A friend of mine was walking in the Dolomites last week and, as you do, posted stunning pictures beneath the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, or The Three Peaks of Lavaredo, one of the best-known mountain groups of the Alps. This area of Italy, known as Trentino Alto-Adige, sits right up on the border with Austria and aside from beautiful alpine scenery, is home to a number of refreshing white wines, most notably pinot grigio, the region’s most planted variety.
Pinot grigio and pinot gris are of course the same variety, the difference between them simply being the style in which the resulting wine is made. In Italy, the variety is known as pinot grigio and the best examples are found in the northeast in the regions of Friuli and Trentino Alto-Adige. Here it’s picked early to produce a lighter-bodied, crisp, fresh white. In France where the variety originated, it’s known as pinot gris, with the vast majority of plantings found in Alsace. Here you’ll find pinot gris used as both a single varietal and in blends to produce mainly dry whites. These whites are slightly rounder, more textured and spicy. They also have the ability to age. In Australia, producers label their wines pinot gris or pinot grigio, depending on which of the two styles they’ve made.
Pinot gris in Australia goes right back to James Busby, an amazing fellow who’s generally regarded as the father of Australian viticulture. Busby wrote several significant viticultural books, including the snappily titled “A Manual of Plain Direction for Planting and Cultivating Vineyards and for Making Wine in New South Wales” (1830). But his most significant contribution was a trip back to the major wine regions of France and Spain in 1831, during which he collected 543 vine varieties. 362 of these made it back to NSW, one of which was pineau gris which Busby obtained from the Cote-d’Or in Burgundy.
Busby later moved to NZ and in 1835, as you do, drafted the Declaration of Independence of New Zealand, signing it with 35 chiefs from the northern part of New Zealand. He went on to co-author the Treaty of Waitangi that was signed on the front lawn of his house over the 5th and 6th February 1840. But I digress…
Pinot gris remained virtually unknown in Australia until the early 1990s when it was brought to prominence by Kathleen Quealy of T’Gallant in the Mornington Peninsula. It was a tough sell back then - nobody knew the variety. In Australia in 2003 there were less than 500ha planted, these days there are over 3,700ha.
“In Australia, it’s one of the fastest growing retail categories, and whilst it is nowhere near the heady heights of sauvignon blanc, it is growing rapidly… Wine drinkers simply can’t get enough.” Wine Australia.
Not only has pinot gris increased in popularity, it’s also undergone significant change in style and quality in Australia.
“Things have come a long way. There are now many delicious Pinot Gris and quite a few excellent Grigios in Australia. The best Gris have a touch of barrel fermentation (a la Chardonnay) and lees work adding character; they're also more likely made from ripe grapes and low yields, which gives more concentration.” Huon Hooke.
“Pinot Gris - is the widely disseminated, fashionable vine variety that can produce soft, gently perfumed wines with more substance and colour than most whites,” Oxford Companion.
Here are a few excellent pinot gris that I like. One from the home of the variety, Alsace, one from Italy and a couple from home turf.
1. Deviation Road Pinot Gris 2022
Deviation Road was established in 1999 by Hamish and Kate Laurie, who are quite the winemaking duo. Hamish is a 5th generation Adelaide Hills vigneron, whose great-great-grandmother was the first female winemaker in South Australia. Hamish and his father established Hillstowe Wines back in the 80s, and subsequently sold it to the big end of wine town. Hamish is also Chair of the Adelaide Hills Wine Region. Kate is from a winemaking family in WA and is the one with the real winemaking chops, completing her viticulture and oenology diploma at no less than Lycee Viticole d'Avize in Champagne. I had a chat to her when she was recently in Sydney and aside from being a highly talented winemaker, she’s a super nice person to boot. Given Kate’s training and experience, it’s no surprise that Deviation Road’s sparkling wines capture most of the attention, but their still wines are also known for their finesse and complexity.
5 Star Rating - James Halliday Wine Companion.
Adelaide Hills is an easy 30-minute drive east of Adelaide and part of the Mount Lofty Ranges. Vines were planted here as far back as the 1840s, and from then until 1900 there were 225 grape growers in the area, including big names like Penfolds and Hardys. But according to Wine Australia, the peak industry body: “unfortunately, due to the challenges of cool climate viticulture, most of these had been grubbed up (dug up) by the 1930s.” It should also be noted that the removal of the Imperial Preference system post WWII had a detrimental effect on the region, with much of what was left reverting to dairy, beef, fruit and veggies.
It was not until the 1970s that Brian Croser identified the area as suitable for cool-climate varieties and by the mid-90s it was recognised as a premier site, especially for chardonnay and pinot noir, as well as sauvignon blanc, shiraz and pinot gris.
