Pinot Grigio From Down Under

October 16, 2:36 PMSF Drinks ExaminerDeborah Parker Wong

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Robert Oatley Pinot Grigio retails for $18.

Australia might not be top of mind when it comes to Pinot Grigio but with so many lackluster Eurpoean examples of this often-neutral variety on the market, it's refreshing to find a superb example from two of Australia's most venerable winemakers.  Robert Oatley and his business partner Chris Hancock, MW have been making wine in South Australia for more than 40 years.  Their newest venture labeled Robert Oatley and produced at the Oatley family winery in Mudgee, Australia delivers a smart collection of well-priced wines that are varietally correct and tasty to boot.

With Pinot Grigio being one of the fastest-growing white varieties in the United States, there's a broad range of quality and styles on the market. The 2008 Oatley Pinot Grigio is medium bodied and crisp, somewhere between Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, without a trace of oak to interfere with the spicy aromas and ripe apple and pear flavors. There's plenty of acidity here for pairing with saltier foods and enough body and fruit to stand up to richer light meat dishes.  If you haven't explored Pinot Grigio, this is the place to start and if you've moved past lesser examples, it's time to reconsider. 

In addition, Oatley makes Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rose of Sangiovese, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon for the U.S. market.  The winery has seven estate vineyard sites with a broad cross section of soil types and average elevation of about 1,500 ft. above sea level.  Oatley purchased the Craigmoor estate which is the oldest continuously-operating winery in Australia in 2006.