Allan Scott Marlborough Pinot Gris 2008

Marlborough Pinot Gris has grown strongly in popularity over the last few years, although there is no distinctive style as found with Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Allan Scott Wines aim to achieve varietal fruit flavour, the fruit picked at the optimum moment to retain its natural acidity and ripe phenolics, avoiding a hot high alcohol finish from over ripe fruit

Viticulture

Pinot Gris, like its close relative Pinot Noir, is very labour intensive in the vineyard. Two cane pruning, bunch reduction, leaf plucking and shoot thinning are just some of the vineyard practices required to ensure an intensely flavoured crop. The exposure of the bunches to light aids in ripening the phenolics in the skins which is beneficial for reducing bitterness.

Vinification

Picked in the cool of the morning when the desired maturity and flavour development has been reached, the grapes are promptly de-stemmed and left to macerate on their skins for four hours. The grapes are then gently pressed, with the clear juice racked and inoculated with cultured yeast in stainless steel vessels at cool temperature to maintain fruit purity. 10% of the juice went through fermentation in old French Oak barrels of which 20% had a wild ferment on full solids. This provides great phenolic structure increasing the perception of acidity. All the wine was lees stirred and spent the time until bottling on its lees, adding further depth and texture to the palate

Description

An elegant complex wine with aromas of red apple, pear and white stonefruit. The long soft mid palate gives way to a balanced structure of acid and phenolics, creating good endurance, elevated by the sweet warmth of the alcohol.
With age this wine will develop a fuller mid palate and creamy texture. Cellar for 3 to 5 years, Serve slightly chilled

Technical Information

• Alcohol: 12.5%
• Residual Sugar: 6.8g/ltr
• Titratable Acid: 5.25
• p.H: 3.59

Current Wines Varieties Range Wine Library Winery Winemakers