As a judge at the most recent Oregon Wine Experience and having closely followed Oregon and Northwest wines over the last two years, one thing I’ve discovered is that Oregon is successful with a wide range of wines other than Pinot Noir. Some of the most exciting Tempranillo, Malbec, Syrah and Viognier are being produced around the State. Oh, yes, the Rhone and other blends can also be outstanding.
And then there are the rock sold and widely available Pinot Gris grown successfully in every sub-region. The list of top wineries includes King Estate, Ponzi, Elk Cove, Chehalem. Panther Creek, Eyrie, Earth, Ruestle, Brandborg, Iris, Solena, and on and on. The best Pinot Gris are highly versatile, food-centric wines that can be enjoyed year round and they should be a candidate for your go-to white.
Why are they still relatively unknown? Pinot Gris is the second most widely planted variety in Oregon, and after a decade of steady growth, it is the leading white grape today, way ahead of Chardonnay. Yet Oregon Chardonnay gets more press largely because Pinot Gris’ reputation is tangled up with its namesake, Pinot Grigio.
Not trying to start an argument here but Pinot Grigio is a name most wine drinkers associate with inexpensive, light and often slightly sweet white wines from Italy. And, okay, a few from Alto Adige are dry finished and quite good but also a few from California are watery thin supermarket bottlings.
Gris or Grigio: the Gray Area
Any effort to wine-splain the difference between wines labeled Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio leads to a rabbit hole of confusion and misinformation. Don’t believe that? Well, just Google the simple question: What’s the difference between Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris, and you get this as the first entry: “Pinot grigio, undoubtedly the most popular of the two, is lighter-bodied, crisp, clean, and vibrant with citrus flavors, according to Wine Spectator. Pinot gris, on the other hand, is sweet, and has spicy tropical fruit aromas. It generally has low acidity, higher alcohol levels, and a rich texture.”
OMG! Where to start? Well bad English (more, not “most”) but really this is a generalization that is totally misleading, useless, and, well, just wrong. No wonder then that promoting Pinot Gris has long been an uphill battle for those involved.
So it came as only a slight surprise to visit the Willamette Valley Winery Association’s homepage and be greeted with this bold heading: “We are Pinot Noir.” No ambiguity there, and most of the website’s content focuses on Pinot Noir as the region’s signature wine. It is, of course, but maybe Pinot Gris merits some attention since there are more than 5,000 acres planted and well over 100 wineries produce Pinot Gris.
The Journey
My interest in Pinot Gris began during an early one on one meeting with David Lett of Eyrie Vineyard. Though known today as one of the pioneers behind Oregon Pinot Noir, Lett was keen on showing me his first vintages of Eyrie Pinot Gris. He was convinced it was Oregon’s white of the future, not Riesling, not Chardonnay. And the quality of his first vintage was as convincing as his enthusiasm. And his inaugural vintage was labeled “Pinot Gris.” That is the name used throughout Oregon today.
A few years later I was invited to visit the new and much talked about King Estate in Eugene, Oregon and was reintroduced to Pinot Gris along with Pinot Noir made from several Dijon clones.
Both encounters convinced me that Pinot Gris deserves to be taken as a serious white, neither a minor mutation nor a grape for cheap bulk wine. And that eventually led me to Alsace. Visiting the region to research a touring article later published in Decanter Magazine I left with no doubt that Pinot Gris can be a complex, intriguing and, in some cases, age worthy wine.
My follow up article in Wines & Vines focused on the widely varying styles of Alsatian Pinot Gris with so many off-dry, sweet finished versions, various Grand Cru bottlings, and many late harvest. Many of the leading winemakers insisted on showing their Gewurztraminer and late harvest Rieslings. But the dry versions of Pinot Gris from Ostertag, JosMeyer, Kreydenweiss, Domaine Paul Blanck, Bott Freres, and Zind-Humbrecht were a whole different story. Yet not that well-known even in Alsace. I remember being “schooled” by a waiter in one of Alsace’s fine restaurants when I asked for a dry Pinot Gris. The answer was simple: “If you want a dry white, select a Riesling.”
If there’s such confusion in Alsace, then it is understandable why Pinot Gris grown elsewhere has yet to be fully understood and appreciated. Then too you factor in the boatloads of Pinot Grigio and the way the trade, especially restaurants, list the imported Pinot Grigios and Pinot Gris as one wine, and the problem is compounded.
