2021 Quealy Musk Creek Pinot Gris, Mornington Peninsula
A$32.26
Availability:
Out of stock
SKU
B20192V21
Medium to full yellow colour, more evolved than its peers, with a rich, open-knit bouquet of peach and pear that also seems up-front and welcoming. A hint of cashew nut. There could also be a touch of barrel ferment adding to the mouth-feel as well as the colour and complexity. A full-flavoured gris with richness bordering on opulence, totally satisfying and long-lasting.
95 points Huon Hooke therealreview.com
If you ask Tom McCarthy to describe the difference between Pinot Grigio and Gris, he'll tell you Quealy’s single-vineyard Pinot Gris comes from vineyards that are higher in altitude. This means the grapes need to be left on the vine to ripen into late Autumn, and they therefore produce wines that are heady and richer in body. The Grigio on the other hand comes from the warmer Balnarring sites where the fruit is picked earlier and produces racier wines.This is 100% estate Mornington Pinot Gris sourced from basalt-derived volcanic soils in the Musk Creek Vineyard. This site enjoys cooler conditions and ripens later than Tussie Mussie. It’s perched at 180-210 metres altitude atop Main Ridge. Here it overlooks Westernport Bay and the heads, and the persistent, cooling breeze from Bass Strait ensures the fruit maintains freshness. The site produces bunches of tiny, pink berries with excellent acidity—the result is a deeper, spicier, more complex and mineral Gris. Planted in 1997, the vines are dry-grown, and the fruit is always hand-harvested.
The ‘Alsatian-style’ press cycle is a long process. Whole bunches are loaded into the press and gently extracted over 12 hours to capture only the most delicate phenolics. The juice was then racked, and half fermented (wild) in stainless steel while the rest went to French oak for structure and complexity. There was no bâtonnage.
It’s immediately clear this outfit really knows its Pinot Gris. Pulpy and pithy flavours of orange blossom and savoury lees surround a dense core of quality fruit, with a measured 13.8% alcohol seamlessly integrated into the wine’s complex and detailed character. Grip and tongue-hugging texture abound, all mopped up with a mouth-watering, grapefruit-laden finish. All class.
| Product/Service Sold Out | Yes |
|---|---|
| En Primeur | No |
| New Arrivals | No |
| Wine Type | White Wine |
| Wine Style | Organic/Biodynamic |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Mornington Peninsula |
| Varietals | Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio/Grauer Burgunder |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Wine Points | 95 |
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