Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
A fruity and flavorful wine showing ripe fruit and spices. Full-bodied, round and fruity. Lovely bright finish. Very clean, fruity and stylish with pear-skin undertones. A beauty. Drink now.
-
Wine Enthusiast
Smoky glints of stone and ripe Mirabelle plum pervade the more usual notes of ripe pear. There is an earthy undertow but the palate sits serenely with its chiseled freshness and streamlined acidity. As you linger, every sip reveals different aspects of tart citrus, fresh-cut pear peel, ginger biscuits and chalky stone. The body is slender and dry.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Normally all or almost all made from the Clos Windsbuhl, the 2014 Pinot Gris Roche Calcaire also includes the entire Jebsal along with selected grapes from the Heimbourg. Due to the fruit fly (drosophila suzukii), the grapes were picked earlier than usual and without botrytis, which lead to a seriously dry Pinot Gris. This displays a ripe and very elegant bouquet of ripe fruits along with some flinty/mineral flavors. Full-bodied and rich on the palate, with a nice piquancy and tight tannin structure, this is a rich and powerful Pinot Gris with just 2.5 grams of residual sugar and – due to the Jebsal portion of 40% – 14.07% alcohol. Despite its richness, the wine indicates a nice purity as well, but should be cellared for at least another three to five years.
-
Wine Spectator
Though the aromas and flavors of dried apricot, papaya and orange peel are rich and ripe in character, this broad white is dry and lip-smacking overall, focused by intense acidity. The pronounced minerality echoes smoke and saline notes, with almond skin and paraffin hints lingering on the finish. Drink now through 2027.
Showing a unique rosy, purplish hue upon full ripeness, this “white” variety is actually born out of a mutation of Pinot Noir. The grape boasts two versions of its name, as well as two generally distinct styles. In Italy, Pinot Grigio achieves most success in the mountainous regions of Trentino and Alto Adige as well as in the neighboring Friuli—all in Italy’s northeast. France's Alsace and Oregon's Willamette Valley produce some of the world's most well-regarded Pinot Gris wine. California produces both styles with success.
Where Does Pinot Gris / Pinot Grigio Come From?
Pinot Gris is originally from France, and it is technically not a variety but a clone of Pinot Noir. In Italy it’s called Pinot Grigio (Italian for gray), and it is widely planted in northern and NE Italy. Pinot Gris is also grown around the globe, most notably in Oregon, California, and New Zealand. No matter where it’s made or what it’s called, Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio produces many exciting styles.
Tasting Notes for Pinot Grigio
Pinot Grigio is a dry, white wine naturally low in acidity. Pinot Grigio wines showcase signature flavors and aromas of stone fruit, citrus, honeysuckle, pear and almond. Alsatian styles are refreshing, expressive, aromatic (think rose and honey), smooth, full-bodied and richly textured and sometimes relatively higher in alcohol compared to their Italian counterpart. As Pinot Grigio in Italy, the style is often light and charming. The focus here is usually to produce a crisp, refreshing, lighter style of wine. While there are regional differences of Pinot Grigio, the typical profile includes lemon, lime and subtle minerality.
Pinot Grigio Food Pairings
The viscosity of a typical Alsatian Pinot Gris allows it to fit in harmoniously with the region's rich foods like pork, charcuterie and foie gras. Pinot Grigio, on the other hand, with its citrusy freshness, works well as an aperitif wine or with seafood and subtle chicken dishes.
Sommelier Secrets
Given the pinkish color of its berries and aromatic potential if cared for to fully ripen, the Pinot Grigio variety is actually one that is commonly used to make "orange wines." An orange wine is a white wine made in the red wine method, i.e. with fermentation on its skins. This process leads to a wine with more ephemeral aromas, complexity on the palate and a pleasant, light orange hue.
To learn more, see our Essential Pinot Grigio Guide.
Small but mighty, this picturesque region in northeastern France is renowned for its white wines produced by passionate families whose winemaking roots span generations and even centuries. Nestled between the Vosges Mountains and the Rhine River, Alsace benefits from a sunny, dry climate and a long growing season. It is one of the most geologically diverse regions in the world — one of the many reasons why Alsace rocks!
Alsace wines include dry, mineral-driven Riesling, earthy Pinot Gris, refreshing Pinot Blanc, exuberant Gewurztraminer, elegant Pinot Noir, and more. From traditional-method sparkling wines to easy-drinking AOC Alsace, to complex Grand Cru bottlings from 51 distinct sites, and rich, late harvest wines, Alsace produces a wine for every occasion. Most Alsace wines are single-varietal bottlings and are labeled with the grape name. The region is also one of the greenest wine-producing areas in France, with 36% of its vineyard area certified organic.
Riesling, the region’s calling card, is dry, fresh and floral in its youth, developing complex mineral and flint character with age. Gewurztraminer is known for its signature spice and lychee aromatics. Pinot Gris is prized for its combination of crisp acidity and savory spice as well as ripe stone fruit flavors. Pinot Blanc is an affable food partner or porch sipper. Pinot Noir, the only red grape in AOC Alsace, is now authorized in three Grand Cru areas and is also used for Crémant d’Alsace sparkling rosé. Any bottle you choose will offer deliciousness, pleasure and value that is unprecedented in other wine regions.