{"product_id":"elk-cove-pinot-gris-2019-750ml","title":"Elk Cove - Pinot Gris 2023 (750ml)","description":"\u003cp\u003eVINEYARD: Our Pinot Gris is hand-harvested from our hillside vineyards in the northern\u003cbr\u003eWillamete Valley. Pinot Gris has long been a focus at Elk Cove - our Winery Estate\u003cbr\u003eVineyard boasts some of the oldest Pinot Gris vines in Oregon, dating back to 1985. Three\u003cbr\u003eof our other estate vineyard sites are also planted with Pinot Gris, including 50 acres on\u003cbr\u003esteep sloped Mount Richmond Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA. Planted in a high-\u003cbr\u003edensity format, all our Pinot Gris undergoes shoot and crop thinning for low yields to\u003cbr\u003emaximize quality and concentration.\u003cbr\u003eWINEMAKING: The Willamette Valley has the perfect climate for this delicate cool\u003cbr\u003eweather white wine. We have enough sunlight and warmth for ripening, but our cool\u003cbr\u003eevenings help retain varietal character and prevent over-ripening. We whole-cluster press\u003cbr\u003eour pinot gris grapes, then ferment the juice at very cool temperatures in small stainless\u003cbr\u003esteel tanks. This gentle treatment protects the aromatic qualities and enhances the natural\u003cbr\u003erichness of the Pinot Gris grapes, creating our most popular white wine.\u003cbr\u003e2023 Pinot Gris\u003cbr\u003eVITICULTURE \u0026amp; ENOLOGY:\u003cbr\u003eVine Age: 8-50\u003cbr\u003eHarvest Sugars: 23\u003cbr\u003eVatting: Whole-cluster pressed and cold\u003cbr\u003efermented in small stainless steel tanks.\u003cbr\u003eAlc: 13.5% v\/v\u003cbr\u003eBottled: March 2024\u003cbr\u003eCases Produced: 16,100\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eVINTAGE 2023 required experience and patience that was rewarded with essential hang-\u003cbr\u003etime and ripening.\u003cbr\u003eThe growing season started cool, then May sunshine brought an average bloom in mid-\u003cbr\u003eJune followed by a glorious summer. We enjoyed many classic 80-degree Willamette\u003cbr\u003eValley days, with nighttime highs staying down in the 50s even in August, typically the\u003cbr\u003ewarmest month here in Oregon. The only exception to these consistent diurnal swings was\u003cbr\u003ea single big heat spike in mid-August. We anticipated picking in early September. However,\u003cbr\u003esome fortuitous rain events allowed us to push back harvest and we were thankful for the\u003cbr\u003eadditional hang time.\u003cbr\u003eHarvest came early, but not too early. We brought in beautiful fruit and we were pleased\u003cbr\u003eto still be picking Pinot noir into early October. When you have fast accumulation of fruit\u003cbr\u003esugars, cool weather can be a welcome respite with even small amounts of rain helping\u003cbr\u003ethe grapevines regulate and slow ripening. One of the reasons why Oregon Pinot Noir is\u003cbr\u003eso prized is for its freshness of fruit, and you can only get that vibrancy when it’s under 50\u003cbr\u003edegrees during picking.\u003cbr\u003e2023 brought amazing fruit quality, but our production was down, especially on cool-\u003cbr\u003eclimate white wines like Pinot Gris. Being an estate grown winery, we must follow Mother\u003cbr\u003eNature’s lead as we cannot buy fruit to increase production. Smaller yields do mean a\u003cbr\u003esmaller crop and less wine, but we embrace vintage variation. Another great benefit of\u003cbr\u003ebeing estate grown is that it’s our decision exactly when to pick. Rather than rushing to\u003cbr\u003ebring fruit into the cellar, in 2023 were able to play the odds and wait out the rain on blocks\u003cbr\u003ethat needed additional hang time to get the flavor development we needed.\u003cbr\u003eREVIEWS:\u003cbr\u003e92 Points - Decanter (June 2024)\u003cbr\u003e“A Pinot Gris that shows a serious side with nice texture and fullness, it\u003cbr\u003eharkens to a time when serious Pinot Gris was de rigueur in the Willamette\u003cbr\u003eValley. Ripe Bartlett pears, bruised apples, and a whisper of cardamom mark\u003cbr\u003ethe aromatics, which follow with complex nutty notes. Far from simplistic,\u003cbr\u003ethe fruit on this palate is ripe, nuanced, and layered. Apricot flesh mingles\u003cbr\u003ewith honeyed peaches, ginger, and lemon pastry cream. Complexity at a great\u003cbr\u003evalue.” — Clive Pursehouse\u003cbr\u003e92 Points \u0026amp; Editors’ Choice - Wine Enthusiast (Nov. 2024)\u003cbr\u003e91 Points - Wine Spectator (Nov. 2024)\u003cbr\u003eTASTING NOTES: Aromatics of poached pear and honeysuckle blend with hints of thyme to introduce this refreshing wine. The super juicy\u003cbr\u003epalate of ripe pear and apricot lingers into a zesty finish of peach skin and lemon.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAccolades\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e91 Points\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA white with verve and vibrancy, offering orange blossom, nectarine and cantaloupe accents that sail on the finish. Drink now.\u003cbr\u003e– Wine Spectator (October 2024)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e92 Points \u0026amp; Editors' Choice\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlways a standard bearer, the latest Pinot Gris from Elk Cove is excellent. Fresh-grated lemon zest and orange blossom aromas are accented by a wee bit of wet slate. The wine, which was whole-cluster pressed and cold fermented in small stainless steel tanks, possesses flavors ranging from grapefruit lightly sprinkled in sugar to a green apple gummy bear.\u003cbr\u003e– Wine Enthusiast (November 2024)\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e92 Points\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“A Pinot Gris that shows a serious side with nice texture and fullness, it harkens to a time when serious Pinot Gris was de rigueur in the Willamette Valley. Ripe Bartlett pears, bruised apples, and a whisper of cardamom mark the aromatics, which follow with complex nutty notes. Far from simplistic, the fruit on this palate is ripe, nuanced, and layered. Apricot flesh mingles with honeyed peaches, ginger, and lemon pastry cream. Complexity at a great value.”\u003cbr\u003e– Decanter (June 2024)\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Elk Cove","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43199160713440,"sku":"112121","price":32.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0649\/9713\/0464\/products\/elk-cove-pinot-gris_1.jpg?v=1663886671","url":"https:\/\/www.mywineconnection.com\/products\/elk-cove-pinot-gris-2019-750ml","provider":"My Wine Connection","version":"1.0","type":"link"}