2025 Charteris Le Fauve Pinot Gris, Orange

Astute picking decisions and insightful winemaking allow the fruit and acidity to speak as one, creating a harmonious, aperitif-style pinot gris that carries itself with confidence. Sourced from a single vineyard at 900m elevation, it offers purity, fragrance and freshness. Gentle poached pear flavours and custard apple, with a whisper of clotted cream, all wrapped around a cleansing core of lemon. It is long, gently textural and ultimately satisfying. And all for $35. A steal! Drink to 2028.

95 points Special Value Toni Paterson for Halliday Wine Companion

Pale appearance with the faintest tint of straw to rose-gold; there are ripe red apple, rolled pastry and rose-petal aromas, with a touch of lychee-like spiciness and even a whiff of honey. The palate opens with stone fruit and a hint of sweetness, and there's decent amplitude of palate weight and flavour depth. A good gris style and very attractive drinking. Drink to 2032.

92 points Huon Hooke for The Real Review, September 2026

Charteris Wines is the personal project of acclaimed winemaker PJ Charteris, whose career has taken him from some of Australia’s leading cellars to crafting small-batch wines under his own label. Le Fauve Pinot Gris comes from the cool, elevated vineyards of Orange in New South Wales, where altitude, crisp nights and volcanic-influenced soils give the variety the freshness and shape needed to balance its naturally generous texture. The name Le Fauve — “the wild one” — gives you a fair clue that this isn’t intended to be anonymous Pinot Gris.

The 2025 vintage brings bright aromatics and beautifully juicy fruit, with Orange’s elevation preserving natural acidity through the growing season. Charteris leans into the more textural Gris expression rather than chasing a simple, neutral Grigio style, giving the wine plenty of personality while keeping it lively and refreshing.

Pale straw with a subtle copper blush, the nose opens with nashi pear, white peach and fresh apple, followed by honeysuckle, mandarin peel and a little ginger. The palate is juicy and gently slippery, with ripe pear and stone fruit balanced by citrus acidity and a delicate phenolic grip. Hints of pear skin, fresh almond and spice add savoury interest before a clean, mouthwatering finish.

Try it with salt-and-pepper squid, Vietnamese chicken salad with mint and chilli, pork dumplings, grilled prawns with ginger and lime or a bubbling Gruyère and leek tart. I’d go straight for the dumplings — that combination of juicy pork, soy, ginger and the wine’s pear-and-spice character should be dangerously easy to demolish.

Drink now to 2030.