• 2019 Pinot Gris
    Anderson Valley, Mendocino
    • (750 ml) Sold Out!
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Tale of two ridges Recent Press

In our winery log, the fields that produced grapes for this bottling are named VF Ridge and Middle Ridge and although they both are located in Philo, they have very different microclimates. VF Ridge is located at our next door neighbor, Valley Foothills Vineyard, on a ridge slightly above Highway 128 on the valley floor at 270 to 290 feet in elevation. The site is protected by a large grove of redwood trees and the vines are out of the wind; the harvest dates are usually in mid-September. Navarro's first Pinot Gris was produced from this warm site in 1993. The crop was small but we were so excited about producing Anderson Valley's first Pinot Gris that we used a smaller 500 ml. bottle—unfortunately the bottle choice was an accounting nightmare as the bottle size didn't integrate into our computer software. Navarro's Middle Ridge vineyard was planted a decade after VF Ridge and is located on a sloping ridge at 840 to 940 feet in elevation.

Alfredo removing the dead yeast from an oval.
[above] Alfredo removing the dead yeast from an oval; this Pinot Gris was aged sur lie for seven months in oak ovals. The spent yeast enrich the wine despite looking yucky.
View from Navarro's Middle Ridge Pinot Gris vineyard, late in the season. [below]
View from Navarro's Middle Ridge Pinot Gris vineyard, late in the season.

The site faces west toward the ocean and lies in the direct path of its cooling breezes resulting in harvest dates in October. It is planted to two clones which are harvested separately, though the wines are very similar. One has some pear-quince notes and the other is more lemony; combined, the wine has enticing lemon-pear scents, flavors hinting of ginger and pineapple and a long, crisp finish. The wine produced from VF Ridge is perfumed with classic nut oil flavors; a 30% addition of VF to the Middle Ridge wines added nut oil flavors to the mid-palate. Gold Medal winner, Best of Class.

Pinot Gris is a genetic mutation of Pinot Noir and is genetically unstable so we frequently see Blanc and Gris grapes in the same cluster. [below]
A cluster of Pinot Gris showing a genetic instability presenting in both Blanc and Gris grapes on the same cluster.

Specifications
  • Harvested: Sept. 12 to Oct. 4, 2019
  • Sugars at harvest: 23.2° Brix
  • Bottled: May 8, 2020
  • Cases produced: 1,008
  • Alcohol: 13.0%
  • Titratable acidity: 6.3 g/L
  • pH: 3.24