Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) “Turmalin” 2018
“Initially reserved on the nose, with a little air and time, the Pinot Gris shows yellow-fruited aromas of ripe apple, quince and peach with a certain smokiness. A good concise acidity, tautness and freshness characterise this wine. In addition, there are delicate hints of brioche, coconut and a touch of vanilla. Punchy, tight and precise with a wonderful balance and a long finish.”
Maître Sommelier Gerhard Retter
Ried Kreuzberg
Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris) "Turmalin" 2018
Ried Kreuzberg, Südsteiermark DAC
Turmanlinic metamorphic weathered rock
Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris)
Late budding, very warm spring with early flowering. Dry summer. Earliest harvest ever, relatively abundant rainfall at the beginning of autumn.
100 percent hand harvest
After spontaneous fermentation 27 months on the fine lees
Matured in wooden barrels
Alc. 13,5 % Vol.
1.1 g/l RZ dry
5.9 g/l tbS
This Pinot Gris 2018 impresses with its ripeness and fruit. Its balance and depth make it a perfect partner for both expressive light and delicate dark sauces. This wine conveys spiciness and a consistent sweetness-acidity balance.
In a large Burgundy glass, open 4-6 hours in advance.
Very good drinking maturity: 2022
Optimal drinking maturity: 2023 – 2033 and longer
Maître Sommelier Gerhard Retter describes this wine
Visually, the Pinot Gris is a real gem. It has a beautiful golden yellow colour and is very clear, clean and pure. At the beginning, it still has a relatively discreet nose and delicate, fine aromas. Youthful, but still fully ripe. It is dry, has a good structure, a complex body, medium acidity, no tannin and is relatively powerful in terms of alcohol. It is a complex, very aromatic wine, very punchy on the palate with a long finish.
The wine shows a really refined interplay of flavours. You taste ripe apple, a hint of quince and a touch of peach. And the longer the wine breathes, the more its fine yellow-fruity aromas develop. In addition, there is a certain interesting smokiness and a very small hint of nutty aromas.
Flawless and polished
The Pinot Gris is well suited as a variety here, but it is fine, polished, has a relatively good incisive acidity and a wonderful freshness. You can taste its origin, its terroir, the stony soil with its spicy quartz aromas. There is also a nuance of biscuit, toast and brioche, a little coconut, almond and a hint of vanilla. The Pinot Gris is very punchy on the palate, but still very tight, precise and perfectly balanced. It is a very fine Pinot Gris with a balanced and complex wood note, a really delicious wine with an extremely long finish that flatters the palate. And you can recognise not only its beautifully stony terroir, but also quite clearly the signature of its winemaker, as with the Sauvignons or the Morillons.
Multifaceted and rich in stones.
When the Pinot Gris is kissed by the air, it develops even more facets. The yellow-fruity aromas of pear and apple slowly come to the fore and the wine develops a very delicate, slightly salty, caramel note. It wins with every breath. It is a very good wine, a first-class Pinot Gris. Really cool. Simply wow!
My food tip for Pinot Gris:
What goes well with Pinot Gris are roasted poultry such as guinea fowl or pheasant, roasted veal and also like roasted or baked sweetbreads. Liver pâtés and terrines with nuts and pistachios are also a wonderful food accompaniment. Or a hearty pasta with salsicia. A great combination is also sterz made from corn or buckwheat. If you like fish, combine it with baked carp. For vegetarians, cauliflower à la polonaise (Polish style), spicy mature hard cheese or mushroom dishes such as morel à la creme and baked porcini mushrooms are a good choice. An interplay with a lot of pleasure!
