I’ve already given a brief accounting of Sophie’s background in this post on her Riesling
Now it’s the turn of Sophie’s Pinot Gris.
Pinot Gris is my second favourite grape variety grown in Alsace, just behind Riesling. It’s worth repeating that, despite being the same variety as Pinot Grigio in Italy, it’s quite different in style when grown in Alsace – and nearly always better quality, in my humble opinion.
This Pinot Gris is grown on soil which is mainly composed of clay, adding body and even tannin to the wine. Viticulture follows organic practices and eschews synthetic chemicals and pesticides. All harvesting is by hand; once at the winery the grapes are whole bunch pressed. Fermentation is in old oak barrels which add roundness but not overt oak flavours.
In the glass it’s lemon in colour, not quite as pale as the Riesling, but not dark enough to suggest heavy oak, sweetness or age. The nose has notes of ripe pip and stone fruits and exotic spices, but again no suggestions of excessive sugar.
The palate is all about restrained richness. The attack and finish are dry, but there’s a wonderful Pinot Gris richness to the mid-palate. Those orchard and stone fruits are prominent in the mouth, along with the signature spiciness. There’s texture and a bit of structure here, making it a very food-friendly yet versatile wine.
Just like Sophie’s Riesling, this Pinot Gris manages to tick three important boxes:
- Varietally correct – it’s unmistakably an Alsace Pinot Gris
- Approachable – it’s not so intense that it would put off newcomers to the style
- Delicious – by the glass, by the bottle, with or without food
ABV: 12.5%
RRP: €21.99 down to €19.49
Source: sample
Stockists: O’Briens stores and obrienswine.ie