These days the region is one of the largest geographical wine regions in Australia as well as the most diverse in terms of climate, soil and topography. It has two recognised sub-regions, Lenswood and Piccadilly Valley as well as several villages, including Stirling and Crafters. While Hahndorf technically sits just outside the Hills, it’s the one most tourists visit to experience a day of German food and culture and was also home to landscape artist Hans Heysen.
Like all the Deviation Road wines, the pinot gris is a small production, handmade affair. The fruit was handpicked from two different sites in the Hills and fermented using a combination of natural and cultured yeasts. Around 30% was aged in old French oak to lend an extra dimension to flavour and complexity. The finished wine is 12.5% and is sealed with screwcap.
“A textural and full flavoured Pinot Gris with aromas of nashi pear, honeysuckle and subtle bakers spice, followed by mouth-watering sweet, white stonefruit and citrus. A plus mid-palate and textural complexity balance the finish.” Winemaker’s notes.
"It is a skilled hand that crafts mid-weighted gris as deftly textured, fresh and intense of flavour as this. A wonderful interplay between the thrust of fruit, orchard and autumnal, alongside the parry of structural attributes, both pucker and freshness beautifully measured. As fine as gris gets in this country."
94 points, Ned Goodwin MW, Halliday Wine Companion.
Great value drinking.
I can offer it for $22 a bottle. SOLD OUT
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2. Bollini Pinot Grigio 2021
Bollini was established in 1979 by dynamic US wine couple Neil and Maria Empson. These two saw the potential of good Italian wine back in the early 70s, pioneering its importation and riding a wave of growth into both the US and international markets.
Bollini has wineries in Friuli and Trentino (a separate appellation to Alto Adige), both of which are in Italy’s northeast. Winemaker Franco Bernabei has served as consultant to many of the most prestigious estates in Italy, including Folonari, Fontodi, Sartori, Guicciardini Strozzi and a favourite of mine, Felsina. With a family history of winemaking, and degrees in viticulture and enology, Franco’s interest lies in traditional Italian wines and local grape varieties including Pinot Grigio. Over the years he’s collected a swag of awards, including an ‘Oscar del Vino’ in 2000, presented by the Associazione Italiana Sommelier. On two occasions his wines have also placed in Wine Spectator’s ‘Top 100 Wines of the World’. Suffice to say he knows his stuff.
This wine comes from Trentino DOC, a cool, mountainous area up on the border with Austria, perfect for producing crisp, aromatic pinot grigio. The fruit was handpicked and fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks to ensure the wine retained its freshness. The wine sees a short time on lees (dead yeast cells) which involves a little bâtonnage (stirring), adding a little extra complexity and depth.
“Straw yellow in colour, clear-cut and delicate on the nose, with scents of acacia flowers, minerals and pear. The fresh natural acidity supports the wine,” Winemaker’s notes.
In the glass, this is a light yellow gold. On the nose, fresh honeydew, pear and gooseberry notes mingle with slightly richer hints of baked pineapple and nuttiness. On the palate you’ll find citrus, honey and floral notes with a hint of fresh hay. Good crisp acid with a touch of richness in the mid-palate. Finishes nicely dry - a great match for grilled seafood.
You’ll find it at a few cool restaurants around town for about $65 a bottle. But it’s even more enjoyable at home for this price…
I can offer it for $25 a bottle. SOLD OUT
3. Domaine Jean-Luc Mader Pinot Gris 2020
Domaine Jean-Luc Mader is a small, family run affair, based in the village of Hunawihr. Sitting on the famous ‘Route des Vins’ in Alsace, the village was founded in the 7th century by one of the country’s first nobles, Lord Hunon and named after his wife Hune. Despite her nobility and wealth, Hune put herself at the service of the village’s poor - lodging them, feeding them and even washing their clothes in the town’s fountain. She was canonised in 1520 and is now known as the saint of washerwomen.
While the Mader estate is based in Hunawihr, it owns a total of 9 hectares of vineyards, spread over four districts: Hunawihr, Ribeauville, Riquewihr and Kientzheim. Of particular note are prized holdings of vines in the famous Rosacker Grand Cru vineyard, as well as the Schlossberg Grand Cru vineyard. The estate produces several wines including a pinot noir, riesling, muscat, gewurtztraminer and of course pinot gris.
Jean-Luc and his wife Anne took over the estate in 1981, but since 2005 their son Jérôme, having gained a diploma in oenology, has been at the helm. Jerome has converted all their vineyards to bio-dynamic viticulture - so no chemicals, and all vineyard work is carried out by hand.
Rated top 10 Best Value Producers in Alsace - Tom Stevenson’s Global Report.
“Although Mader’s wines from Grand Cru Rosacker steal the show, his entire line-up is recommended.” Jacqueline Friedrich, The Wines of France.
