Ah, the curious dance of grapes and casks! In 2023, we harvested four fields of Pinot Gris, each boasting grapes at different stages of ripeness. We cool-fermented the resulting juices in seven oak ovals, where they aged sur lie for seven quiet months. In a blind tasting we sampled the seven lots. First off, we sought those with lean elegance, herbal whispers and a zesty acidity, the traditional style for our Pinot Grigio. Simultaneously we differentiated the lots most appropriate for our plumper Pinot Gris bottling—to be released in November— replete with juiciness and hints of hazelnut oil. A few of the remaining lots were destined for Navarro's slightly sweeter Edelzwicker. A disappointing lot didn't make the grade at all and was sacrificed to bulk wine. Oval 18 emerged as the star cask for the Grigio, housing the wine from grapes earmarked for our Pinot Grigio since 2018, when it first dazzled our palates. To round out the flavor spectrum, we judiciously incorporated riper lots, primarily from Oval 22 with a 12% contribution.

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