PINOT GRIS/GRIGIO

Question 1

Northern Italian Pinot Grigio

Answer 1

Sight: pale to medium straw with a touch of rose/copper.

Nose: tart apple, green pear, citrus, straw, almond and stone/mineral.

Palate:
dry to bone dry and
light to medium-bodied with tart apple/citrus and mineral notes.

Structure:
alcohol: medium to medium-plus;
acidity: medium-plus.

ID Keys: most Pinot Grigios are light and citrusy with tart fruit, almond and mineral notes. The best examples come from Alto Adige and can be much richer with considerable intensity of fruit and minerality. Many of the wines show a brassy/coppery hue in the colour.

Question 1

Alsace Pinot Gris

Answer 1

Sight: deep straw to medium yellow with hint of copper.

Nose: ripe, smoky yellow apple and melon with sweet and tart citrus, floral, honey, and dark earth-mineral.

Palate:
medium-plus to full-bodied and
dry to off-dry in style (some wines show noticeably residual sugar). Very ripe fruit with an earthy character; botrytis notes often found even on wines dry in style.

Structure:
alcohol: medium-plus to high;
acidity: medium to medium-plus.

ID Keys: full-bodied and off-dry with rich, smoky pear-melon fruit and earthiness. Many wines have residual sugar with a rich, palate-coating mouth feel; the texture is often described as “oily