25-Oct-2017
The Awatere River Wine Co. of Louis Vavasour is the continuation of his family’s long involvement in farming in the Awatere Valley of Marlborough. The label represents classic Marlborough varietal and style expression, with an emphasis, of course, on the Awatere Valley. To date, the wines have grown in quality and consistency, and are awarded well in wine shows and tastings. 2017 was a difficult vintage in Marlborough with rains influence picking. Winemaker Andrew Parley reports that achieving optimum ripeness with fruit free of botrytis was the challenge. Most producers picked earlier than was normal, resulting in lighter, more elegant wines with elevated acidity, but also greater aromatic intensity. The 2017 wines from Awatere River have been of very good quality, indicating good vineyard decisions. Here, I review the 2017 Pinot Gris. www.arwc.co.nz
