Tasting Notes: “The colour of the wine comes from the grape skins and the semi-oxidative handling. This vintage has a pale peach hue. There are immediately inviting aromas of apricot, peach, lychee and orange peel, with wild sage and white blossom. The palate shows flavours of stone fruit, tangy citrus, and subtle spice. The mouthfeel is precise and silky with a lovely volume of fine tannin and lingering acidity. Delicious on its own, the Real McCoy shines brightest when paired with a wide array of dishes. We have discovered this is a great wine for cellaring as the evolution is slow and the wine continues to improve with time. I will keep bottles of this vintage in my personal cellar for 15+ years.” – Jen Parr

Winemaking Notes: Vintage 2023 is our 9th release of a “skins ferment” Pinot Gris from Gibbston. Our experience is starting to pay dividends. We believe this variety responds beautifully to this technique, particularly with the longer hang time and naturally low crops that are the hallmarks of Gibbston. The Real McCoy highlights our intention to embrace the beauty and honesty of seasonality and this Valli wine is perhaps the one that most obviously expresses seasonal differences. Each vintage showcases a consistent, recognisable core with intriguingly different vintage characteristics. The 2023 growing season was generally warmer and drier allowing us to use whole clusters in all 3 of our ferments (25%, 30% and 66%). The bone-dry wine completed a full malolactic fermentation and was bottled after 11.5 months in neutral oak. The wine was not fined or filtered so natural sediment may occur.