Pinot gris needs care. Too often they are highly cropped and overly sweet and alcoholic, but when they are in balance, whether made in a fruity or a more savoury style, they can be delicious.
BEST UNDER $20
Three and a half stars (out of five)
Good value
A charming wine, fragrant with gorse flowers and oozing juicy ripe peach, pear and tropical
flavours with a crisp, bright finish.
Four stars (out of five)
Good value
Brimming with juicy fruit- peach, pear, guava and tropical fruit, this is a full-on, mouthfilling wine with a crisp finish.
Four stars (out of five)
Average value
A new label from the Waitaki, fragrant with honeysuckle and lively with suggestions of peach
and pear juice, hints of nuts in the background and a crisp, juicy finish.
Four and a half stars (out of five)
Good value
Consistently one of the best Central Otago pinot gris, this is fragrant with aromas of gorse
flowers, and oozes sun-drenched golden peaches and pears with a nutty undertone, yet it's
concentrated, balanced and complex and has a long, lingering finish.
Four stars (out of five)
Average value
A charming wine from a Gibbston vineyard, this is filled with aromas and flavours of tropical
fruit, mango, golden peaches and honeysuckle, with a suggestion of nuts or oatmeal in the
background and a nicely balanced finish.
Three stars (out of five)
Below average value
A pleasant, simple wine hinting of stewed white peaches and pears, a suggestion of nuts and
a hot finish.
ANOTHER GLASS
• Richmond Plains Nelson Pinot Gris 2011, $20
Three stars (out of five)
Average value
Fragrant with suggestions of wildflowers, this is a mouthfilling wine with more of a mealy
character rather than overt fruit, but with high alcohol on the finish.
• Te Mania Nelson Pinot Gris 2011, $22
Three stars (out of five)
Below average value
Pleasant fruit hinting of pears with suggestions of nuts, and a hot, heavy finish.
Although wine sent for review is tasted blind to eliminate preconceptions, all wine tasting and evaluation is subjective. These are personal recommendations.
