Pinot grigio is one of those wines that some people love and other love to hate. But it’s also a wine that comes to life in a couple different styles. So I think wine lovers who think they don’t like pinot grigio may have just not tried the right one yet.
I generally like pinot grigio that is bone dry and focused on citrus and mineral qualities. But some pinot grigio offers a lot more complexity and more stone fruit or tropical fruit characteristics. This is one of those wines.
Geyser Peak is a pretty big producer, based in Sonoma County, California. They’re best known for their wine production from the Alexander Valley in Sonoma. But the appellation for this particular wine is just “California.” Meaning the grapes are likely from a few different vineyards in different appellations.
A harmonious bouquet of orange blossom, apple, nectarine and melon aromatics give this wine a very pleasant nose. It has a touch of tropical too, which might make you think it’s a sauvignon blanc at first sniff. The palate is very well balanced and offers apple, nectarine and melon flavors with just enough acidity to brighten it up. The finish is medium-long with citrus, apple and mineral flavors.
This is an easy wine to find, reasonably priced and it delivers a lot of flavor compared to most cheap pinot grigio. In short, it’s a killer wine.
Wine: Geyser Peak
Variety: Pinot grigio
Vintage: 2012
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 90
Price: $12.00
Disclosure: This wine was received as a media sample.