2022 Wolf in Sheep's Clothing Pinot Grigio

2021 ˜Wolf in Sheep' Clothing' Mornington Peninsula Pinot Grigio

OK, I know what you are thinking. 'Another pinot grigio? Really? How many more do we need? They're pretty much all the same anyway! Whilst I do not completely disagree with such sentiments, there are a few regions in Italy where they not only take this grape seriously, but they make some seriously incredible wines from it. My goal was to make something a bit more than your average pinot grigio white wine, and I hope I have achieved that.

For this vintage I was lucky to source grapes from the famed 100 Hunts Vineyard in Tuerong, and once it arrived at the winery it was immediately pressed. The juice was kept cool to help separate the solids, then transferred to a mixture of new French oak and very mature Hungarian oak puncheons for fermentation. Malolactic fermentation was allowed to complete in barrel, and the wine rested on lees for six months to pick up more texture. The wine was bottled without any additional sulphur and a very light filter.

In discussion with my wife about what I should call this wine, we discussed the grey element of the variety's name, and started thinking about grey animals. The wolf was one of the first that came to mind “majestic yet dangerous“ and the term 'wolf in sheep' clothing' stood out for me, as this pinot grigio is probably not what you'd expect, packing more punch than you might have become accustomed to.