What Carolyn Pours: Etude Pinot Gris 2022
A clear day in a glass.
Pull out the patio furniture and cue up the jazz. Your lovely spring evening is just getting started, thanks to Etude pinot gris. It is such a bright and inviting wine, and it always makes me think of tulips, daffodils and picnics. The first taste gave me notes of lime zest and white peach, along with a pineapple and apricot. Truly refreshing.
Pretty in the glass with a lovely pale straw color, the wine also has a flinty minerality, along with one of my favorite qualities in a pinot gris: a slight saline edge. There is a lovely long finish which keeps its flavor going after you swallow it, with a steeliness which lingers in a really nice way. Add some goat cheese or some oysters to your picnic and you have a perfect pairing. I would also love to see this accompany a fresh garden salad, sprinkled lightly with a blue cheese crumble, salt and pepper, a light vinaigrette and a touch of good olive oil.
It is no wonder that pinot gris is California's third leading white varietal by acreage right behind sauvignon blanc and Chardonnay. The word Etude is French for study, a reference to the idea that, for the winemaker, working with pinot gris is a lifelong endeavor that is never quite mastered. The Carneros appellation, where this wine is made, is special due to its proximity to San Francisco’s northern San Pablo Bay. It acts as a giant funnel for the cool ocean air and fog that runs through the region before warming up as it reaches the Napa and Sonoma valleys.
This particular grape has always been one of Etude winemaker Jon Priest’s favorites, and it shows here in a wine that is beautifully balanced, refreshing and so very easy to drink. The winery also produces a well known pinot noir, which is also worth tasting.
It might be a bit tricky to find a bottle of this around Port Townsend. It retails on the winery's website www.etudewines.com for $35 a bottle, but I was able to get some on the Last Bottle App for $16. I also asked Joe at The Wineseller on Water Street if he would order some, in case any of you would like to try it.
If you do find a bottle, be sure to choose the right wine glass, ideally one with a smaller bowl than a red wine glass, and a slightly tapered rim to focus the aromas. It all comes together nicely here with this wine's freshness. It's a bottle that is both easygoing and well put together.
