Home Winners > Winners 2019 > NEW WORLD: Pinot Gris

Winner Details

New World: Pinot Gris

2019 Gold 2       Silver 3                Bronze 1              Commended 4
2018 Gold 2       Silver 5                Bronze 2              Commended 8

Rather like Riesling, this category is often a straight shoot-out between Australia and New Zealand. But whereas the Aussies are winning the Riesling battle hands down, on this evidence Pinot Gris is being shaded by the Kiwis. Just.

The majority of the wines here were ‘Gris’ rather than ‘Grigio’ in style, richer, plusher and more textured, though the well-priced Jarrah Wood Pinot Grigio impressed our judges sufficiently for it to pick up a place on the Gold List.

All in all, a pretty good category, with several tasters pointing out the food-friendliness of this style, for Asian food in particular. Let’s get more of them in next year, maybe from other parts of the world. Our tasters are receptive – particularly around the £12 price point.

FROM THE TASTING TEAMS

‘These seemed to fall off a bit as they got more expensive, and some screamed “Sauvignon Blanc”, almost as if they had put in some magic Sauvignon Blanc yeasts. Ideally, you’re looking for peach and apricot notes, with a spicy, lifted character, and we did find some of these, too.’ Nigel Lister, team leader

‘There was a really diverse array of styles and price points here, and high quality winemaking in general. I’m biased towards leaner, citric styles, but there were other styles that were commercially valid here, too.’ Tim Smith, CuVée VIII

‘There was a wide range of styles here, but ultimately these were good wines, and food-friendly, especially for Asian restaurants.’ Olivier Gasselin, Hakkasan

Award winners

Found 10 wines

New World: Pinot Gris

Jarrah Wood, Pinot Grigio 2015, South Eastern Australia, Australia

Gold medal winner

Awarding a Gold medal, team leader Andres Ituarte suggested this ‘would be perfect for prawns and oysters’. Nut Tree Inn’s Sarah McKenzie thought ‘mango and papaya salad with a hint of chilli’ would make a good match, while team leader Nigel Lister suggested its great value would make it an ideal wine to be poured by the glass and praised its ‘Gala melon nose and very juicy, ripe stone fruit palate’. For Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group, the ‘grapefruit and ripe nectarine flavours’ were balanced with ‘a nice mineral note and a suprisingly long finish’.

£6.25 LWC Drinks Ltd (Merchant and Shippers)

Peregrine Wines, Pinot Gris 2017, Central Otago, New Zealand

Gold medal winner

Awarding this zesty, fresh and versatile wine a Gold medal, team leader Nigel Lister admired its ‘floral, spicy, citrussy nose’, finding it ‘very elegant with lovely ripe fruit – it’s both refreshing and textured; it’s very good’. Olivier Gasselin of Hakkasan described it as ‘bright and perfumed, with kumquat, orange and grapefruit’, adding: ‘The palate is zesty, fresh and oily and it’s incisive, with a fine, juicy finish.’ ‘It reminds me of a spring day!’ said Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group, ‘it’s so very floral with fresh herbs, elderflower and apples.’ ‘Would be a great match for brill with fennel,’ suggested Nelio Pinto of Candlesticks.

£15.98 Enotria&Coe

Ceres, Swansong, Pinot Gris 2018, Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand

Silver medal winner

Team leader Nigel Lister described a ‘pithy, grapefruit aroma with honeyed notes to soften. There’s a touch of grapefruit bitterness across the palate and a touch of saffron; overall though the feel is one of elegance.’

£15.82 Matthew Clark

Zonte's Footstep, Shades Of Gris 2018, Adelaide Hills, South Australia, Australia

Silver medal winner

Team leader Nigel Lister described a ‘peach and apricot nose’ and a ‘juicy, fleshy, well-balanced palate with bright citrus acidity’, and thought it was ‘good value’. For Michael Harrison of CuVée VIII it had a ‘bon bon anglais nose and simple, balanced fruity palate’, while Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group picked up ‘tomato leaf and capsicum’ and thought it was ‘fresh and vibrant’.

£7.00 Zonte's Footstep

Urlar, Pinot Gris 2016, Wairarapa, New Zealand

Silver medal winner

Michael Harrison of CuVée VIII described a ‘pearlescent, pale gold colour with a honeysuckle nose; there are candied fruits with good length and a textured mouthfeel’. ‘Floral and honeyed with notes of peach and apricot,’ added Chiara Sieni of Bottles Group.

£11.89 Enotria&Coe

Babich, Pinot Gris 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

Bronze medal winner

Michael Harrison of CuVée VIII noted a ‘modern style, with cool fermentation, an aromatic, sherbet lemon nose and a lovely texture across the palate, a touch of oak, and with good acidity to maintain freshness’.

£9.73 Babich Wines Ltd

A To Z Wineworks, Pinot Gris 2017, Oregon, USA

Commended medal winner

£14.05 Bibendum

Mount Langi Ghiran, Billi Billi, Pinot Grigio 2017, Victoria, Australia

Commended medal winner

£9.32 Bibendum

Elk Cove Vineyards, Pinot Gris 2017, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA

Commended medal winner

£11.00 Amathus

Lanchester Wines, Vintrigue, Pinot Gris 2016, Victoria, Australia

Commended medal winner