Full Review

King Estate

King Estate
2021 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley

Pair this wine with:
Chicken Pasta

Category: Pinot Gris

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 13.5% RS: .385%
Organically Grown Grapes
94 Points
Gold Medal
Exceptional
$19
Best Buy

King Estate
2021 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley

Pair this wine with:
Chicken Pasta

Category: Pinot Gris

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 13.5% RS: .385%
Silvery straw color. Pure aromas and flavors of peach tart, cashew nougat, white flower, and lime zest with a silky, vibrant, fruity medium-to-full body and a graceful, complex, long finish displaying notes of tangerine, honeycrisp apple, and almond skin with no oak flavor. A delicious, benchmark example of Oregon Pinot Gris; bright and crisp, serve this with antipasto or shellfish.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Fruity, Juicy & Smooth, New World & Non-Oaky
Aroma Aroma: peach tart, cashew nougat, white flower, and lime zest
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with notes of tangerine, honeycrisp apple, and almond skin
Sweetness Sweetness: Fruity
Enjoy Enjoy: Now-3 years Enjoy on its own
Recipes Pairing: BBQ Chicken, Pad Thai Chicken, Chicken Fajitas
Bottom Line Bottom Line: A delicious, benchmark example of Oregon Pinot Gris; bright and crisp, serve this with antipasto or shellfish.

The Producer

King Estate Winery

The Producer
80854 Territorial Hwy
Eugene, OR 97405
USA
1 541-942-9874

Their Portfolio

92 Inscription 2021 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $20.00.
88 Inscription 2022 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $20.00.
92 King Estate 2021 Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $22.00.
94 King Estate 2021 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $19.00.
92 King Estate 2018 Estate Grown Méthod Champenoise Brut Cuvée, Willamette Valley 12.5% (USA) $40.00.
88 King Estate 2022 Rosé, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $20.00.
92 King Estate 2018 Quintessence Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Red Mountain 14.5% (USA) $60.00.
89 King Estate 2018 Weinbau Vineyard, Cabernet Franc, Wahluke Slope 14.5% (USA) $54.00.
93 King Estate 2022 Sauvignon Blanc, Oregon 13.5% (USA) $19.00.
92 King Estate 2022 Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $19.00.
86 King Estate 2022 Artisan Series, Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $20.00.
88 King Estate 2021 Estate Grown Domaine, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13% (USA) $28.00.
90 King Estate 2018 Bacchus Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 14% (USA) $56.00.
88 King Estate 2017 Bacchus Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 14.5% (USA) $56.00.
94 King Estate 2016 Bradshaw Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 14.1% (USA) $60.00.
92 King Estate 2016 Temperance Hill Vineyard, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $70.00.
91 King Estate 2018 Weinbau Vineyard, Merlot, Wahluke Slope 15% (USA) $52.00.
88 King Estate 2018 Sonrisa Vineyard, Tempranillo, Columbia Valley 14% (USA) $50.00.
90 King Estate 2019 Quail Run Vineyards and Gold Vineyard White Blend, Rhone White Varietal Blend, Rogue Valley 14% (USA) $28.00.
88 King Estate 2018 Quail Run Vineyards White Blend, Rhone White Varietal Blend, Rogue Valley 14.5% (USA) $28.00.
88 King Estate 2019 Kennel Vineyard, Chardonnay, Willamette Valley 13% (USA) $50.00.
92 King Estate 2019 Four Nobles Cuvee Blanc, Willamette Valley 13% (USA) $30.00.
87 King Estate 2022 Artisan Series, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $29.00.
91 King Estate 2022 Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $30.00.
89 King Estate 2021 Domaine, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.0% (USA) $70.00.
92 King Estate 2022 Domaine, Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $30.00.
88 King Estate 2019 Brut Cuvée, Willamette Valley 12.5% (USA) $40.00.
92 King Estate 2023 Rosé, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley 13.5% (USA) $20.00.
93 King Estate 2023 Sauvignon Blanc, Oregon 14.1% (USA) $20.00.
88 Next 2018 Red Blend, Columbia Valley 13.5% (USA) $13.00.
92 North By Northwest 2019 Red Blend, Columbia Valley 13.5% (USA) $14.00.
92 The Soldier 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 14.5% (USA) $23.00.
88 The Soldier 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Valley 14.5% (USA) $23.00.

Pinot Gris

Wine Glass White.jpg
Serve in a White Wine Glass
Pinot Gris is the same grape as Pinot Grigio, but when a wine is identified as a Pinot Gris, it is generally a more full-bodied, more complex, more age-worthy wine.

The best examples of Pinot Gris come from Alsace in northeastern France and Oregon. These wines are have excellent weight on the palate, good acidity and ripe apple and pear fruit with a distinct spiciness and a dry finish. Most examples are aged only in steel, but some producers in Alsace will age Pinot Gris in large, older wooden casks, which can add a touch of spice as well as additional texture.

There are also some sweeter versions of Pinot Gris produced in Alsace; these are labeled as vendange tardives or grains nobles.

There are also versions of Pinot Gris from the far northwestern Italian region of Valle d'Aosta as well as from California.

Consume most versions of Pinot Gris at an early age, from two to five years. The finest versions of Alsatian Pinot Gris (from Grand Cru vineyards) can be enjoyed at 15-20 years of age.

Food pairings that work well with Pinot Gris include smoked fish, sushi, Asian cuisine, chicken with cream sauce or veal, pork or poultry with mushrooms.