2024 Quealy Balnarring Pinot Grigio, Mornington Peninsula

“The burst of pure fruit sets the scene here. Nashi pear, green melon, a note of gold kiwi and green grapefruit finish. White almonds and river stones plus mint. Very clean threads of flavour, intense and long, yet light and fresh. There’s a textural element here and a spicy white pepper note to finish. So very well made.”

94 points, Kasia Sobiesiak, The Wine Front

“Fruit off two Balnarring sites managed by Quealy for more than 10 years. Well, this comes up a treat. A refreshing, lively style but with substance. It's a display of poached and fresh pears, crunchy nashi, too, with some Japanese pickled ginger and quince paste. There’s a certain spicy exotica within that’s tantalising and the light spray of creamy lees matches to the fine acidity on the finish. Nice one.”

94 points, Jane Faulkner, The Wine Companion

Bright, light yellow hue; bright and fragrant, with fresh yeastiness overlying a whiff of gardenia. Delicious flavour, lots of fruit as well as the faintest impression of sweetness, all harmonious and charming on the farewell. 22 Nov 2024 Drink 2024–2029

92 points Huon Hooke therealreview.com

This year’s Balnarring Pinot Grigio is drawn from the Hester and Campbell & Christine vineyards. Both sites are organically managed and lie less than three kilometres from the winery, where the fruit arrives within an hour of picking. The grapes were picked by hand on 14th and 15th March and pressed as bunches. The Quealy team use only the most delicate portion of the press cycle, meaning the juice yield per tonne tends to be extremely low. The juice is left to settle overnight without sulphuring. In the morning, the wine is racked off its gross lees and left to begin spontaneous fermentation in stainless steel. After primary fermentation, malolactic conversion ensues before naturally stopping due to the winter temperatures. The wine is sulphured and bottled unfiltered.

As has been the case for a few years now, the 2024 season was marked by poor flowering and low yields of intensely concentrated, healthy fruit. It’s a wonderfully perfumed release, just teeming with apples, pears, blossoms and delicate spice. The texture is spot-on, too: tension, svelte phenolic grip and juicy, crunchy fruit all working in harmony.