Vintage 2022 began with fierce wind and rain driven by Cyclone Dovi in early February. Nets were shredded and a lot of the vineyards suffered superficial salt damage to the tops of the canopies. That monster event aside the rest of the vintage was smooth sailing, ultra-hot and in many cases super ripe.
Pinot gris was no exception and we picked earlier than ever before to retain the crucial acidity but we were also able to hang some very clean fruit out to get nice and ripe.
Realising our sugars and potential alcohol would be higher than the previous couple of years, we employed more solids in the fermentation to make the finish more pronounced and increase perception of dryness. Each vineyard was stopped with varying levels of natural residual sugar and, as always, as much natural carbon dioxide was retained in the wine to add another layer of crispness.