Analysis:
Alcohol: 13.5% | PH: 3.71 | Titratable acidity: 5.51 g/L
Bottling Date: March 2015
Cellaring: 1-3 years
Tasting Notes:
The nose on Burrowing Owl Estate Winery’s 2014 Pinot Gris opens with seductive, ripe expressions of pear, honeydew melon and nectarines, with white flower, cardamom and pine needle undertones. The palate has a mouth-filling richness with layers of orchard fruits, cantaloupe and yellow plum, balanced with hints of mandarin rind and a chalky minerality. This wine is very approachable and smooth, and ends with a nice, long finish. Try with grilled halibut accompanied by citrus and melon salsa, or with BBQ chicken and charred jalapeno pepper skewers in a honey, sage glaze.
Wine Making:
The 2014 growing season presented the ideal profile for the production of intensely aromatic and concentrated white and red wines: the dry and warm Spring favoured blossoming, excellent levels of heat during the summertime provided energy for even ripening, and the exceptional late season that saw warmth continue through October, gave us time to pick the grapes at will when they had reached our optimum standards of maturity.
The Pinot Gris grapes were harvested by hand during the 3rd week of September. We utilize the traditional method of hand harvesting because it preserves the integrity of each berry. With the same spirit, the grapes were gently pressed “whole cluster” (meaning the skins are broken at one time), and the juice released was drained via gravity flow into stainless steel tanks for a temperature-controlled fermentation.
Different yeast strains were used during fermentation to generate a myriad of flavours, and the wine was left in tank on its lees over the winter months. A small portion was aged in a selection of barrels adding weight to the palate and hints of spice to the flavours. There was no use of malolactic fermentation, and minimal handling and interventions were used over the winter months until bottling in March.
