Pinot Gris 2010

Bright and fresh, this Pinot Gris is full of apricot and grapefruit flavors with just a hint of fig.  A lingering finish with notes of lemongrass and minerals.  Lightly oaked for smooth and toasty palate.

The white wine grapes are harvested early in the morning into picking trays.  They stay in the picking trays until processed through the crusher destemer to keep the fruit cold and the clusters intact.  All white grapes are picked, destemed and processed within an hour.  The pressed juice goes into 132-gallon stainless steel tanks for fermentation.  The tanks are kept in our cold room consistently at 45 degrees for the duration of fermentation usually 8-12 days.  During fermentation the wines are stirred 3 times per day in a process called sur-lie fermentation.  The stirring helps the lees and the yeast stay in contact to create body and mouth feel.  When fermentation is complete the wine is racked from the top to within 5 inches of sediment.  The wine is placed into brand new French oak barrels from the L'Allier forest.  The barrels are tight grain allowing the flavors to impart slowly and lightly.  The wine will stay in the barrels for 6-18 weeks depending on variety.  Our winemaker tastes the barrels weekly.  Once he feels that they have extracted the right amount of flavors, the wine goes into the Still Waters bottling line, which can bottle 200 cases per day.

Recommendations:
Pairing Suggestions: Lobster, Scallops, Salads

Technical Notes:
100% Pinot Gris
100% Paso Roble AVA

13.9% Alcohol by Volume
124 Cases Produced