Gibbston Valley School House Central Otago Pinot Gris 2019 $39 
I have been literally hopping from foot to foot waiting for this new vintage to be let out the gate from the good folk at Gibbston Valley – and believe me the wait was worth wearing holes in my shoes and the double knee replacement. Grown on vertigo-inducingly steep slopes, this gris was handpicked, whole bunch pressed and fermented in a combo of stainless steel barrels and French acacia wood puncheons then matured for 10 months on its yeast lees. On the nose the finished wine bursts with pear and apple strudel spices, followed by nashi-saturated niceness and a fresh, deeply textural mouthfeel on the finish. It’s clean, focused, yet has an exotic, enigmatic character that deserves every dollar and more.
