Babich Headwaters Organic Pinot Gris 2019

Grape: Pinot Gris
Region: Marlborough
Vineyard: Headwaters vineyard - Wairau Valley
Recommended Food: Try with BBQ’d prosciutto wrapped scallops drizzled with mandarin infuse olive oil.
Recommended Cellaring: 0-5 years

Production Notes:
The fruit was harvested in excellent condition from our certified organic Headwaters Vineyard near Renwick in Marlborough’s Wairau Valley. The grapes were crushed and after 12 hours of skin contact, pressed. Fermentation was by a combination of wild and commercial yeast strains followed by malolactic fermentation. After six months on lees the wine was fined and bottled. Deeply coloured small berries have resulted in the unique rose-gold appearance of this wine.

Technical Notes:
Alcohol: 13.5%
TA: 5.2g/L
pH: 3.31
Residual Sugar: Dry

Tasting Notes:
White florals over mineral apple aromatic notes with a touch of mace and citrus.

Structured and solid upon entry and displaying ginger and darker spices with lemon and ripe apple lingering. A suggestion of cinnamon on the finish. Complex and intriguing.

Alcohol:13.3

Clonal Selection:GM 2/5

Fermentation:Wild/indigenous yeast at relatively warm temperature.

Fermentation Vessel:Tank and (older) oak casks.

Filtration:0.45 µm

Fining:Pea protein and yeast cell walls.

Grape:Pinot Gris

Harvest Analysis:21.6 °Brix; 3.37 pH; TA 6.4 g/L

Harvest Dates:13th March 2019

Harvest Method:Machine

Malolactic:100%

Maturation:The tank portion was transferred with lees to old oak cask. Six months with stirring to assimilate malolactic characters.

pH:3.31

Processing:12 hours skin contact, then pressed and clarified.

Residual Sugar:0.9g/L

TA:5.2g/L

Vineyard:Headwaters Vineyard - Wairau Valley

Year:2019

REVIEWS (for previous vintage)

“Varietal enticing bouquet of Gris with apple, pear and white fleshed fruits.  A soft white pepper layer and light lees and ginger note. Crisp and fruity with flavours that reflect the nose plus a touch of lemon and barley sugar. A dryish finish with flavours transitioning through white fleshed fruits into citrus and a hint of mineral.”
90 POINTS
-Cameron Douglas MS, The Shout, Aug 2018 issue

4 STARS – Cuisine Magazine, Feb 2019