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King Estate Pinot Gris Willamette Valley 2018

Since I have reduced the frequency of my posts, we have not been experimenting as much with new wines.  This has enabled us to go back and enjoy many of our old favorites.  One of our all time favorites is King Estate Willamette Valley Pinot Gris.  We drank this regularly a few years ago when it was stocked by Costco, but in recent years we enjoyed a variety of Oregon Pinot Gris searching for a new wine to blog about.

We are regularly asked about the difference between Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio.  Both are made from the same grape.  In France, the grape is called Pinot Gris and in Italy it is called Pinot Grigio.  The style of the wine is a little different in the two countries with Pinot Gris generally more full bodied and complex.  In Oregon, the wine is usually made in the style made famous in the Alsace region of France and thus is called Pinot Gris.

King Estate Pinot Gris has been the best selling Oregon Pinot Gris for many years.  The grapes are sourced primarily from the King Estate biodynamic and organic vineyard southwest of Eugene Oregon but a smaller portion comes from other sustainably farmed Willamette Valley vineyards.  The wine is aged totally in stainless steel tanks and the alcohol is stated as 13.5%.

In the glass, the wine has the tempting aroma  of a flower garden.  In the mouth, the wine has a little more body than some Pinot Gris and flavors of various citrus.  We detected some ripe pear flavor in the finish.  This is a bright and lively wine that can be enjoyed with or without food.  We thoroughly enjoyed this wine and were glad we could return to one of our favorites.  I bought the wine for $13.97 at Total Wine.

SC Wine Joe does not assign numerical ratings to white wine.  Wine Enthusiast rated the wine at 91 points and designated it as an Editor's Choice.



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