Cool-Climate California: MacMurray Pinot Gris

A enjoyable and sophisticated cool-climate Californian white

When you name a wine Pinot Gris, as opposed to Pinot Grigio, you are immediately suggesting the big, full and ripe-yet-dry style of Alsace as your reference point (as opposed to the lighter, crisper Pinot Grigio style).

This Californian Pinot Gris has all the hallmarks of an Alsace wine - perfumed and floral, yet dry and balanced.

It's not stereotypically brash in a US sort of way, but it is Big and Expressive with lots of fruit - Vin Diesel rather than Vincent Van Gogh.

MacMurray Estate Vineyards Pinot Gris 2016, Russian River Valley (Great Western Wine, £17.95) expressive, perfumed and floral with white flowers, ripe pear and sweetly-spiced baked apple and ginger fruit. Fresh and rounded.

Substantial and well-made; ready for drinking now but will improve with age (as a footnote, a week after originally opening this bottle, the last drops were still in tip-top condition; this has some serious aging potential - if you can wait).

Good.

Match with big foods, such a seared scallops with pancetta, Thai fishcakes or gravadlax.

Tom Cannavan also makes it his wine of the week.