One day, I got my best friend and my cousin to go with me on an “adventure” to Oregon Wine Country. That didn’t take much convincing, to be honest. While my best friend is varietal-specific (Riesling), she’s also open to trying new varietals to see if she likes them. My cousin…well, she just likes fruity wines…but they don’t have to be sweet…just a nice balance.
While on that trip, we went to Forest Grove, Oregon’s Montinore Estate
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What sets Montinore apart? They are one of the few Willamette Valley producers who are more known for their whites than their Pinot Noir.
While on that trip, I fell in love with this wine:
Why?
It’s everything a good Pinot Gris should be. Wet stone. Minerality. Apples. Pears. Lemon Zest. It’s all there.
In the glass, it’s a dark straw color, similar to a well-crafted Chardonnay, instead of a pale, more greenish-gold like some Pinot Gris can be.
On the nose, you’ll get that wet stone/minerality mingled beautifully with baked apples and pears. It also gives a hint of citrus as well.
On the first sip, you’ll be overwhelmed by the minerality and a hint of lemon zest if it’s straight out of the refrigerator, but that initial sip leads to hints of a well-made apple pie.
Side note: if you let it warm up and aerate a bit, it will mellow out and the flavors meld more than if you were to drink it straight out of the refrigerator and you get more of that well-made apple pie flavoring on the first sip.
Now, I know we all think our Mom’s or Grandma’s make the best damn apple pie around…but let me tell you something. My Grandma’s Apple Pie can and will beat anyone’s. There’s a reason why it’s the first to go at the holidays, and that’s because it’s simple. It’s comforting. And there’s a reason why one of my cousins will trail Grandma like a puppy dog when she says the word “pie”. She doesn’t have to say “apple pie”, just “pie” and he’s following her like a puppy (love you, J…but it’s true…you do follow her like a puppy! LOL). It’s a family secret, though, and I’m not about to release that secret to the world!!! Sorry, everyone. I love waking up every morning more than I like revealing family secret recipes.
Why do I mention my Grandma’s Apple Pie? Because that’s what this wine reminds me of. That simplicity that makes you want more. And then you have that “Oh shit!” realization when it’s gone. You didn’t savor it enough. You didn’t enjoy it to the point of being completely satisfied, so you had to keep coming back for more. Then it’s gone. *sad face*
But at $18 a bottle on Montinore’s website? This is definitely something that’s affordable enough to not feel the *total* sting of enjoying a whole bottle in one or two sittings.
