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Pinot Gris: Bring on the zingy freshness

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As it does in Italy, France and the rest of the New World, Pinot Gris from Oregon has taken on a variety of styles, ranging from lean to rich. Like Chardonnay, Gris’ flavor profile is fairly narrow, usually falling within the spectrum of pear and apple, often accented with a pleasing leesy scent associated with extended contact with yeast solids (with an aromatic range from, say, freshly baked bread to wheat biscuits). Unlike Chardonnay, it is rarely aged in oak, so its calling cards are freshness and vibrancy. The best ones seem to course with energy -- a sensation brought on by rippling acidity.

2006 King Estate Willamette Valley Signature Pinot Gris. A fresh, youthful wine with scents of zingy white peach and passion fruit. Flavors are minerally and dry, with notes of tangerine and orange oil, and a vibrant, mildly spicy note on the finish. About $15 at Wine Exchange in Orange, (714) 974-1454, www.winex.com; and Manhattan Fine Wines, Manhattan Beach, (310) 374-3454, manhattanfinewines.com.

2006 King Estate Willamette Valley Domaine Pinot Gris. Composed of 100% organic estate fruit, this wine is soft and diffident at first, with whispers of white peach and apricot blossom. The flavors are more about pear, with a creamy, yeasty note on the finish marked by a citrus oil flavor that gives the wine a bit of elegance. About $22 at Bristol Farms, West Hollywood, (310) 248-2804, and other locations, www.bristolfarms.com; Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, (949) 650-8463, www.hitimewine.net; and Bevmo, West Hollywood, (323) 882-6971, www.bevmo.com.

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2006 Elk Cove Willamette Valley Pinot Gris. A tightly wound wine at first with scents of biscuits and golden apple. The palate is ripe and pearlike, with a beautifully fresh, creamy texture marked by a fine, talc-like minerality. About $16 at Wally’s Wine & Spirits in L.A., (310) 475-0606, www.wallywine.com; Red Carpet Wine Merchants, 400 E. Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale, (800) 339-0609, www.redcarpetwine.com; and Hi-Time Wine Cellars; and Manhattan Fine Wines.

2006 Chehalem Willamette Valley Pinot Gris. A ripe wine that leads with apple pie aromas, even a note of vanilla. It’s a mouthful, but there’s a lovely breadth to it, and a hint of herb, like celery leaf, that gives lift and complexity. About $16 at K&L Wine Merchants, Hollywood, (323) 464-9463, www.klwines.com; Wine Exchange; and Hi-Time Wine Cellars.

2006 Ponzi Willamette Valley Pinot Gris. This zippy wine’s aromas of fresh-cut apple slices has a brisk sea-air lift. The feel in the mouth is full and luxurious, however, with an unexpected amplitude and breadth that’s shored up by good acidity. About $16 at Bevmo locations, Wally’s and Hi-Time Wine Cellars.

2006 Willakenzie Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Gris. This wine has a pure leesy scent, of hulled wheat and rich pear fruit. The fruit carries over to the flavors; it’s rich to be sure but contained by a mild, silky tang of acidity. Widely available, about $18, including at John & Pete’s Fine Wines & Spirits in West Hollywood, (310) 657-3080, www.johnandpetes.com; and Vendome Liquors, Toluca Lake, (818) 766-9593.

-- Patrick Comiskey

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