Wine Review - 2020 Kim Crawford Pinot Gris: Beach Rocks and Honey

This is not the first choice many people make when choosing a Kim Crawford wine, but this often a mistake. Their Pinot Gris is well made and perfectly suited to the food one might eat when in New Zealand but for that matter pretty much anywhere. This Pinot Gris would pair perfectly with a ton of seafood or poultry dishes but is just as easy drinking on a sunny patio with some charcuterie and all the fixin's.

The wine has a slight straw coloured hue to it but doesn't move into a particularly yellow colour which is interesting in comparison to its Italian Pinot Grigio cousins. It is surprisingly thick in the glass to the point of having some syrupy sensations as you taste it. At 13.0% one might think the alcohol / acid in there would thin that out but that's not the case.

The nose is pure honey. There are very subtle notes of lemongrass and lychee in there but those are shoved aside pretty quickly for more honey. The interesting part is that the sweet nose does not really carry through to the palate. 

The acid from the fruit and alcohol is the first thing that hits the tongue and then the syrupy mouthfeel follows right behind it. The saline notes of beach rock and flint are right there as well to support the grapefruit and star fruit flavours that coat the tongue. If you've ever had Ting the Jamaican soft drink, it's like that minus the sugar and fizz. Quite refreshing for a thicker white wine.

	Tasting Notes:	Score:
Sight (0-5)	Slight straw coloured and thick in the glass.	4.5
Smell (0-5)	Honeyed nose with notes of lemongrass and lychee.	4.0
Taste (0-10)	Strong acid on the front-end with notes of beach rock, grapefruit and star fruit.	8.5
	Total:	17 / 20 (85%)

This is a great tasting Pinot Gris and it can be very versatile in terms of your pairings. The next time you're reaching for a Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc take a look to the left and right to see if this one is on the shelf and give it a try, or better yet, get both and compare them.

Keep on tasting!

Chris & Shannon