Description
VALLI is the personal vocation of pioneering winemaker Grant Taylor. Grant’s name is synonymous with Otago Pinot Noir. He has been crafting wines there since 1993 when there were only 20 ha planted – today there are over 2000. Grant founded VALLI in 1998 with the intention to produce single vineyard Pinot Noirs highlighting the different characteristics of Otago’s sub regions. More than 20 years later, VALLI is doing just that, producing single-vineyard pinot noirs from Gibbston, Bannockburn, and Bendigo in Central Otago and the Waitaki Valley in North Otago, as well as a dry Pinot Gris from Gibbston and a Riesling from Waitaki. In 2015, established Otago winemaker Jen Parr joined Grant in the winery where the two aim to create wines with honesty, integrity, and most of all, a sense of place. When you drink a Valli wine, you are enjoying more than just a wine: you are experiencing a place.
Waitaki – New Zealand’s newest and most exciting wine growing region, with the first commercial vintage being in 2004. Like Burgundy, the soils are limestone based. These soils lend an incredible ethereal nature to the wines, which are highlighted by perfume and minerality. Slightly cooler than Central Otago, the Waitaki Valley should not be cropped as heavily, and therefore Valli’s Waitaki Vineyard is close planted at 5000 vines per hectare with early ripening clones from Dijon and Pommard.
About this wine: Small bunches (average 75g) were hand-harvested from three neighbouring vineyards on the 22nd April 2023. Both lots were whole bunch pressed for gentle extraction. After overnight settling, 48% was racked to neutral white barriques and the rest was racked to a stainless steel tank. The fermentation was intentionally long and slow with partial malolactic fermentation occurring and delayed sulphuring which resulted in a dry and finely textured wine. It spent 6 months on fermentation lees in both barrel and tank, contributing to the silky texture.
From the winemaker, Jen Parr “A pale golden hue with aromas of lemon zest, lime, nashi pear, sweet basil, and sea salt. The palate is complex and layered with flavours of crunchy pear, citrus, and ripe green apple; complementing a finely textured palate with great flow and steely acidity. This sophisticated young wine is both charming and intense. It aptly captures the ethereal nature of the Waitaki and has great ageing potential. This Pinot Gris is fascinating on its own but shows real magic when paired with delicious cuisine.”
Newly released .. Review of 2023 … 94 points, Cam Douglas MS “A delicious wine with aromas and flavours of sweet green pear and red apple flesh, there’s a fine flinty layer and quiet spice seam through the palate. Plenty of acidity for freshness and to carry the flavours, there’s a fine texture too with a soft chalky mouthfeel and quality. Well made, pure and delicious.”
RRP $49 Special Price when you buy 6 or more $38.99
