Cloudy Bay
Pinot Gris
Background
Cloudy Bay Pinot Gris began life as a handful of vine cuttings sourced from a French nursery in the mid-1990's. The cuttings were painstakingly propagated by the Cloudy Bay nursery crew, and gradually planted out over three years at the winery's Mustang Vineyard.
Impatient winemakers stood by, eagerly awaiting the first crop, which was harvested in 2004 and yielded a mere barrel of wine. In the intervening years, tiny volumes of fruit were harvested from the Mustang Vineyard and the vineyard of a local grower, allowing the winemaking team to tinker with techniques and wine style.
Several experimental wines followed before the 2006 vintage was 'officially' released through the cellar door in 2007. The style is best described as a true expression of the variety with aromas of pear and mandarin, abundant flavour and texture, and a touch of residual sweetness.
