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2001 Pinot Gris
Vitae Springs Vineyard Release Date: 11/29/02 Retail Price $: 16.00 Availability: 468 cases Production Notes Vitae Springs Vineyard, established in 1986, is located in the rolling hills five miles south of Salem, Oregon. The grapes come from the lower hillside on a warm south slope of well-drained Jory clay at an average elevation of 400'. We produced this Pinot gris in a style to bring out ripe fruit and spice flavors without the influence of barrel aging. The must was tank fermented, aged for eight months on the lees, and lightly filtered before bottling. This Pinot gris complements a wide variety of foods - salmon, shellfish, chicken, grilled vegetables.
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Winemaker Notes
Most of my Pinot gris eggs are in this basket. Six years ago I asked Earl Van Volkinburg, the grower, to quadruple the acreage, and those vines are now coming into production. This used to be the smallest production lot at St. Innocent (one year we only produced 83 cases), but no longer.
Pinot gris intrigues me because of its lovely spiciness. We make two gris - Shea and Vitae Springs Vineyards. Vitae Springs is done in a fruit forward or 'Pinot grigio' style. It emphasizes purity of fruit. The wine captivates your nose and mouth with its intriguing balance of fruit and spice. The wine ages beautifully and attains an even greater richness of fruit and viscosity after 4-7 years.
Tasting Notes
It has aromas of very ripe sweet apples, pear, a hint of cinnamon, and lots of Pinot gris spiciness. All of these fruits carry into your mouth. Poached, sauteed, or baked fish, especially salmon, are a great match.