2022 Vino Intrepido 'Wolf in Sheep's Clothing' King Valley Pinot Grigio

Though there is no shortage of pinot grigio produced in Italy, there are a few regions where they take this grape seriously and make some incredible wines from it. My goal was to make something a bit more than your average pinot grigio white wine by sourcing from the ideal region in Victoria, and I hope I have achieved that.For the first time fruit came from the King Valley, the unofficial home of the variety in Australia. Fruit was harvested overnight and after bringing it back to the winery it was immediately pressed. The juice was kept cool to help separate the solids, and subsequently racked to a mixture of 500L puncheons and stainless steel. Malolactic fermentation was halted once fermented, and the wine aged on lees for a further six months. The wine was blended and then bottled in October 2021.In discussion with my wife Victoria about what I should call this addition to the Vino Intrepido range, we discussed the grey part of the variety’s name, and started thinking about grey animals. The wolf was one of the first that came to mind – majestic yet dangerous – and the term ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’ stood out for me, as this pinot grigio is probably not what you’d expect, packing more punch than you might have become accustomed to.