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1999 Pinot Gris

From: The Insiders' Wine Line, Volume 4, Number 4

King Estate, Oregon
The 1999 Pinot Gris, Oregon has a bouquet of pear, nectarine, citrus, almond skin and apple with floral highlights. The flavors of peaches, pears, citrus and spice are balanced with good texture followed by a fruity, crisp finish. (88) $15
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From: Tastings, Harvest 2001

Score: 87

Pinot Gris, Oregon 1999 $15
Bright straw hue, Honeyed melon and cream nose. A crisp entry leads to a medium-bodied palate with fresh acidity. Clean and pure. Drink now.
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From: Wine Press Northwest, Summer 2001

Pinot Gris, King Estate 1999, Oregon
Tropical and citrus fruit aromas lead to fresh, tart grapefruit flavors. Smooth and rich with a hint of oak richness. $15.
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From: Food & Wine, June 2001
Text by: Tim Fish

Obscurity is a curious thing. It breeds obsession. How else do you explain a wine like Pinot Gris? Although you’ll be lucky to find a bottle or two of this white on the shelves of a local wine shop, a passionate few continue to make it and buy it. In fact, its popularity may even be growing –albeit on a modest scale.

The appeal of Pinot Gris is obvious when you taste it. And if you prefer descriptions reduced to a sound bite, here goes: It can have the richness of a Chardonnay and the crisp acidity of a Sauvignon Blanc. Its aromas suggest honeyed peach and other stone fruits, and its flavors include notes of citrus and pear. Although Pinot Gris is at its best in the Alsace region of France, it’s made around the world and sometimes under other names. The Italians, for example, call it Pinot Grigio. California makes it too, although it’s more at home in Oregon, where the wines have a beauty and vibrancy that can’t be ignored (and value prices that can’t be ignored, either). Oregon Pinot Gris also avoids a pitfall common to the Alsace wine: a tendency to be overly sweet. Finally, if you’re planning to serve a meal with Pinot Gris, keep it simple. You don’t want to overwhelm the wine. In Alsace, for example, chefs love it with pork and apples, sausages or delicate white fish.

5 GREAT PINOT GRIS

1999 Cristom Vineyards ($13)
A pretty, delicate wine, marked by aromas of apricot and honeysuckle. Give it a chance and it will charm you.

1999 Elk Cove Vineyards ($15)
One of the finest of the Oregon Pinot Gris, this vibrant, exciting wine has a lovely aroma of spice, anise and citrus.

1999 King Estate ($15)
A seamless balance of vigorous acidity with creamy texture. Its aromas are of peach and lemon; its lush flavors recall honeydew and pear.

1998 Zind Hubrecht Clos Winsbuhl ($53)
With its lovely aroma of lilacs, fresh grass and allspice, this wine fools you into thinking it’s lighter than it is. The finish is actually quite full-bodied. (Also worth noting is this producer’s rich, luxurious 1998 Heimbourg Pinot Gris.)

1998 Trimbach Reserve ($16)
What a bargain! It has some of the same power and depth as the Zind Humbrecht wines but at one-third the price. The nose is incredible, with tons of Christmas cake spice, honey and peach. Hints at sweetness; finishes dry.
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From: Northwest Palate, May/June 2001

www.nwpalate.com

New Release Wine Reviews
Recommended

King Estate
1999 Pinot Gris, OR $15
Melon fruit with a note of vanillin spice. Juicy on the palate, with sweet, ripe apple flavors. Mouth filling with a long fruit finish; try with green curry chicken.
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From: The Wine Iconoclast, March 2001 issue

King Estate 1999 Oregon Pinot Gris — $15
Bright fresh citrus, lemon aromas, a lean, steely hard structure, with apple, lemon flavors, hint of peach, anise. A delight, from tip of tongue to back of throat.
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From: Wine & Spirits, February 2001

King Estate 1999 Oregon $14
When you get tired of shelling out for big buttery chardonnay, there are some other great wines grown on the West Coast that prevent both palate and wallet fatigue. One of our favorite’s is King Estate’s Pinot Gris. Up in Oregon in the cool breezes off the Pacific Ocean, pinot gris ripens to a soft, broad marzipan smoothness, the acidity present but only as a low spicy purr. It’s not a brazen wine but it’s mercy, with a texture that would complement grilled octopus or geoduck clam sashimi.
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