2022 Pinot Gris

Tim Adams has long been a mainstay of Aussie Gris, and this is as accurate and delightful as it comes. Pure pear and rose water in a succulent, spicy fleshy style that exemplifies Gris. The bright acidity of this cool season, a glint of residual sweetness and uber-fine tuned  phenolic texture are masterfully united on a long and friendly finish.

Needless to say, the 2021 vintage in the Clare Valley is proving special for more than just riesling. We are seeing some very fine pinot gris, few with more flavour than this example. Harvested from dry-grown selected sites, the grapes were crushed, chilled (5°C), pressed, with the pressings separated, then a two-week fermentation.

What is immediately notable is the colour. There has been no attempt to moderate pinot gris’s typical hues – a gentle bronze/gold blended with rose petals. The lifted aromatics include the variety’s typical crisp pear notes, but they are merged with florals, mineral undertones and stonefruit. This is no shrinking violet, but exudes flavour from start to finish. There is a lovely supple texture, with good acidity throughout, and the intensity is maintained right through the lengthy finish. The flavours of the palate move more to stewed pears. Excellent value.

Clare Valley pinot gris, complete with Winefront Approved ‘pink tinge’.

No problems here. Good wine. Soft and easy to enjoy but with good fruit intensity. It doesn’t overdo anything but it does have that extra kick of flavour. Buy. Enjoy.

Light straw-yellow colour. Fresh pears and lime juice aromas. A solid core of bright fruit and a good crunch of acidity to balance it. Good length and drive to the finish.

I have also chosen a neat little pinot gris from Clare Valley’s Tim Adams. Now, as a general rule, I’m not a huge fan of this variety, especially the fuller, generous styles, which tend to be rather hot, but this one manages the fine balance between generosity and a refreshing, linear restraint.

Adams has been making pinot gris for a while. The feature I most like is that while it has the generosity and richness of the style, it also retains a refined restraint and linear feel on the palate, thanks to the acid and lemony citrus tang. Nice mix of pear and lychee with a little apple crumble.

A great example of an almost dictionary definition of Pinot Gris, strong in the suit of pear juice, stone fruits, sweet citrus characters with slippery texture and some concentration on show. Feels fresh, super drinkable, quietly complex with some faint cashew nut savouriness underlying the more overt fruit characters. Very good, and great drinking, more importantly.