2022 Montinore Estate Pinot Gris, Willamette Oregon

This is a snappy Pinot Gris where the aromas and flavors of fresh hay and Granny Smith apples will put you in the mood for a barn dance. The brisk palate shows off flavors like spicy ginger, toasted filberts, mineral water and cedar. This will make a great house white to keep cold in the refrigerator.

90 points Michael Alberty wineenthusiast.com

After Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley’s second most widely planted variety is Pinot Gris (although Chardonnay is now on the march)! While some are pulling out Gris vines to replant to the more profitable Chardonnay, Montinore is doubling down—and with good reason. The combination of cool seasons and Laurelwood soils in the Tualatin Hills results in a style unique to Willamette Valley.
 
Montinore farms seven blocks of Pinot Gris, with an average age of 30 years. The vines are dispersed throughout the property, giving winemaker Stephen Webber a palette of flavours and structures to work with when piecing together the final blend. The wine fermented in stainless steel and was raised on its lees, undisturbed, for eight months.
 
The 2022 is a beautifully fresh and vibrant Gris, balancing intense pear, stone fruit and spice flavours with brisk acidity, ample fleshy weight and a bright, mineral-flecked finish. Fantastic on its own, this will shine all the brighter with the right food. Crispy skinned salmon or butter-basted roast chicken spring to mind—your call.