Do you enjoy Pinot Gris wines? From BC? I’ve read recently online that there is going to be a shortage of Pinot Gris wines to buy this year. So pick up your bottles soon. Here are two bottles you may want to consider from Haywire Wine, part of Okanagan Crushpad in Summerland. The wines are the Haywire Pinot Gris 2020 and the Haywire Switchback Pinot Gris 2019. Switchback refers to their Switchback vineyard; a single vineyard wine. The grapes from the other Pinot Gris are sourced from their Switchback and Seacrest vineyards.
Both these wines are fermented and aged in concrete vessels and used native neats. The Switchback Pinot Gris 2019 was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Both wines are vegan-friendly and made from organically grown grapes.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Haywire Pinot Gris 2020 (BC $27.99)
According to the winery, ” This Pinot Gris was pressed and fermented in concrete, stainless steel and oak foudre using native yeast. It was put on lees for six months before being filtered and then bottled.“
Appearance: Medium-plus bright golden lemon colour.
Nose: Medium-plus deep, ripe aromas of pears and apples, plus some toastiness, and a touch of peach. About the same aromas after decanting, but maybe now with a touch of honey.
Palate: Dry, round with a thicker mouthfeel. There is a constant tiny acidic prickle on your tongue. Ripe pear skin, peach, and apple with a touch of lemon and lime flavours. A stony minerality touch from the mid-palate to the finish. There is a flinty or toasty flavour with decanting, plus grapefruit and additional bitterness to add to the previously mentioned flavours. The acidic prickle is also a bit stronger.
Finish: Medium-plus length finishing with tart citrus, pith, honey, and light pepperiness. These flavours continue with decanting, plus some additional bitterness, maybe from grape stems?
An interesting wine. I prefer the undecanted version of this wine as you get all the ripe fruit aromas and flavours, the flintiness/toastiness and the acidic prickle is lessened.
Rating: 
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without decanting. Bright medium-plus golden lemon colour. Round and dry with a thicker mouthfeel and persistent tiny acidic prickle on the palate. Ripe pear skin, peach, and apple flavours, plus some stony minerality. Tart citrus, pith, pepperiness and honey on the finish.
Haywire Switchback Pinot Gris 2019 (BC $28.99)
From the winery, “Switchback vineyard was harvested in 2 batches and carefully whole bunch pressed to concrete. Native fermentation and full malolactic fermentation occurred before resting on lees for 10 months and bottled unfiltered.”
Appearance: A bright medium lemon colour.
Nose: Lighter aromas showing dried peach, grape stem, and a touch of flint and apricot. The flint is replaced with stoniness with decanting.
Palate: Dry, smooth and round with a thicker mouthfeel. Light acidic prickle. Apple, peach skin, lemon, and grape stem, plus a touch of apricot flavours. There is also a hint of spearmint and pineapple. The flavours persist with decanting, but now the acidic prickle and the grape stem bitterness is stronger.
Finish: Medium length with some pepperiness and pith bitterness, stone fruits and honey flavours. Same flavours with decanting.
Again, the undecanted version is my preference, and again it is mainly because there is less acidic prickle and grape stem bitterness.
Rating: without decanting. A medium intensity bright lemon colour. Lighter aromas of dried peach and flint, with a touch of apricot and grape stem. Dry, round with a light acidic prickle. Apple, peach skin, lemon pith and grape stem flavours. Medium length finishing with pith, light pepperiness stone fruits and honey flavours.
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
You can purchase these two wines online from the Okanagan Crush Pad website. You can purchase the Pinot Gris 2020 at Everything Wine and select Save On Foods stores. The Switchback Pinot Gris 2019 is also available at select Save On Foods stores.
