Pinot Gris is here to stay and the volumes out there are increasing at a rate we haven't seen since sauvignon blanc.
So it's a good thing that finally our winemakers are getting their heads around the potential of the fruit and what each region and sub-region are capable of. Finallywe're seeing crisp, clean intensity of flavour, textural elegance and, in a case proven by a six-vintage tasting of Bilancia's example, solid ability to age.
I hardly ever get to taste pinot gris that's over a year or two old, so when Lorraine Leheny from Bilancia delivered half a dozen bottles dating back to their first offering from 2004, I was excited.
If I'm honest, I was also a little doubtful - but as soon as the caps came off, I was blown away. Grown from Hawke's Bay's Black Bridge vineyard in Haumoana, the 2004 was still pale yellow, straw-coloured and had delicate aromas of moist hay, dried herbs and minerals. In the mouth it still held fresh quince and hints of honeysuckle - incredible.
The 2005 was scented with white flowers, hay and herbs and it held elegant pear characters, mealy notes and tangy minerality on the finish. Five years old and still fresh and drinkable.
The 2006 had chalky minerality on the nose and splashes of pear and yellow plum. It is slippery, elegant, multi-layered and textural, with solid length of flavour.
The 2007 is when the label changed from "grigio" to "gris", and it had soft pear and peach notes. The finish was crisp, clean and powdery. The 2008 produced exceptional peach, quince and ginger aromas followed by solid, juicy, mouth-filling weight. A ribbon of minerality ran through it, leaving a clean, dry finish.
The Bilancia Hawke's Bay Pinot Gris 2009 ($24) was perfumed with peach, pear and a lovely underlying almond-meal aroma. In the mouth, it was clean, fresh and dry with elegant minerality and gentle, textural length.
So there you go. There are those who feel even the greatest pinot gris tastes no better than Uncle Bob's bath water, but when made with care and attention by experts - including Lorraine Leheny and Warren Gibson - I think it's stunning stuff.
