2011 was a very unusual vintage in the UK, with many vineyards reporting record ripeness levels thanks to very low yields and an extended Indian summer. In practice, in the UK this means that winemakers were widely able to make still wines without chaptalisation and/or de-acidification, which are unfortunately necessary in our climate at times. Of the three main Pinot grapes, Pinot Grigio is firmly in third place in the UK in terms of plantings behind its siblings Pinots Blanc, Meunier and Noir due to its later ripening and unsuitability as a sparkling wine grape. It only really makes great wine in Alsace and in isolated pockets of Northern Italy, and I'm not sure the UK will be challenging these top wines for now.
This is quite a charmer on the nose, with its sweet red apple, peach blossom and even a bit of the perfume of fresh strawberries. The palate reminds me of fresh lemonade with its tangy acidity and gentle pear-like sweetness. It is primary stuff, all fruit/sugar/acidity, much like many of the northern italian wines. A tipple, and one that could spark a whole piece about still wines in the UK - but that's for another day! I look forward to tasting some more wines from the 2011 vintage, but this is a very solid start.
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