The Three Pears Pinot Grigio 2020 is sourced from vineyards in the Clarksburg and Lodi AVAs. The Three Pears brand is owned by Mason Cellars, a family-owned vineyard and the winery founded in the early 1990s. The label says this is a California wine.
Neither Clarksburg nor Lodi is a part of the greater Central Coast or North Coast AVAs, and they are situated in the northern portion of the Central Valley of California. The Central Valley is not an AVA; the wine regions are singular AVAs apart from the other California grape growing areas.
The Three Pears Pinot Grigio 2020 comes from vineyards along the river delta stemming from the San Pablo Bay. Clarksburg has a cooler climate, and Lodi has more Mediterranean weather conditions. The most famous region for Pinot Grigio is Alto Adige in Northern Italy, and that is a mountainous region with warm days and very cool nights.
This Pinot Grigio grown in California river valleys should be different from the high altitude Italian Pinot Grigio. With Mason Cellars’ involvement with this wine, the Three Pears Pinot Grigio 2020 should be produced to very high standards.
This Pinot was crushed and fermented with minimal grape skin contact with the juice and was fermented at low temperatures. Cool fermentation ensures a long complete fermentation. The wine was fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks. Cool fermentation produces a wine with complex and aroma and full flavors. The alcohol content is 12.1%
The Three Pears Pinot Grigio 2020 Tasting Notes
The color is a very pale wheat yellow. The nose is ripe apples and pears, with light spice, orange blossom honey, and a floral edge. The Three Pears Pinot Grigio 2020 is an excellent mix of citrus and fruit flavors with a well-controlled acidity.
It tastes like grapefruit, Anjou pear, a dash of honey, peach mixed with spice. The mid-palate brings blood orange, stone fruit, a faint salty sensation, and a late slap of melon. I sometimes find Italian Pinot Grigio too acidic for my tastes, and while there is a healthy dose of acidity on the palate, it is balanced by the body of the wine.
The Summary
- The Three Pears Pinot Grigio 2020 is a solid and tasty Pinot Grigio.
- The flavors and the acidity blend together well.
- This is one of those wines that call out to you to take another sip.
