Stranger Wine Co. 2021 Pinot Gris, Lake Michigan Shore
Item Number: 18114
UPC: None
Country: USA
Region: Michigan
Sub Region: Lake Michigan Shore
Appellation/AVA: Lake Michigan Shore
Estate Grown Wine: No
Vineyard Designation: Willies of the Valley
Vintage: 2021
Grape(s): Pinot Gris
Type: Wine - White
Bottle Size: 750 ml
Pack: 12
Closure: Cork
Alc by Vol(%): 13.1
pH: 3.17
Viticulture: Regenerative
Soil Type: Spinks loamy fine sand
Elevation: 755 feet
Case Production: 47
Winemaking Philosophy: Stranger Wine Company is dedicated to creating small batch, minimal intervention wines that highlight Michigan's Vitis vinifera. As part of the commitment to highlighting the unique terroir of the region, they practice regenerative viticulture, primarily utilize native fermentation, and do not alter the wines with any finishing additives. Sulfites are used minimally prior to bottling to ensure the products stay fresh right up to the moment you are enjoying them in your glass.
Vintage Notes: 2021 in SW Michigan began with a hard frost a day after Mother’s Day. Luckily, most of the high elevation vineyards were not affected by the frost. Avonlea Estate saw about 15% loss in the lowest lying Pinot Noir block, however the rest of the vineyard was not affected. The cold spring was juxtaposed with a month of severe drought and 90+ degree conditions, causing an explosion of growth in a very short amount of time, which began to settle into normal day time temperatures (80-83) and cooler nights (55-60) as the vines moved toward flowering. July and August were moderated by intense wind off of Lake Michigan, allowing the vines to focus on fruit set and ripening. Late August into September brought early rains, a classic sign of La Nina fronts, and the winery battled intense mildew and rot pressures up until harvest. Though the end of the year proved to be difficult, the vines produced concentrated, high acid wines that are reflected of the intense farming year.
Winemaking Notes: The Pinot Gris macerated for 4 hours on the skins before being whole cluster direct pressed. The wine was then barrel fermented with native yeast with no added SO2. It aged for 8 months in a mix of neutral 500-liter puncheon and 228-liter barrel.
Tasting Notes: A call back to the tradition of barrel fermented Pinot Gris, the Stranger Wine Co. Pinot Gris has ripping acidity and balanced alcohol giving it a rich mouthfeel. Extended elevage and battonage help to lift the midpalate with texture and weight. Aromas of green apple, honeycomb, white flower and honeysuckle transition to a tension-driven palate full of minerality and salinity from the glacially-driven terroir. This is a wine to have now, or to lay down for years to come.