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Saint Clair 2010 Pioneer Block 5 Bull Block Pinot Gris

The wine I have chosen for this week's column is Saint Clair's 2010 Bull Block Pinot Gris. You may also remember that this Pioneer Block has also been used by Saint Clair to produce Pinot Noir. Like all of Saint Clair's Pioneer Blocks it has been identified as an area on unique terrior, particularly suited for producing exceptional wine.

The Bull Block is situated in the Omaka Valley and has a free draining mix of stones and lighter soils with some clay. It is a flat parcel of land that has the typical southern valley climate of very warm days and cool nights. It is a warmer site with earlier budburst and a long ripening period, extending into late autumn. The fruit was carefully monitored during ripening and was picked in the cool of the evening once it had reached maximum flavour maturity and physiological ripeness.

Once at the winery, the fruit was crushed and pressed quickly at cool temperatures to extract the full range of aromatics and flavour contained in the fruit. Following the settling period, the juice was racked with a portion of the light, fluffy lees and fermented at cool temperatures using selected yeasts in stainless steel to retain flavour and freshness.

I found the 2010 Saint Clair Pioneer Block 5 Bull Block Pinot Gris to have typically understated aromas of pear and almond. On the palate, I found it to have a nice round flavour of pear, spice and almond with hints of toast and apricot. It is a slightly sweeter wine, but with well-balanced acidity.

The 2010 Bull Block Pinot Gris from Saint Clair is drinking beautifully now but should cellar well for up to three years. I would recommend trying it with poached salmon or lightly spiced Asian cuisine.

Reviewed by Stephen Clark (19/9/2011)

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