2014 'The Ned' Marlborough Pinot Gris

The 2014 "The Ned" Marlborough Pinot Gris ($15) is packed with vim, vigor, verve and vivacity. It's also seriously delicious, with perfect harmony in the fruit-acid realm, a sensuous, surprisingly rich mouthfeel and surpassing length. It's got a good bit more body than most pinot gris/grigio. For years, sauvignon blancs from this New Zealand region have gained in popularity on these shores; this wine (and other pinot gris I've tasted from Marlborough) indicates that another varietal could and should follow suit. The depth and complexity of this wine make it versatile at the table — think pizza, Chinese and Mexican food, pasta — but it's hard to resist some alfresco sipping.

Available at all Kowalski's and BrightWines.

Bill Ward