Vintage 2023 in Central Otago was close to perfection. Warm days were followed by cool nights and just the right amount of rain fell at just the right time.

Our 2023 Pinot Gris is sourced from the Matapari block at the eastern end of the famed Gibbston Valley. The fruit was hand harvested and sorted, then trucked overnight to our winery in North Canterbury. It was then whole bunched pressed, settled, racked and fermented with a yeast strain suited to aromatic varieties like Pinot Gris.

As with most Pinot Gris, this wine has the merest hint of coppery gold in the glass. The nose displays an incredible array of fruit characters - a dash of citrus, a soupçon of apricot, a pinch of nectarine. This is all stitched together by the glorious floral and spice notes you can only get in fully ripe Pinot Gris.

The palate is extraordinary. It is bone dry and beautifully focused, but the fruit brings a glorious perception of sweetness. It is a wine of considerable weight and texture, while its Central Otago acid backbone gives the wine superb carry and length.

Our Pinot Gris is perfect as an apéritif, but also the perfect companion to Asian-inspired dishes. It has the polish and structure for medium term ageing, but also has the sort of drinkability that makes leaving it in the cellar a very challenging proposition!

Winemaker - Simon Nunns