Achillee Pinot Blanc 2017
Conversation around this wine had us all agreeing on how much of a superior variety Pinot Blanc is when compared to Pinot Gris. It’s pros were all on show here, with purity and clarity being hallmarks of the variety and how it translates its site/vineyard into what you taste in the glass. A few things are of interest here: firstly, nearly 50% of this wine is made up of the lesser known Auxerrois variety, and secondly, the wine was given 4 weeks of deliberate oxidation prior to bottling to add complexity and a different dimension to the flavour profile. Risky winemaking in some ways, but it has certainly worked. On top of notes of white florals and orchard fruit, the slight exposure to oxygen has imparted notes of bees wax, dough and salinity into this, making it complex and enjoyable throughout. Perhaps they’re onto something here… - Ches Cook, FWC.