Pinot Gris

Soil:

Gravel, sand and south-facing clay and limestone land.

Vinification:

The juice is extracted with infinite care in our air-bag press. The slow, gentle pressing avoids crushing the stalks and pips.
The must starts fermenting of its own accord thanks to the natural yeast present in the juice, and the fermentation generally lasts from 4 to 10 weeks. It is carried out in stainless-steel vats equipped with temperature control, a medium which maximises the expression of this variety's aromas.

Elevage:

Once the fermentation is finished, the wine has to be matured. This stage is essential, in order to fix its structure and aromas.
As the wine matures, the tiny particules in suspension gradually sink to the bottom of the vat and form a deposit, which contributes richness.

Tasting notes:

Color:  veryclear, brilliant, pale yellow. 

Nose: closed, some white flowers and peaches. 

Palate: melange of flowers sandstone fruits , butter biscuit,  good structured mid-palate, citrus, fresh apricots . 

Long and mineral. 

Unusual dry Pinot Gris , low yield and long after taste 

Tasted June 2012

When & with what:

Pairs nicely with seafood, light pastas and cheese cracker combinations. Since this wine is fairly acidic itself, avoid pairing with foods that have high acid contents, like citrus fruits or tomato-based recipes. 

Try  steamed  or spicy dishes, tandoori, curry, also dishes prepared with yoghurt. 9-10°C._

And why not surprise yourself? Temper the ardent youthfulness of this wine with  soft cheses : some Carré de l’Est, Feuille de Dreux or medium-matured Brie.

•        BBQ or spicy chicken wings, crab cakes, foie gras, smoked shellfish, smoked salmon or trout, cold cuts and proscuitto with melons or fruits

•        Gorgonzola, Maytag, Blue Cheeses, cottage, cream cheese, Asiago, Parmesan, Reggiano, Mozzarella, Mild Cheddar, Fontina, Gouda, Jarlsberg, Swiss, Brie, Camembert and other soft rind cheeses

•        Omelets, cheese soufflé’, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon

•        New England clam chowder, French onion soup, oyster stew, seafood bisque or chowder and vichyssoise

•        Chef’s salad, chicken salad, Chinese chicken salad, crab or shrimp louis, lobster salad, pasta salad, potato salad 

or Waldorf

•        Grilled or sautéed abalone, fried calamari, clams steamed, boiled or in a cream or white wine sauce, crab, lobster grilled, steamed or boiled, lobster Newberg or Thermidor, mussels steamed or in white wine sauce, oysters poached or grilled on the half-shell, Oysters Rockefeller, shrimp fried or grilled, scallops fried or grilled and deep-fried soft-shell crab

•        Halibut grilled, sautéed or in butter/cream sauce, mahi mahi and red snapper grilled or sautéed, grilled or roasted monkfish, baked, deep-fried or sautéed rock cod, salmon grilled, sautéed or smoked, salmon carpaccio, grilled shark or swordfish, sole grilled, sautéed, in lemon sauce or in butter/cream sauce, grilled, sautéed or smoked trout, tuna pan-seared, sashimi and Tuna carpaccio

•        Chicken in butter/cream sauce or white wine sauce, grilled or sautéed chicken liver, chicken pot pie, satay, teriyaki, chicken baked, barbecued, broiled, roasted or fried, roasted game hen, Cornish hen, quail or goose, turkey and rabbit.

•Baked ham, grilled or sautéed pork chops, barbecued pork ribs, pork roast plain or with applesauce, pork tenderloin, grilled, roasted or sautéed veal chops, veal marsala or scallopine.

Avocado, glazed carrots, creamed spinach, acorn or butternut squash, mashed or pureed sweet potatoes and tofu

Here is a list of food items that pair particularly well with our wine of the month, Pinot Grigio/Gris.  This list was provided by Harvey Steiman from Wine Spectator.

Delicately boiled white fish or fish prepared in light sauces, such as lemon butter.

Shellfish like scallops, clams, mussels or raw oysters.  Also shrimp with any Thai or spicy Asian sauces.

Pasta in light wine sauce like lemon-flavored olive oil or spicy Asian noodles. Caesar or green salads with light to medium

dressings. Raw, crisp or steamed vegetable dishes. Clam chowder.

Scale of Swetness perception : 

This scale is subjective, it depends on your perception of sugar and acidity. Each one sweetens its coffee differently, each one will have another perception of sweetness and acidity .The sugar perception is very personal.Our engagement by this scale is the result of the perception of sucrosity by a tasting. These indications are given for one period from three years. After this time, the perception of the sucrosity can evolve/move.

Position 4/10 : pinots gris et gewurztraminers jeunes avec un peu de gras d'année froide, pinot auxerrois jeune, d'année chaude.