Pinot Gris Grand Estates
⏳ Drinking Window
2021 - 2024
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Grilled halibut, roasted chicken with herbs, fresh spring salads
✨ Technical Specifications
Crafted in the heart of Washington's Columbia Valley, the Columbia Crest Grand Estates Pinot Gris is a beautiful testament to a landscape shaped by cataclysmic history. Thousands of years ago, the Missoula Floods swept through the region, leaving behind deep, sandy-loam soils that force grapevines to dig deep for nutrients. In this semi-arid desert, the mighty Columbia River acts as a crucial thermal regulator, while the dramatic diurnal temperature shifts—hot, sunny days followed by crisp, cool nights—allow the Pinot Gris grapes to ripen fully while retaining their vibrant, natural acidity. To preserve this pristine fruit character, the winemakers utilize cool fermentations in stainless steel, often allowing the wine to rest briefly on its fine lees to develop a subtle, textured complexity that balances its bright, stone-fruit and citrus profile.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1982 by Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, Columbia Crest was the pioneer winery founded within what is now the acclaimed Horse Heaven Hills AVA of eastern Washington. Situated along the benchlands above the Columbia River, the estate takes full advantage of a semi-arid, rain-shadowed microclimate marked by intense summer sunshine, constant river breezes that deter frost and pests, and fast-draining, wind-blown Warden silt loam soils. Initial plantings in 1978 and early winemaking under founding cellar master Doug Gore established the winery's benchmark status for reliable varietal purity and commercial scale. The production regimen bridges large-scale precision with small-lot barrel fermentation and French and American oak aging. Columbia Crest cemented its reputation when its 2005 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon won Wine Spectator's Wine of the Year. Today, the estate produces tiered selections ranging from the everyday Two Vines and Grand Estates labels to vineyard-driven Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay expressions.
🍇 Grapes
Pinot Gris
🍷 ABV
13%