Product Description:
2004 Estate Pinot Gris
Willamette Valley
WINEMAKER'S NOTES
At Van Duzer we prefer a light and lively Pinot Gris ready to be drunk soon after bottling. To this end, we avoid barrel aging and malolactic fermentation instead opting for stainless steel to help preserve the fresh fruit essence of the Pinot Gris grape.
The 2004 Pinot Gris offers lovely aromas of pineapple, star fruit, flint and Mediterranean fig. Flavors of fresh pear and hints of lime and honeydew melon in the mouth bring balance to a juicy, crisp mineral finish. This change-of-pace white makes a great aperitif and an interesting match for shellfish and light Mediterranean style pasta dishes.
ACCOLADES
 Outstanding! "Van Duzer is an easy winery to recognize on the shelves because of its wildly colorful and whimsical label, but it's what's inside the bottle that makes this Willamette Valley winery memorable. Winemaker Jim Kakacek has a deft touch with Pinot Gris, and this new release is fantastic, thanks to approachable aromas of lilacs, tropical fruit and orange oil, followed by crisp flavors of peaches, melons and palate-cleansing grapefruits. Buy early and drink often."
Spring 2005
Wine Press Northwest  "Fresh and lively, with peach and almond flavors that remain juicy through the refreshing finish."
Harvey Steiman
Wine Spectator
June 15, 2005  "...utterly different from most Pinot Grigio: filled with ripe fruit, but tightly wound into a crisp, mineral and very refreshing whole that's one of the more satisfying American whites we've drunk in some time."
Dorothy J Gaiter and John Brecher
Wall Street Journal
July 22, 2005  "We were hooked just watching the legs cling to the glass. The wine's light, fruity palate - with hints of pineapple and pear - and the crisp finish were simply a bonus."
Chuck Sudo
Chicagoist
June 17, 2005 Double Gold Van Duzer, it seems, sometimes gets lost amid other Wilamette Valley wineries. But this Dallas, Ore., producer should not be overlooked because all it does is craft one delicious wine after another. Take, for example, this Pinot Gris, which exemplifies the Oregon version of this grape: aromas of minerals, white peaches and dried apricots, followed by graceful flavors of ripe apples and pineapples. Just a mere hint of sweetness is expertly balanced with refreshing acidity. Grand Harvest Awards (Double Gold.)
Winter 2005/2006
Wine Press Northwest
THE VINEYARDS
In recent years Pinot Gris has become an increasingly popular and successful varietal for Oregon wine country. Van Duzer has five acres planted to Pinot Gris on the eastern portion of the vineyards where the vines receive daylong exposure to the sun, allowing the grapes to ripen with full flavor and good acid balance.
We cultivate, on 21 year old vine, Pinot Gris clone 146 for its grapefruit and flinty characters and clone 152 for complementary peach, melon, honey and fig flavors.
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TECHNICAL DATA:
| Vineyard: | 100% Van Duzer Estate | | Vinifera: | 100% Pinot Gris | | Alcohol: | 13.64%% | | TA: | 0.74 g/100 ml | | pH: | 3.11 | | RS: | 0.78% |
WINEMAKING
Van Duzer's winemaking efforts are focused on the preservation of the fresh fruit character inherent in the Pinot Gris grapes. The grapes are harvested by hand and whole-cluster pressed, the gentlest method of extracting juice. The juice was cold-settled for 24 hours and then transferred to stainless steel tanks for fermentation.
Bottling took place after only three months to capture maximum fresh fruit character.
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