Wines made from Pinot gris grapes of Graubünden
Discover the best wines made with Pinot gris as a single variety or as a blend of Graubünden.
Pinot Gris is a grey grape variety mutated from Pinot Noir. It has its origins in Burgundy, where it is called pinot-beurot in reference to the colour of the grey robes worn by the monks of the region. Established in Alsace since the 17th century, pinot gris was called tokay until 2007. It is made up of bunches of small berries that vary in colour from pink to blue-grey. It is particularly well suited to the continental climate because it is resistant to the cold in winter and to spring frosts. This variety also likes dry limestone soils with plenty of sunshine in the summer. Pinot Gris is well suited to late harvesting or to the selection of noble grapes, depending on the year and the concentration of sugars in the berries. Pinot Gris wines are distinguished by their aromatic complexity of white fruits, mushrooms, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, etc., and their great finesse. In the Loire Valley, pinot gris is used in the Coteaux-d'Ancenis appellations. It gives dry or sweet wines with pear and peach aromas.
Graubunden (or Grisons, in the French language) is the easternmost administrative canton and wine appellation of Switzerland. Bordering Austria, this alpine region boasts just over 400 hectares (990 acres) of Vineyard, predominantly Pinot Noir grown in the Bündner Herrschaft and wider valleys of the Maienfeld region. The largest canton by land area in the country and the source of the Rhine river, Graubunden is basically divided into fertile valley floor and soaring alpine peaks. After making its way down from its source at the Tomasee, high in the Alps, the Rhine turns Northwards, through the substantial valley it has carved for itself over many millennia.
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Onwards, upwards. The roads get narrower, the corners get tighter. I step out of the car when I finally reach the winery and the air is so much fresher here. I go to take a sip from my water bottle and a gust of wind makes it whistle. I stand with Thomas Jullien and we look over the vineyards. It’s not yet spring, and the vines look little more than sticks. ‘It’s a lunar landscape at the moment,’ he says, as a friend’s flock of 300 sheep has just passed through to graze on every scrap of green b ...
Warhol. Turner. Dali. If I showed you some of their most famous works, could you identify the artist? Even for those who rarely visit art galleries, I suspect the answer would be yes. Wine, however, is different. Could you reliably name great winemakers just by tasting their wines? Not impossible; but even for the most dedicated wine lover, not always easy. Sure, there are some winemakers with a style that’s so distinctive that their wines are unmistakable. In this group, I’d include the wines o ...