Wine of the Week September 14, 2014

KING ESTATE PINOT GRIS 2012
OREGON

By: Ed "The Wine Guy"

A great Pinot Gris! I dare to say that it, along with the Pinot Gris of Alsace, France, is the standard, the benchmark, of this type of wine. Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio is made from the same white wine grape. Both wines are dry; the difference between the two is a difference of style: Pinot Gris has a creamy, oily texture, resulting in a fuller mouth-feel; Pinot Grigio is light-bodied, crisp, and refreshingly acidic. Please confer my Wine of the Week (9/8/2013) for a description of how these qualities are achieved. King Estate Winery is credited with bringing the Pinot Gris varietal into national consciousness in the United States. The 2012 vintage exhibits aromas and flavors of green apple, citrus, honeysuckle, peach, pear, and melon - the more sophisticated and sensitive your wine palate is, the more aromas and flavors it will detect - all ending in a long smooth finish.