Domaine Meriwether ’07 Pinot Gris

Domaine Meriwether’s 2007 Willamette Valley Pinot Gris is full and round with tremendous depth of character.

These remarkable  qualities are acquired through additional bottle aging. While many other wineries will soon be releasing their 2011 Pinot Gris, the Meriwether 2007 Pinot Gris was included in their most recent wine club release.

Buzz Kawders, owner of Domaine Meriwether, is a firm believer in creating wines that benefit with aging. Domaine Meriwether is primarily a sparkling wine producer, so the Meriwether facility was designed to age wine 5 to 9 years; therefore, Kawders has the desire and the ability to age still wines longer than most.

Last summer, Kawders told me that he compares aging wine to a jigsaw puzzle:

“Making wine is like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, and all the pieces must fit together to create a picture. Once all the pieces are together, the further away you get from the picture, the better the picture gets; it becomes seamless and whole.”

Indeed, the Meriwether ’07 Pinot Gris is seamless and whole. The color is a pale straw-like yellow with golden hues, and aromas of honeysuckle and tropical fruits abound. Seamless citrus and honey flavors flow from beginning to end, and the texture is incredibly smooth and silky with a well rounded finish.

With or without food, this Pinot Gris is absolutely delicious. Something I love to do when tasting a wine for the first time is imagining where and when I’ll enjoy the wine most. This one is a back patio sipper in the mid-summer sun, and it will for sure be gracing my wine glasses this coming summer.

To read my full article on Domaine Meriwether, click here.