Pinot Gris | 100.0% |
Alcohol | 12.9% |
The most widely grown white grape in the Okanagan, Pinot Gris really excels on the Naramata Bench. Our estate Pinot Gris is grown on the upper, western facing slope of our property and benefits from the maximum sun exposure and excellent drainage of the hillside.
The 2015 season in the Okanagan Valley can be summed up in one word — fantastic. An early spring start provided the necessities for superior vine growth. July and August were very sunny and hot leading to good sugar development within the grapes and much earlier ripening than normal. We began our earliest harvest on record, on August 22, and by the end of September completed the bulk of our grape picking. September was similarly, warm and sunny with slightly cooler nights allowing for continued phenolic ripening. A harvest for the record books, was finished at our earliest date ever, October 8.
Considered by many to be the Okanagan’s signature white grape varietal, this Pinot Gris is comprised of grapes from two fantastic sites, Sperling Vineyards and our Naramata Bench estate. The Sperling grapes from the pioneering Sperling family’s 35 year old vines in east Kelowna contribute a pleasing minerality and slight grippiness to the wine. While our Naramata Bench estate fruit delivers a beautiful ripe, richness and wonderful slight oily texture. The wine was 100% stainless steel fermented to retain the fresh fruit characters the varietal is renown for. The juice was cool fermented in tanks at 12°C for 5 weeks, which also helps to retain the wine’s juicy fruit-forward character and bright crispness.