J Vineyards and Winery Pinot Gris

Last week, I wrote about two different Pinot Grigios from Canyon Wind Cellars. The crux of that piece was how blending grapes changes a wine. I examined how blending two different grapes changes the varietal characteristics of wines made from only a single type of grape. Due to a lack of timing and planning, I did not discuss another aspect of blending, blending the same grape from a variety of regions. These types of blends often highlight (or hide) the characteristics of a wine from each sources' terroir. Days after tasting the Colorado Pinot Grigios, I enjoyed a Pinot Gris from California. While Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris are the same cultivar, there is a noticeable difference between the Italian (Grigio) and French (Gris) winemaking styles of these wines. Pinot Grigio tends to be light, crisp and have citrus and mineral aromas and flavors. Unfortunately, many (not the Canyon Wind wines) are often light to a failing. Pinot Gris on the other hand tends to be heavier and fruitier. They also often have a spiciness that I really enjoy.

While the Canyon Wind Cellars' Pinot Grigio was from a single vineyard in the Grand Valley AVA of western Colorado, the California Pinot Gris was sourced from three distinct growing regions in California. 38% of the grapes were sourced from Clarksburg, 35% from Monterrey and 27% from the Russian River Valley. Each of these regions has a distinct climate that imparts different attributes that talented winemakers can use to blend quality wines that may not speak to a specific place but a style. All three source regions share the climatic characteristics of warm days and cool nights that allow grapes to ripen beautifully. Even though this wine is probably a result of bringing in outside fruit to make the Russian River based juice go further, this entry-level blend provides excellent quality for a small price.

2010 J Vineyards and Winery Pinot Gris, California

A brilliant yellow color in the glass, this wine yields exceptionally citrus aromatics. With slightly honeyed notes, lime and orange blossom dominate the nose. Fruity, yet crisp flavors of lime and spicy lemongrass dance across your tongue. The complexity and spiciness offered here are a few of the reasons I usually enjoy Pinot Gris over Pinot Grigio. This 14% abv Sample $16. Good/Very Good (tasted 5/25/11)

To Blend or Not to Blend: Pinot Grigio

A few weeks ago, Steve Heimoff discussed his tasting of the Harlan Estate and BOND Estates 2008 and 2007 lineup. He mentioned that he often prefers the *cheaper* blended Matriarch. Much of his post and subsequent reader commentary explored the "concept of whether a blended wine could not be more complete than a single vineyard wine." Steve's argument was based on the idea that blended wines might be better wines because a winemaker could accentuate the desirable characteristics of individual sites or different varietal characteristics. In fact, many wines use this concept to create "house" styles rather than wines of terroir. Bordeaux and the proprietary red wines of Napa Valley are blends that often vary from year to year. High-end reds aren't the only  wines made utilizing this concept. Champagne is another popular blended wine. While not as prevalent with white wines, several very popular blends, Conundrum, Evolution and Ménage à Trois, are made from different combinations of white grapes. Blending represents the highest form of a winemaker's artistic expression.

Although I have yet to receive my invitation to visit and taste Bill Harlan's grand cru portfolio, I still wanted to explore the differences of single-vineyard and blended wines. If any from Harlan is reading, I will accept said invitation! The simplest way to do so was to taste not a complex blend like those three widely marketed wines I listed above, but to taste a wine blended with only two grapes. I wanted to determine if a single-vineyard or blended wine is better. Obviously, differences would be highly specific to individual wines. For this endeavor, I selected two wines from Canyon Wind Cellars; a single-vineyard pinot grigio from the Cliffside Vineyard and a blend of 60% pinot grigio from the same vineyard and 40% chardonnay from the nearby Riverside Vineyard. I had my wife pour the two wines and I tasted them blind to determine the differences between these two similar yet different wines. I didn't want to be influenced by my preconceived ideas about what the wines *should* taste like, but the varietal characteristics were quite apparent and I was able to easily identify which glass contained chardonnay and which contained only pinot grigio. In this case, I preferred the lovely aromatics and crisp acidity of the pinot grigio to the blend, but my wife tried them both later and preferred the blend. Get them both and see which you prefer!

2010 Canyon Wind Cellars, Pinot Grigio, Grand Valley AVA, Colorado

Exceptionally light in color and almost clear on the rim, this wine is beautifully aromatic with scents of melon, apricot, citrus and hints of salt and minerals. The refreshingly crisp palate is redolent of kaffir lime and honeydew melon. As I tasted, I knew it had to be the pinot grigio and wanted to pair it with prosciutto-wrapped melon. I'm not usually a fan of pinot grigio, but this one I do like.12.9% abv Sample $15. Good (tasted 5/18/11)

2010 Canyon Wind Cellars, 47-Ten, Grand Valley AVA, Colorado

This wine is light yellow in color, but just slightly darker than the pinot grigio. The nose is slightly muted, but cedes notes of apples and apricots. The chardonnay adds body and alcohol to the bright and crisp pinot grigio. In no way out of balance, the alcohol is more noticeable in this wine than the other. This light blend offers flavors similar to white peach grape juice and apples. This is a nice wine that would complement a tasty summer barbeque or relaxing by the pool. 13.6% abv Sample $13. Average/Good (tasted 5/18/11)