2024 Villa Wolf Pinot Gris

Ernie Loosen is best known as the king of Mosel Riesling, but Villa Wolf is his playground in the Pfalz. He took over this historic estate (founded in 1756) to rescue it from disrepair, and it has since become a benchmark for accessible, high-quality German wines.

This is classic "Grauburgunder" - the German name for Pinot Gris. Unlike the often watery Italian Pinot Grigios, this has genuine weight and presence. The Pfalz region sits in the rain shadow of the Haardt Mountains, creating a warm, dry climate that allows the fruit to achieve full ripeness.

Ernie describes the texture here as "crackling." It’s a great word for it. Fermented entirely in stainless steel to preserve freshness, it offers generous flavours of pears and apples, with a curious but delicious hint of pepper and a touch of greenery.

It is off-dry in spirit - meaning it has a ripe fruit profile and a touch of richness - but finishes clean and refreshing.