New World: Pinot Gris
2016 Gold: 3 Silver: 0 Bronze: 4 Commended: 4
2015 Gold: 1 Silver: 1 Bronze: 3 Commended: 4
Slowly but surely, the New World is starting to get a handle on Pinot Gris. Over half of the Varietal Classic Pinot Grigios (in the Essentials section of the competition) were non-European and this was the variety’s best performance to date here as well.
Three places on the Gold List was a good effort – and it was interesting to see that our tasters didn’t seem over-fazed by the pricing. Quality and balance, it seems, are more important than necessarily being able to hit a price point. Presumably, if the public want a bottle of The Gridge, they’re prepared to pay for it.
We might have expected New Zealand to do well here – for many commentators it’s been the most promising white grape after Sauvignon and Chardonnay for a while, and with two Golds and a Bronze the producers certainly seem to understand it better than Riesling.
But Australia’s performance was a pleasant surprise. There’s been the occasional medal with this grape down the years for the Aussies, but a first-ever Gold and two more to back it up meant that we should perhaps expect a bit more from the country down the years with PG.
FROM THE TASTING TEAMS
‘Most were in an Alsace style, or taking it in that direction. There was richness and ripeness of fruit with a little bit of residual sugar. It’s quite a crowd-pleasing style.’ Natasha Hughes MW, team leader
‘I think it’s the first flight that we’ve all agreed on.’ Luciana Girotto Beckett, consultant
‘It would be nice to see a few dry ones, but on the whole they were well balanced. The ones with a bit more sweetness work well with a soft cheese.’ Charlie Young, Vinoteca
‘Coming from my St John background, roast pork and Pinot Gris would be perfect. They have the weight to cope.’ Jade Koch, team leader
“These were better value than Alsace.” Georgi Mihov, Bohemia Bar and Restaurant