“Fruit from the Blind River with Bright straw-yellow colour with the faintest blush, pale-green on edge. This has a fresh, clean and cutting nose of white florals, pears and stonefruits, showing mineral notes and purity. Dry to taste, this has a smooth, slippery and fine mouthfeel, with light pear and floral fruit flavours and hints of spice. The palate has good body with a little alcohol warmth noticeable, but the wine has excellent balance and a lush mouthfeel. Aromatic florals and refreshing acidity mark the long finish. This is a crisp, slippery Pinot Gris with clarity and purity of aromatic fruit. Match with Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese cuisine over the next 3-4 years. The majority of the fruit was sourced from the Blind River region of the Awatere, with a small parcel from the Southern Valleys of the Wairau. Cool-fermented in stainless-steel to 13.3% alc. and 4.5 g/L rs. 18.0-/20”
Raymond Chan Wine Reviews – 4 Stars 18/20
This is an appealing Pinot Gris, showing elegant aromas of white peach, citrus and pear. It's succulent and smooth on the palate with a rounded mouthfeel, finishing long and tasty. Beautifully balanced and approachable with inviting fruit flavours. At its best: now to 2014
Wine Orbit – 4 Stars
Sommelier Wine Awards 2012 – Silver Medal
Tinpot Hut wines are made primarily from fruit grown on winemaker Fiona Turner's vineyard in Blind River. Fiona, who has worked with Matt Thomson for a number of years, supplements her own grapes with fruit from other growers in Marlborough and Hawkes Bay. The tinpot hut that gave its name to Fionaís wines is an old mustering hut in the remote hills between the Wairau and Awatere Valleys. The huts were used as a base for musterers as they rounded up the sheep that had been in the hills from spring to autumn. The name links Marlborough's past as a sheep farming centre with its current state as one of the world's most dynamic wine regions.
