Ceres Swansong Pinot Gris 2018 Bannockburn, Central Otago, New Zealand 75cl

Ceres is a Bannockburn label from the Dicey family, long-standing names in Central Otago viticulture who identified and planted several of the district’s best sites. Named for the Roman goddess of the harvest, it is a small, quality-focused family project, and the wines are named for the individual vineyards they come from. This one is a single-vineyard bottling from the Swansong site on Felton Road.

The Swansong vineyard is heavily terraced on eroded gravels and clays, planted in 2008 to a mix that includes Pinot Gris interplanted with a little Gewurztraminer. That aromatic neighbour and the warm Bannockburn setting help explain the perfumed, textural style, a world away from a simple, light Gris. Everything is grown, picked and made with the single site firmly in mind.

The 2018 season across Central Otago was warm and early, ripening the fruit fully and pushing this wine to a generous 14.5% alcohol. It is made as a serious, food-friendly white rather than an easy quaffer.

Expect aromas of freshly baked bread, stewed apple, clove and nashi pear, then a weighty, mouth-filling palate with real texture. Ginger and spice run through the middle, and fruity acidity gives a drying, savoury finish with a touch of warmth. It is a wine you notice, with genuine presence and grip rather than simple refreshment.

This is Pinot Gris for people who like their whites rich and characterful. It stands up to roast pork, lightly spiced Asian dishes or a board of soft, washed-rind cheeses, and it has the concentration to reward a year or two more in bottle.