Pyramid Valley 2021 Orange Pinot Gris (North Canterbury)

A radiant Halloween-orange hue, this Pinot Gris, fermented on skins then aged in amphorae and oak, takes a minute to open, but once it does, it offers rich, heady aromas of nectarine, marmalade, ginger candy and honeysuckle. The palate is ripe but never flabby, the natural acidity from this cool-climate region shining sunbeams of freshness. Tannins are grippy but not astringent. It is a delicious example of this increasingly popular style, and likely a knockout with salty, tartrate-flecked cheeses like aged Parmigiano or Gouda. Christina Pickard