This is the estate’s entry level pinot gris and is a favourite year-in, year-out. This entry level wine is everything to like about Alsatian Pinot Gris. On the nose you’ll find juicy ripe pineapple, lemon and honey aromas. On the palate, more complex notes of lemon, musk, honeysuckle and aromatic honey meld with clean and well-balanced acidity. Much softer than a riesling, but much more generous and plump in the mouth.
“Good aromatic lift with peach, apple and exotic tropical fruit characters on the nose and palate. Round and supple in texture, with wonderfully precise flavour. Great concentration and depth with a little residual sweetness in this ripe vintage. The rich texture and cleansing acid balance gives this wine great immediate appeal yet it also has the structure and depth to age mid-term.” Vintage and Vine.
Delicious drinking.
I can offer it for $35 a bottle (wish I could get more, but limited unfortunately). SOLD OUT
4. Haddow & Dineen Pinot Gris 2020
Haddow and Dineen is a recent-ish collaboration between cheese maker Nick Haddow and winemaker Jeremy Dineen.
Nick Haddow and I go back to the heady days of the dotcom boom in 2000 when we worked at Wine Planet. With a pocket full of cash and dotcom euphoria in full swing, the expansion was extraordinary. And what does an online wine company with all that money and exuberance do? Open an online cheese room of course. And that’s when Nick was brought from Melbourne, where he’d been running cheese guru Will Studd’s Richmond Hill Café and Larder. But no sooner had Nick arrived, than the whole bubble started to burst and the cheese room was shelved. Fosters bought the remaining 75% of Wine Planet, shut it down and lost an estimated $100m. Ouch.
Nick moved to Tasmania to become cheesemaker at Pyengana for a few years before striking out on his own, founding the Bruny Island Cheese Co in 2003. And like so many ‘overnight’ success stories, a decade later he won the Telstra Australian Business of the Year and the Telstra Australian Small Business the Year in 2013. Since then Nick’s empire has expanded to include a brewery and a dairy.
Nick is Chairperson of Brand Tasmania as well as an independent director of Wine Tasmania, which is not as strange as it might sound. In addition to being a world class cheesemaker, Nick’s always been around wine. Growing up in SA, he spent time at Ashton Hills and Wendouree. In the last few years he’s made a few wines on the side, but he’s finally decided to throw his hat in the ring and wisely teamed up with someone who knows a lot more about it than him, namely Jeremy Dineen.
Nick’s the first to admit the real star of the show is Jeremy. Born and bred in Tassie, you’d be hard pressed to find a more qualified person there to make wine. Here are a few of Jeremy’s achievements:
Jeremy was winemaker and general manager at Joseph Chromy since its inception in 2004 and under his stewardship the winery won a staggering number of trophies and medals. With impeccable timing, Jeremy left a well-paid, full-time job in December 2020, mid Covid, to focus on fledgling Haddow and Dineen, as well as consulting work.
The fruit for the Haddow & Dineen wines is sourced from a vineyard in York Town, which is a small village at the mouth of the Tamar. The 3ha vineyard only produces pinot noir and pinot gris and is quite unique. Jeremy told me it’s the only vineyard he’s seen with a predominance of white silica. This unusual soil makeup is difficult for vines to thrive in and takes several years for the vines to establish. But when they finally do, adversity leads to grapes of incredible intensity. This is true cool-climate viticulture, producing wines of great freshness, vibrance and delicacy.
The fruit was handpicked and quickly transported to a mate, Peter Dredge’s winery. Whole bunches were pressed and the juice run off into old barriques (225L) where it was fermented using indigenous yeasts. The wine spent time on lees (the dead yeast cells and sediment) and underwent battonage (lees stirring). After ferment it was bottled without fining or filtration. The finished wine is 13% alcohol and sealed with screwcap, heavy bottle and snazzy labelling.
“Small crops of intensely flavoured fruit, indigenous yeast and barrel fermentation impart genuine richness and texture to this multifaceted and textural Pinot Gris. Aromas of ripe peach, subtle nuts and wild honey give hints of the lusciousness and complexity of the palate. Powerful and balanced with lingering flavours.” Winemaker’s notes.
This wine is only made in tiny quantities so you won’t see it round much in retail, but you will find it at a handful of good restaurants like Firedoor in Surry Hill, where it’s $140 a bottle. Firedoor recently won Best Micro Wine List (fewer than 100 bottles) in the highly coveted World of Fine Wine Awards - an incredible achievement. You’ll also find the wine at Bennelong, Aria, Catalina, Quay, Boathouse Group, Icebergs, Ursula’s and Sean’s Panaroma. That’s quite a list!
If you like that textured style, which I do, then this is one of the best Australian pinot gris on the market.
I can offer it for $48 a bottle. SOLD OUT
