Sato l'Atypique Pinot Gris 2022

Sato l'Atypique Pinot Gris 2022

Yoshiaki and Kyoko Sato have been making wine in NZ’s Central Otago since moving there from Tokyo in 2006. Starting out at Felton Rd, Yoshiaki subsequently became winemaker at neighbouring Mt Edward, and Kyoko continued to be vineyard supervisor at Felton Rd, until 2018 when they both decided to focus full time on their own wines.

There are two labels from Yoshi and Kyoko. Their first release under the Sato label in 2009 was 190 cases of Pinot Noir sourced from external growers, a mantra that still continues to this day under the Sato moniker. The La Ferme de Sato bottlings literally translate as the farm of Sato, a small 5ha biodynamic and organically run property the duo have managed since their purchase in 2016. Located under Mt Pisa in the Cromwell subregion of Otago, the Sato farm sits at 300-350m above sea level with a specific focus of easterly facing vineyards, chasing that morning sunshine, rather than the intense heat of the afternoon. The farm itself has no history of chemical use, pre purchase it was a sheep pasture, and is planted to a mix of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gamay and Cabernet Franc.

The Satos make wines with minimal intervention. They often use the terminology 'natural' - and unfairly this can push people into thinking wines that are faulty or flawed. I tend to look at it as a Japanese translational thing when they reference 'natural' wines, these are wines that are farmed without the use of pesticides, herbicides, systemic fungicides or inorganic fertilisers, and then in the cellar there are no additives utilised, with the wines spending a long time naturally stabilising in cask prior to bottling with a very small addition of sulphur (<15ppm). In their use of the word natural, the only thing here is organically farmed grapes.

Their precision and education allows them to make exceptionally elegant wines of this nature with Yoshi having worked with Bernard Huber, Domaine Matassa, Jean-Yves Bizot and Jean-Pierre Frick, whilst Kyoko had spent time abroad with Phillip Pacalet, Julien Guillot and Christian Binner.

100% Pinot Gris from the Red Shed Vineyard in Bendigo - farmed organically. Planted on well draining alluvial sandy loam soils with river gravels. Hand picked 23rd March - fermented with natural yeasts and kept on skins for 27 days prior to pressing. 11 months ageing in old neutral French oak prior to bottling with <15ppm of Sulphur.

Incredible colour - almost rose gold, quince paste-esque in hue, and this translates aromatically, with this pure quince, almost fig like savouriness. I love that this doesn't carry the overt sweetness that some other skin contact/orange wines can aromatically, where the florals are overpowering, this stays exclusively in a more saline, neutral aromatic level with savoury depth. Such an elegant texture, there's weight here without being glycerolic or syrupy, and the phenolics are so well managed, with proper grip, that pithy quince playing again. It's clean as a whistle as well - an orange/skin contact wine with actual grip and purity! Hallelujah!!

"Excellent skins-fermented gris: rose-coloured, soft red fruit aromas, long and savoury and satisfying in the mouth. Will mature well in bottle – if you can keep your hands off it." - Max Allen