Pinot Gris
What is it?
Pinot Gris is a white grape grown primarily in France, Oregon, and Italy. The grape used in Pinot Gris wines is actually the same grape used in Pinot Grigio wines, though the resulting product has different tasting notes and is marketed as a different wine entirely. The grape Pinot Gris is actually a mutated version of Pinot Noir, and it still has pink skins. The wine we tried was from Oregon, where the produced Pinot Gris wines have stronger fruit flavors and lower acidity than wines made from this grape in other places around the world.
Primary flavors include white peach, lemon zest, cantaloupe, green almond, and crushed gravel (though Pinot Gris wines can also have honeysuckle and ginger flavors). Pinot Gris should be served chilled, and it is generally not aged very long. A suggested pairing is an oily fish like salmon with mixed rice; other options include salads, light pasta, or charcuterie. We had this wine with homemade pizza and pasta salad, and that was probably a mistake. It did not seem to pair well with olives and artichokes.
Molly's Rating and Tasting Notes
5.2. At first, there wasn't much different from other white, dry wines we've tried. I got apple on the nose, some peach and a chemical note on the tongue. The finish was especially off. As it warmed a little more, the finish became distinctly almond, while the body was more peach-like. The wine seemed pretty oily throughout and not very crisp. The second glass was colder, and that actually increased the chemical notes, which was unfortunate. I don't really love this wine, to the point where I would probably avoid it in the future.
Ryan's Rating and Tasting Notes
7.2. On the nose I get cantaloupe, green apple, garam masala, and possibly a urinal cake? I'm not quite sure, but there's something strange going on in there. Upon tasting I get lemon, cantaloupe, ginger, garlic, and a little bit of chlorine. There's also some undertones of pepper and jicama as well. I should mention that this isn't the deepest wine, and the flavors mentioned above aren't very strong so any off notes mentioend above aren't necessarily unpleasant. Although the taste is a little bit muted and watery, the mouthfeel is decently weighty. It's not necessarily oily since it doesn't really coat the mouth, but there's some viscosity and heft to this fella. As for the aftertaste, it leans much heavier on the spicier and vegetal notes. With that being said, it's not unpleasant and doesn't overstay its welcome. Overall I don't think it's quite the wine for me, but it's decent.
References
[1] Madeline Puckette and Justin Hammack. Wine Folly: The Master Guide. Avery - A Penguin Imprint, New York, NY, 2018.
[2] "Pinot Gris." Wine Folly. https://winefolly.com/grapes/pinot-gris/. Accessed: September 2023.
Wines we haven't finished
- Week 29 - Vino Nobile di Montepulciano