Pierre Frick Pinot Gris Macération Alsace Grand Cru Vorbourg 2022

This bottling takes Pierre Frick's macerated Pinot Gris and draws it from the Grand Cru Vorbourg, a top-rated site in Alsace known for ripe, powerful wines. Frick has farmed biodynamically under Demeter certification since 1981 and works without added sulphur. As with his entry macerated Pinot Gris, the fruit is fermented on its skins and aged in barrel, but the Grand Cru origin adds concentration and depth, reflected in the fuller 14.5 per cent alcohol. The extended skin contact extracts colour, phenolics and tannin, giving an amber wine with genuine grip for a white grape, while the Vorbourg's warm, well-exposed slopes ripen the Pinot Gris fully and lend the wine its weight. Sulphur-free, native-yeast winemaking allows a slow oxidative evolution that builds savoury, complex character. The biodynamic approach keeps the wine transparent to its site. Expect a deep amber colour and a nose of apricot, orange peel and ginger over honey and beeswax. The palate is dry, rich and firmly structured, with concentrated stone fruit, a nutty, spiced depth and a long, tannic finish. This is a wine for the table rather than an aperitif. Serve at around 14 degrees in a large glass. It suits roast pork, chicken and nutty cheeses.