2011 Intrepid Pinot Gris, Stanley Estate(NZ), Gold Medal

Pinot Gris has already performed well for New Zealand growers.This distinctively styled 2011 Intrepid Pinot Gris with medium gold colour and tiny bubbles apparently add to the balance. The off-dry style with more residual sugar apparently keeps the wine taste fruitier than its age. It does not looks oily.

Showing on the nose is the minerality typical of the Awatere Terroir. It also gives layers of spicy pears, green apple, gentle citrus and peachy notes, developing into tones of honeyed tangarines and maybe pop-corn after 15 minutes in glass. At ABV14%, it does not give undue alcoholic warmth yet helps keeping the structure. The refined and textural palate is showing delicate rose blossom flavours, golden delicious and crisp, cut white stone fruit characters over a refreshing acidity and a textured spicy finish. Fruit strength is surprising good depsite the age, which is made possible by the sunny days and cold nights ripening the fruit slowly, allowing them to develop a herbaceous flavour and gooseberry taste distinctively different on finish.

On the other hand, bottle ageing adds to dimension to this Awatere Pinot Gris and is weightier than some of the Kiwi Pinot Gris for the same class that we tasted before. Only 5,000 bottles produced for 2011. 2011 Intrepid Pinot Gris won a Gold Medal from Decanter 2012. Recent vintages from 2016 to 2019 get high scores in the region of 93 to 94.