De Bortoli Windy Peak Pinot Grigio 2025

Winemaking Notes
The De Bortoli Windy Peak Pinot Grigio 2025 is crafted by winemaker Joel Veenhuizen using a meticulous approach designed to showcase the variety's fresh, textural character whilst maintaining the pale straw colour profile characteristic of quality Pinot Grigio. The grapes are gently crushed and pressed to minimise the natural pink colour of Pinot Grigio, with the juice then hyper-oxidised prior to alcoholic fermentation—a technique that helps remove the bronze and copper tones that can develop in this variety. The majority of the juice is inoculated with a selected strain of yeast and fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks to preserve the wine's purity and vibrant fruit character, whilst a small portion is fermented in older French oak casks to add subtle complexity and textural depth. Following fermentation, the wine is kept on fine lees for four months, during which time the lees are stirred regularly to intensify flavours and add the smooth, creamy texture that defines this wine's palate. This extended lees contact builds body and richness without compromising the fresh acid line that provides structure and balance. The final assemblage of the blend brings together the stainless steel and oak-fermented components, creating a wine that combines vibrant citrus and green apple character with delicate floral undertones and a pleasantly textural, creamy finish.

Vintage Conditions
The 2025 vintage in the Riverina region delivered excellent conditions for Pinot Grigio production, with the season characterised by a dry winter followed by a warm spring and summer that enabled the vines to produce a healthy crop of high-quality fruit. The dry winter allowed the vines to enter dormancy properly, whilst the warm spring conditions promoted even budburst and healthy canopy development across the vineyards. The warm summer temperatures proved ideal for ripening, allowing the grapes to develop the concentrated citrus and green apple flavours that define this wine's character whilst retaining the fresh natural acidity essential for balance and structure. Crucially, a dry harvest period ensured no disease pressure and provided optimum ripening conditions, allowing winemaker Joel Veenhuizen to pick the fruit at precisely the right moment to capture peak flavour development and aromatic complexity. The absence of rain during harvest meant the grapes arrived at the winery in pristine condition, enabling the gentle crushing and pressing techniques required to minimise colour extraction and preserve the wine's delicate pale straw hue. The combination of healthy fruit, optimal ripeness and disease-free conditions resulted in a vintage of exceptional quality, producing a vegan-friendly Pinot Grigio that exemplifies the fresh, textural style for which the Riverina region is increasingly recognised.