2017 Huia Pinot Gris

Huia

New Zealand / Marlborough / Huia

The Pinot Gris is grown in both the clay soils of the estate Winsome vineyard and the stony soils of the estate Huia vineyard. During the winter, vines are spur-pruned to reduce crop potential; through the growing season, bunches are thinned for the evening ripening.
After hand harvesting, pressing and settling, the juice goes to tank for fermentation. Two thirds of the juice awaits natural fermentation before being moved to neutral French oak barrels for the fermentation and maturation with lees stirring. The remainder is inoculated with wine yeast and fermented through to wine in tank.

Rumours of Alsace on the nose, with musk and orange blossom, ripe apricot and pear. Soft but shapely on the more than medium-bodied palate. Good bit of grip and length through the ripe apricot finish with some convincing spice. - Ed Merrison, CellarHand

September, 2018

Gary Walsh

The Wine Front

94 points

Into a bit of apricot and pear here, orange blossom, slight chalkiness to texture, balance between sweetness, acidity and fruit is excellent. Top of class here, or so it feels.

Standard Bottle Out of Stock

About Huia

Huia Vineyards is a family-owned winery based in Marlborough's Wairau Valley. Claire and Mike Allan bought the initial vineyard land in 1990 and launched Huia in 1996, with a focus on handcrafting wines that express the richness of Marlborough grapes from the vineyard to the table. This quest for quality is represented by the Huia feather, a symbol of dignity, wisdom and elegance. The Allans are acutely aware of the need to preserve the magnificent environment that provides their unique wine. Huia is has been fully certified organic with BioGro New Zealand since 2011 and since 2009 has been in certification with Demeter Bio-Dynamics. Certified Organic

About

Mike and Claire Allan were studying winemaking in Adelaide in 1990 when they scored vintage positions in Marlborough, Mike at Cloudy Bay and Claire at Corbans. They immediately fell in love with the beauty and energy of the region, and couldn't resist when they saw an ad in the local paper for a block of land on an old apple orchard in Rapaura that “looked like heaven”. It took four years’ toil to get the apples out and the land ready for planting what has now become Huia. During that time, Mike deepened his relationship with the region at Cloudy Bay and Vavasour, while Claire went from Corbans to Lawson’s Dry Hills. By 1996, they had the estate up and running. “It was the vitality of the wines we tasted when we got to Marlborough that told us we were somewhere special,” says Mike, accounting for the motivation that got the place to the great shape it’s in today.