggestion of apple and lively fruit, then a burst of alcoholic heat on the finish.
Forrest Marlborough Pinot Gris 2013
$22
Three and a half stars
Average value
Fresh pear and stone fruit with a light sweetness, an oily texture, a hint of bitterness, and a dry finish. Better with food.
