King Estate Winery (photo: © David Loveall Photo Inc.)

Crowning Achievement

Oregon’s King Estate makes world-class Pinot Gris.

QRW Staff

If there’s one white wine you must drink this summer, it’s Pinot Gris. But it must be good Pinot Gris, like the kind you’ll find in Alsace and Oregon. We’re opting for Oregon because the recent 2006 vintage is extremely good and better than its Alsace counterpart, and because the Euro is so absurdly high that it’s ridiculous to ask consumers to spend 60 percent more for a French wine.

Pinot Gris has never really been out of fashion, and it has gained more recognition and momentum from knowing consumers over the years. In Oregon, no winery makes better Pinot Gris than King Estate. Hugh Johnson corroborates our view (see his Modern Encyclopedia), saying further that “Pinot Gris is King’s finest wine.” Almost unilaterally, the wine press has been praising King about this varietal, and we’ve been unabashedly hailing hosannas about it for years at QRW. When nicely chilled, Pinot Gris is delicious, and it’s wonderfully versatile, working well as an aperitif (oysters and crab), and as an entrée (salmon craves Pinot Gris, as does pork, which can be a difficult food to pair). In summer especially, Pinot Gris is like great Chablis: it can make you forget about the efficacies of Champagne.

Pinot Gris derives from the Pinot Noir family and is known by many names. In Alsace, it’s often referred to as Tokay; in Italy it’s called Pinot Grigio. Here we call it Pinot Gris. No matter the name, when nature provides for a fine vintage, Pinot Gris is soft, gently perfumed, dry, with substance and texture. It gets all this from its Pinot Noir relative. Like Pinot Noir, Gris’ grapes are blue, brown, and pink, which yield a wine with engaging straw and golden colors and effusive aromatic notes. It’s powerful yet soft; assertive yet yielding; aristocratic without an attitude.

John Albin, Director of Viticulture (photo: © David Loveall Photo Inc.)

At King Estate, Pinot Gris is a religion, of sorts, and John Albin, Director of Viticulture and Winemaking, and Meliton Martinez, Vineyard Manager, make it so. They make small lots (which are stirred weekly) in stainless steel tanks, and produce slightly more than 10,000 cases of six-packs from their organic vineyards. The world is getting “green” these days, but King Estate was well ahead of all that years ago, and their vineyards have been declared 100 percent Certified Organic for some time. Oregon is a curious wine region. They have fine wines — Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, for examples — but many of the wineries still behave like cottage industries. They’re short on money and shorter on marketing. King Estate in Eugene, however, is the envy of the region, with its state-of-the-art facilities, its chef and restaurant, and its cookbooks. It is not only an artistically handsome place, but it’s a winery that has capital, marketing and PR. King Estate wines are available all across the country, something we can’t say about many Oregonian wines. Another thing you can’t say about many Oregonian wines is that the wines are inexpensive; yet King Estate offers world-class wine at great prices.

• 2007 Domaine King Estate Pinot Gris, $25. This is the best King Estate Pinot Gris, and worthy of a fine meal that includes a choice piece of salmon. The wine offers a soft and inviting yellow straw color. There are rich wafting aromas of what fine Pinot Gris always gives: melon, pear, citrus, pineapple, and nutmeg spice. The difference here, however, is the rounded and complex concentration these aromas display. The same flavors are in the finish, which offer seductive texture. It’s long, deep, and satisfying. One of the best examples of its kind.
  
  
• 2007 Signature King Estate Pinot Gris, $16. It hasn’t the depth of its richer Domaine brethren, but it has all the other qualities in a lighter and spirited way. Deeper straw color than the Domaine, with honey, pineapple, citrus, and floral notes. Lively and charming on the palate, with good texture and finish. 110,000 cases. Sumptuous wine that’s worth the price.