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The Trader Joe’s Reserve Willamette Pinot Gris 2022 is a $9.99 Trader Joe’s exclusive. This wine was “produced and bottled by” D W Hinman Cellars. Produced and bottled by means they made the wine, vinted and bottled by (often seen on Trader Joe’s Reserve wine) does not mean much.
D W Hinman Cellars is Doyle Hinman a Willamette Valley wine pioneer who has been growing grapes and producing wine there since the 1970s. He has been instrumental in all aspects of Willamette Valley including trade and promotion of Oregon and Willamette Valley wine.
Pinot Gris is the same as Pinot Grigio. Gris is French for gray, and Grigio is Italian for gray. Pinot Gris has been planted since the early days. You usually associate excellent Pinot Noir growing regions with Chardonnay as the leading White grape.
The Trader Joe’s Reserve Willamette Pinot Gris 2023 as with most Trader Joe’s exclusive wines does not have production of tasting notes.
There is one sentence of a tasting profile on the front label. We can guess that this is a wine that was fermented and aged in stainless steel vats.
When a wine is called Pinot Gris it implies it was made in the French style which is more rounded than the Italian Alto Adige Pinot Grigio style which can be very crisp with bracing acidity.
The alcohol content is 13.5%.
The Trader Joe’s Reserve Willamette Pinot Gris 2023 Tasting Notes
The color is a pale golden yellow. The nose is bright and lively, there are scents of pear, peach, lemon, nectarine, a sweet spice, and a light floral note. Trader Joe’s Reserve Willamette Pinot Gris 2023 does not remind me of Italian Pinot Grigio at all, the flavors are husky and attention-getting.
This Pinot Gris tastes like melon, lemon chiffon (not sweet), Anjou pear, coconut milk, and pineapple. The mid-palate adds blood orange, a slightly green pepper flavor, and tart Mayer lemon.
The acidity is balanced and gives the flavors a solid structure to unfold.
The Summary
- The Trader Joe’s Reserve Willamette Pinot Gris 2023 is a very interesting wine and well worth giving a try.
- The flavors caught me by surprise but quickly won me over.
- Another outstanding $9.99 wine.
