2023 Valli Vineyards Waitaki Pinot Gris, Central Otago

The 2023 Waitaki Vineyard Pinot Gris is incredibly fresh on the nose and leads with pear drop and green apple skins, white pepper and sourdough crust. In the mouth, the wine is creamy, nutty and silky; it unfurls rather than “lands’ in the mouth, and the fine acidity spools through the finish. Good wine,13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Waitaki is the coolest subregion in New Zealand. Partially barrel fermented (48%), the barrel component went through malolactic fermentation, and the wine matured for about six months in neutral oak.

93 Points, Erin Larkin – The Wine Advocate

A pale golden hue with aromas of pear blossom, nashi pear, lemon, cream soda, and sea salt. The palate is complex and layered with flavours of crunchy pear, lemon zest, lime juice, and green apple; complementing a finely textured palate with great flow and salivating acidity. This sophisticated young wine is both charming and intense. It aptly captures the ethereal nature of the Waitaki and has great ageing potential. This Pinot Gris is engaging on its own but shows real magic when paired with delicious cuisine.

Winemaker Jen Parr 15th November 2023 

New Zealand’s newest and most exciting wine growing region, with the first commercial vintage being in 2004. Like Burgundy, the soils are limestone based. These soils lend an incredible ethereal nature to the wines, which are highlighted by perfume and minerality. Slightly cooler than Central Otago, the Waitaki Valley should not be cropped as heavily, and therefore Valli’s Waitaki Vineyard is close planted at 5000 vines per hectare with early ripening clones from Dijon and Pommard.