Wine review: Elk Cove Pinot Gris 2020

This Oregon white wine takes the state’s pinot gris in a different – but equally enjoyable – direction

Oregon pinot gris, though not as popular as the state’s pinot noir, has long been one of the best styles of wine that not enough people know about. It’s fresh, much more interesting than the tonic water pinot grigios from Italy and California, and sometimes can be layered and complex.

In fact, until premiumization took hold, the blog regularly touted affordable Oregon pinot gris.

Sadly, that’s no longer the case – even ordinary, supermarket-quality wines cost more than $15. So when I find something like the Elk Cove Pinot Gris 2020 ($18, purchased, 13%), it’s worth writing about, even though it costs more than I usually spend.

That’s because the Elk Cove is a lovely, fresh, and appealing Oregon pinot gris that shows how diverse the grape can be. Many of the state’s pinot gris feature crisp lime fruit, sometimes venturing into lemon and lime. But the Elk Cove is made in a softer style (melon, tangerine and papaya, maybe, if we’re going to be geeky) that is as welcome as it is different.

Having said that, the wine isn’t cloying or chardonnay-rich in its approach; then it wouldn’t be pinot gris. The grape’s appealing minerality is still there on the finish, and it’s still a terrific food wine as pinot gris almost always is.

Highly recommended – not only for quality, but because it is a fine value at this price.