Terre à Terre Late Harvest Pinot Gris 2012

By pure chance I drove past the Terre à Terre vineyard just last week. After vineyard upon vineyard of quite traditionally shaped plots, the close planted rows and short stumpy vines were a rather welcome change of scenery.

Fittingly, this is no ordinary Pinot Gris either, produced largely with late harvested, 5% botrytised Pinot Gris fruit which is fermented in tank and then settled and matured for 6 months in old oak.

Of more surprise is just how well-handled this wine looks, the 58g/L of residual sugar never making this look necessarily over-sweet. There is the juicy, spiced pear and crystalised fruit nose that is undoubtedly fruit sweet, yet still very pure considering its considerable ripeness, packing enough pretty aromatics to be its own little perfume factory.

The palate, too, is rich and sweet yet clean, a little simple perhaps but concentrated, fresh to finish and well contained – no suggestion of low acid flabby fruit in sight.

Xavier Bizot, who made this wine, also imports the beguiling Alsatian Pinot Gris of Marcel Deiss, and there is no doubt that the imprint of those fabulous French wines can be seen in this wine. I’d perhaps like a little more complexity, but the concentration of flavour and purity mark this is as a winner.

Drink: 2013-2018
Score: 17.7/20 92/100
Would I buy it? I’d definitely consider it.