Perhaps no wine serves as the ambassador of the Oregon wine industry more than King Estate’s flagship Pinot Gris. This vintage marked the 25th anniversary of the Ed King III scouting out the land for his future winery, and the winemaking tandem of Spencer Spetnagel and Brent Stone make this predictably delicious. King Estate grapes form 56% of the blend, and 100% of the wine spent four months on the lees to build mouth feel. Engagement begins with aromas of honeydew melon, Red Delicious apple and peach taffy, followed by orchard fruit flavors of white peach, Asian pear and a strong burst of lemony citrus that keeps this Pinot Gris fruity yet far from sweet (0.4% residual sugar). A bit of dried apricot in the finish makes it an easy pairing with seafood, which helps explain why much of this wine is sold in Florida. Back at the Eugene estate, they offer this recipe for Yukon Potato Gnocchi with Spiced Pumpkin & Dark Raisin.
Rating: Outstanding!
Production: 98,000 cases
Alcohol: 13.5%
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