So to get a handle on what’s the present status and future prospects of Pinot Gris in Oregon, I decided to explore the latest offerings from King Estate. Afterall, King Estate has been working with it for 30 vintages and has become practically synonymous with Oregon Pinot Gris. When I contacted Ed King, he concluded our conversation with this overview:
“I have seen the “death” of Pinot Gris in Oregon announced at least twice, as well as the advent of Chardonnay in Oregon at least three times. And yet, by far, Pinot Gris is the most successful white wine in Oregon.”
Still family owned, King Estate was founded in 1991 and now has 465 acres planted in what is “the largest certified Biodynamic vineyard in the U.S. Pinot Gris accounts for 314 acres.
While the winery has expanded and is highly successful with Pinot Noir, it remains firmly committed to Pinot Gris. One of the largest producers of Pinot Gris, the King family did not want to risk its reputation or take a step backward with Pinot Gris from the smoke prone 2020 vintage. So not one bottle of 2020 Pinot Gris was sold.
That’s a major decision because in the 2021 vintage, King Estate produced over 100,000 cases of Pinot Gris!
My notes on the currently available King Pinot Gris:
King Estate Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 2021 $19.
If this is the basic benchmark of Oregon Pinot Gris and the winery’s flagship, this is one amazing wine setting a high standard! 92-93 points.
Over half of the grapes for this wine are from the estate with the remainder from several independent vineyards, all following sustainable practices. This 2021 tends toward a ripe fruit, mouth filling style that can be enjoyed as an aperitif or as a first course companion. Showing a little bronze tint, it offers plenty of ripe melon fruit with some honeysuckle, peach and jasmine in both its aromas and flavors. Remarkably fleshy and rich on the palate, its lush fruit and citrus personality persists and concludes with a pleasing touch of acidity in the aftertaste. This is a terrific all-purpose, versatile white with tons of character.
2019 King Estate Pinot Gris “Domaine,” Willamette Valley $30
Made 100% from King’s estate vineyard, this Domaine is a food-centric version that can be paired with whatever you usually match with Chardonnay. 94-95 points
Stainless steel fermented and aged 6 months on the lees, it is straw colored and opens with bright aromas of melon, lime, and citrus that lead to a medium-bodied, generous palate. It continues with lively, crisp flavors of meyer lemon and grapefruit. Its persistent acidity keeps it on course leading to a lovely finish. With its vibrant melon fruit and touch of lime, this is a smoothly textured well-structured wine held together by brisk acidity. A wine to drink now but it also has good aging potential.
A selection of the best small lots assembled by the winemaker. “Backbone” is an incredible, rich, beautiful example. 95 points
King Estate Willamette Valley “Backbone” Pinot Gris 2019 $ 28
Made from selected blocks as a winemaker’s cuvee, the 2019 “Backbone” consists of 41% estate grown fruit with the remainder from 4 neighboring, compatible vineyards. The lots are whole cluster pressed and cold fermented in stainless steel. The wine was then aged 5 months on the lees with periodic lees stirring. Medium full bodied, this wine is brisk and concentrated with youthful aromas and flavors of fresh cut melon with tangerine and a hint of minerality. Much like the “Domaine” bottling, this wine also offers a lovely, smooth rich texture leading up to its palate cleansing, long finish. Enjoyable now and very food-centric, it has all it needs to age gracefully over the next several years. 500 cases made.
King Estate Willamette Valley (Oregon) “Paradox” Pinot Gris 2019 $35
Pinot Gris and oak Aging. Fascinating, but while oak is added, the overall impression is that the best features of Pinot Gris are compromised. 92 points
This tiny production (100 cases) is part of an ongoing experimental program. 100% estate grown, Paradox refers to the fact this is oak aged by a winery that has long championed un-oaked Pinot Gris. It was aged in new French oak for 3 months, followed by aging on the lees for 5 months. Straw yellow in color, it needed time to open. But soon displayed a melange of baked apple, lemon, vanilla and light oak toast. Medium full bodied, it is concentrated in flavors with lemon curd, apple fruit, and some yeastiness in equal parts. Tightly structured, it finishes long with good acidity to accompany the light touch of oak. Well, definitely different, and well made and attractive. I prefer the other 3 with no oak aging.
There you have it. Pinot Gris is well-worth exploring.
Norm Roby's Unfiltered Guide to Savvy Wine Shopping 