2026 Pinot Gris, McLaren Vale, South Australia
100% Pinot Gris. Colour: bright crisp straw. Aroma: fresh pear, white peach and almond blossom, with a whisper of tropical fruit. Palate: A perfectly ripe tropical fruit bowl, silky and luscious, zipped up with a bright, limey tang. Drink now.
At Paxton we like to cater for the different tastes of our visitors to Cellar Door. The Late Harvest was made with the aim to have a fruity, sweet but fresh drink to enjoy, that would appeal to those who like some sweetness in their wine. The wine has a floral tropical lift and is fresh and luscious with plenty of sweetness which is balanced by crisp lively acidity.
The Late Harvest blend changes each year with the aim of improving the wine; this year it was made from Pinot Gris. It is fruity, showing loads of tropical fruits including mango and honey-glazed apricot.
3.4
5.27
Vintage 2026 in McLaren Vale can be summed up in two words: slow and steady. A cool wet spring delayed flowering, pushing the growing season back from the outset. Rainfall stayed below average for much of the season punctuated by a couple of summer heat spikes. Rather than racing to ripeness, the fruit matured gradually, allowing flavours to build in the vineyard. Cool nights through February and March preserved freshness and natural acidity in the fruit. Yields ran on the lighter side across the board, a direct reflection of a challenging spring. Paxton’s’ biodynamically farmed vineyards thrived under these conditions. The result is a vintage of real character: whites with vibrant freshness and bright acidity, and reds showing excellent concentration and depth of flavour.
Bright crisp straw
Pale as straw, this one opens with a burst of fresh pear, white peach and almond blossom — like walking through an orchard in full bloom, with a cheeky whisper of tropical fruit sneaking in behind.
Pure indulgence: think a perfectly ripe tropical fruit bowl, silky and luscious, then zipped up with a bright, limey tang that keeps things fresh and lively. Utterly moreish, gloriously flavoursome — one sip in and you'll be pouring another.
A fruit driven wine designed for drinking young.
This wine's vibrant sweetness and zesty lime acidity make it a natural partner for the heat of spicy Asian cuisine — think Thai green curry or chilli-laced seafood, where the wine cools the spice while echoing its own tropical fruit character. For a more indulgent match, try it alongside a good blue cheese; the richness and salt play beautifully against the wine's luscious sweetness, creating a classic sweet-savoury balance.
Select rows of Pinot Gris are harvested later than the rest, allowing the sugar content to increase and the flavours to fully develop under the Autumn sun. Fermented in stainless-steel tanks, we stop the wine fermenting to dryness, blend with some earlier harvested Pinot Gris to balance the acid and bottle early to preserve freshness.
Kate Goodman
Thomas Block
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OPENING HOURS:
7 days a week, 10am – 5pm
Tastings available daily –
bookings preferred
Phone: (08) 8323 9131
Email: wine@paxtonwines.com
68 Wheaton Road, McLaren Vale
South Australia 5171
PAXTON SOCIAL WINE CLUB
Phone: 0400 863 400
Email: janet@paxtonwines.com