2006 Belle Pente "Reserve" Pinot Gris

Pinot Gris fans take note - this is something you don't want to miss!  In 2006, we left a portion of our oldest Pinot Gris vines "hang" for several weeks beyond the normal harvest date in hopes of making a late harvest desert wine.  Unfortunately, the grapes didn't get quite ripe enough for a "stand alone" dessert wine, but they were harvested significantly riper than the rest of our Pinot Gris - so we decided to build a Reserve bottling around them.  Our style of Pinot Gris has always been closer to Alsace than Alto Adige, and this wine takes it to another level.  Although the aromatics are rather restrained, the wine explodes on the palate with rich, ripe, viscous tropical fruit, accented by an almost smoky, briny minerality (grilled mangos at a beach barbeque?).  The residual sugar (2%) is balanced with adequate acidity. A thoroughly intriguing wine - a bit "over the top," and eminently enjoyable!

 218 cases produced.