2024 Crittenden Peninsula Pinot Gris, Mornington Peninsula

Light yellow colour, bright in the glass. Shy, subtle and fresh aromas of peach and honeydew melon. The wine is again fresh and delicate, bright and lively on the tongue with notes of pencil shavings and lightly toasted nuts suggesting some barrel involvement. Clean, dry, refreshing and long on the palate. It has more fruit intensity and texture than most gris. Drink 2025 to 2031.

92 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, January 2025

Crittenden was established in Dromana in 1982 by Garry Crittenden — at a time when planting those first vines effectively doubled the total vineyard area on the Mornington Peninsula. His son Rollo returned home after years making wine abroad and now leads the winemaking, bringing a broader perspective to a place he knows intimately. The Dromana vineyard is farmed sustainably without synthetic inputs, with a focus on building natural resilience in the vines over time.

The Peninsula Pinot Gris draws from grower vineyards at Mount Eliza and Balnarring. Hand harvested in mid-February and whole bunch pressed directly to recently used French oak barriques for wild yeast fermentation. No malolactic conversion, keeping the acidity vivid and the fruit fresh, then nine months on gross lees to build texture and complexity before blending and bottling.

Restrained and almost delicate on the nose: musk, ginger spice and a hint of honeycomb, with baked pear sitting just underneath. The palate is textural and layered with more weight than first impressions suggest: nashi pear, lemon, honeydew and a subtle toasted nut character from the lees. The finish is fresh and dry, carried by a clean line of acidity.

Good value and good company at the table. Try pork and fennel sausages with braised lentils, home-made fish cakes or miso-glazed chicken thighs with steamed rice. The wine's gentle spice and textural generosity sit comfortably across all three.

This wine is vegan friendly. Drink now through 2027.