Quealy Tussie Mussie Pinot Gris 2021

Is there a cuter name for a vineyard in Australia? Managed by the Quealy team, the Tussie Mussie vineyard was planted on the site of a former rose farm in 2007 (hence the name—tussie mussie is an old term for a flower bouquet). In Merricks North, the vineyard’s 3.5 acres of Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir is rooted in the Peninsula’s most prized soil: deep red volcanic clays. North-facing at 120 to 150 metres altitude, the site is well-protected and warm. Quealy notes all these attributes, along with the youthful vine stock, result in an exuberantly fruity style of Gris.

The fruit was hand-picked and whole-bunch pressed over six hours at low pressure (Alsatian-style) to capture only the grapes’ most delicate phenolics. Only the free-run was used, with the lion’s share fermenting in stainless steel and 20% going to French oak for structure and complexity. For extra texture, the wines were lees-stirred until November, when it was blended and bottled.