2011 Pinot Gris
Winemaking Notes
This is the second year that we have produced a Pinot Gris at Holm Oak. Being a cooler wetter year in 2011 we harvested our Pinot Gris at lower Baume and higher acidity than in 2010. However, as we had fantastic conditions up until mid March the fruit had intense pure varietal character. This meant that we had to work hard in the winery to add extra palate weight and depth to the wine in order to achieve a Gris style, whilst still retaining the varietal character of the wine. We have achieved this by doing 20% barrel fermenation in older oak with wild yeast and also partial MLF. The remaining 80% of the juice was fermented in tank with an aromatic yeast to ensure we maximised the white pear and floral characters that this variety is known for.
Tasting Notes
The above winemaking techniques have enable us to achieve a wine that has beautiful lifted pear and jasmine characters on the nose with some hints of creamy, leesy characters underneath. Whilst the powerful palate is packed with flavour, it also has added complexity and weight as a result of the wild barrel ferment and partial malolactic fermentation. The wine finshes with lovely crisp natural acidity.