A Central Otago Pinot Gris from Yoshiaki & Kyoko Sato – using hand-picked fruit from the Red Shed Vineyard / Defiance Vineyards. Kept on skins for around 30 days, with no additives except for less than 15mg of sulphites before bottling without fining or filtration. A bright copper-gold colour in the glass. Beautifully – and delicately – aromatic, with blood orange, apricot, guava, watermelon and raspberry fruits, then white pepper, lemon peel, chamomile, negroni and orange blossom. A well-balanced palate has an edge of fruit tannin and phenolic bite as you’d expect, with juicy fruit and hints of toasted spice from barrel maturation in the mix. Complex and yet well-integrated. A great expression of Central Pinot Gris – should cellar well. 93pts
Sato Pinot Gris ‘L’Atypique’ 2023
