Wine 2010 Stefano Lubiana Pinot Grigio

Is there anywhere else on the planet that is more driven to adopt new technologies than Australia? Probably not. It seems that no matter where we go, or what we do, we're being ruled by the 21st century wizardry of mobile phones and computers. The effects of modern technology are inescapable. So how is it then that Australia's winemakers - perhaps the most technologically advanced on the planet - have been so spectacularly unsuccessful in creating truly interesting and satisfying wines from pinot grigio? (Or pinot gris, to use its French name instead.) After all these years of growing it well in our vineyards, have we really been barking up the wrong tree when it comes to doing justice to the variety in the winery? The more I stop to think about what I've been doing in Tasmania, the more I'm inclined to believe that we have. Maybe the right tree just happens to be a European oak? This latest release of our popular PG reflects my first attempts at taking Alsace's classic grey grape down a new path at Stefano Lubiana Wines. Stylistically, it has a toe or two inside French territory now, thanks to the inclusion of some winemaking components that spent time in oak - small and large format French oak. Our aim has been to take a deliberate but measured step away from our signature, fruit-driven style of pinot grigio in favour of something that places greater emphasis on texture and flavour complexity. We see it as a subtle but necessary response to our feelings that some previous vintages of this wine may have put a little too much style in front of substance. In the glass, there is still plenty of appealing aroma and flavour in this attractive youngster. The nose is typically varietal, with notes of glacé fruits and ginger adding interest to the wine's lifted citrus/mandarin and exotic/musk characters. We certainly like the palate in our latest interpretation of the European model. It's fresh and inviting, with just the right amount of spice and fine acidity to balance the wine's enhanced creamy texture and underlying phenolic structure. To me, at least, it seems a step in the right direction in working sympathetically with this noble wine grape. You'd hardly call it techno-savvy, but it surely is delicious. Enjoy!