Monthly Picks: July '15 - BC Pinot Gris

This month's wine picks celebrate BC's 2nd most planted white variety (by acreage), Pinot Gris. Produced in many styles, the Province offers a range of Pinot Gris from barrel aged, rich versions, to lean, stainless steel brews, often labelled as Pinot Grigio and everything in between. Try them all and find your favourite style. (prices include taxes)

Tinhorn Creek Vineyards 2014 Pinot Gris - $17
Serve it at just below room temperature to highlight the round, blooming, melon and tropical fruit characters that hide in the background when the wine is chilled. The steely-citrus remains to help balance the lushness, but, the star attraction becomes the plump, sweet fruit.
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SpierHead Winery 2014 Pinot Gris - $19
A stainless steel aged Pinot Gris from Summerland, offering a contrast of tart, mouth-watering, green-apple and tropical fruit acidity and an off-dry-ish level of residual sugar to achieve its crisp balance and desired texture.
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River Stone Estate Winery 2014 Pinot Gris - $20
The house style for River Stone's Pinot Gris may be settling on a vibrant, punchy expression of the varietal, after two consecutive years showcasing tangy, mineral-infused orchard fruit with background lees and herbal characters adding depth on the nose and palate.
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Bench 1775 Winery 2014 Pinot Gris - $20
One of the tangiest Pinot Gris in the Okanagan, but not the leanest, with some wanted fullness in the mouth from a touch of residual sugar and the 14% alcohol contributing body.
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Burrowing Owl Estate Winery 2014 Pinot Gris - $20
Shares many characteristics with partially, barrel-aged Chardonnay; full-ish, spicy, leesy and creamy. The flavour profile is somewhat similar as well, with some rich, ripe melon and orchard fruit galore, but this is undoubtedly a Pinot Gris thanks to tell-tale, nectarine, unpasteurized honey and meyer lemon notes.
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LaStella Winery 2014 Vivace Pinot Grigio - $22
he Vivace is produced in the Italian, Pinot Grigio style which focuses on a clean, crisp expression of the Pinot Gris grape. Offering ripe, orchard fruit, wild herbs, citrus peel and stonefruit on the nose and palate, and supported on the palate by citrus acidity and just enough residual sugar to mask the alcohol and create a joyful and full-ish texture in your mouth.
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 - Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca