2007 Pinot Gris

Winemaker: Stephen J. Cary

Pinot Gris was the second member of the Pinot family planted at YVV, starting in 1984. Early Oregon winemakers had shown what fine wines it could make and we were anxious to see what our unique McMinnville AVA soils could produce. Two distinctly different sites were selected and planted to two clones in 1984 and 1985. The first grapes were harvested in 1987.

Pinot Gris is a mutation of Pinot Noir that was probably first isolated and propagated about 500 years ago in Burgundy. The grape eventually moved around Europe to Switzerland, Germany, Hungary, Alsace, and then Italy. It carries many names there including Klevner, Tokai d’Alsace, and Pinot Grigio. Since it is originally from Burgundy and named Pinot Gris there our strict consumer protective state regulations require that we use that name.

At harvest time Pinot Gris does not look like a white wine grape, its skin is a dull red. When the juice flows it has a copper or even salmon colored tinge that is exaggerated in very ripe years. At the destemmer it smells like gravenstein apples with a hint of anise.

The growing season in 2006 was a return to more ‘normal Willamette Valley conditions’, i.e. cooler than the last few years. Summer was warm but not hot and September gradually cooled down just the way we hope they all will. The result was extended hang time and the desirable development of complex flavors we only see in such years.
The wine was fermented and aged primarily in stainless steel to capture and retain maximum varietal character. Partial malolactic fermentation was accomplished to further help give the wine more weight in the mouth. The ripe, concentrated fruit, along with the fermentation techniques employed, have resulted in a wine more opulent than is typical of this variety. From the start we Oregon wine producers have attempted to separate ourselves from other areas making wines from this grape by producing a richer style. We believe this is a fine example of the heights the variety can achieve when yields are kept low in our particularly well-suited environment.

Pinot Gris, like Pinot Noir, complements a wide array of foods. It works well with spices, even hot ones. Shellfish with peppers and garlic are favorites; it has historically been linked to poached, baked, or sautéed salmon, and it hasn’t met a white fish it doesn’t love. Roast chicken is another excellent match. Buy Online

2007 Pinot Gris Statistics

Harvest Picking Dates: 10/4 – 10/7 Source: Two YVV Estate Blocks; Rainbow & Sequoia Grove Yield: 2.0T/Acre Brix: 23.9 – 25.8 - pH: 3.48 - Ta: 4.5g/ltr

Bottling Bottling Date: 3/14/08 Ph: 3.32 - Ta: 5.8 g/l - R.S.: Dry - Alc.: 14.2% Final Blend: 90% stainless steel – 10% neutral oak barrel Total Production: 610 cases