Overview
A distinctive skin-fermented Pinot Gris from Gibbston in Central Otago, The Real McCoy combines an eye-catching tangerine hue with aromatic intensity, fine tannin and bright acidity. The 2024 vintage marks a decade of Valli making this style from Gibbston, capturing sweet florals, citrus, apricot and pineapple alongside savoury herbal detail. With only 478 dozen produced and genuine long-term cellaring potential, this is an expressive and highly individual interpretation of Pinot Gris.
Vineyard
The fruit comes from Gibbston Highway in Gibbston, Central Otago, at approximately 343 metres elevation. Planted in 2001 at 3,500 vines per hectare, the vineyard features alluvial loess between 0.5 and 1 metre deep over firm river gravels and colluvium. The Pinot Gris clones are Berrysmith and Sel Ovalle.
Vintage
The fruit was harvested on 9 and 18 April 2024, with a yield of 6.5 tonnes per hectare. The site recorded approximately 313mm of rainfall and a growing degree day total of approximately 903.
Winemaking
The 2024 release marks a decade of Valli producing a skin-fermented Pinot Gris from Gibbston. The wine spent 24 days on skins in 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000-litre open-top fermenters before maturation for five years in old Pinot Noir barrels, averaging 33%. The bone-dry wine completed full malolactic fermentation and was bottled after 12 months in neutral oak. It was neither fined nor filtered.
Producer Tasting Notes
Jen Parr, December 2025
“The colour comes from the pinkish-grey grape skins and the semi-oxidative handling. This vintage has a stunning tangerine hue complementing the wine’s extroverted personality. It has engaging aromas of sweet pea flowers, tangerine, apricot and pineapple with a touch of rosemary and sage. The palate shows flavours of tangy citrus, stonefruit, and subtle spice. The mouthfeel is focused and precise with great tension between the fine tannin and lingering acidity. Delicious on its own, the Real McCoy shines brightest when paired with a wide array of dishes. We have discovered this is a great wine for cellaring as the evolution is slow and the wine continues to improve with time. I will keep bottles of this vintage in my personal cellar 20+/- years.”
Critic Reviews
93 Points — Cameron Douglas MS
“A taut and delicious example with scents and flavours of mandarin and apricot, yellow fleshed stone fruit, tangerine and pith. A wine of texture and mouthfeel with a nice palate squeeze from acidity and fruit tannins and framed with some lees and stony soil complexities. Best drinking on its own or with food from day of purchase through 2028+.”
Tasted April 2026
Producer
Valli crafts terroir-driven wines highlighting the distinctive grape-growing regions of Central Otago and the Waitaki Valley on New Zealand’s South Island. While founded on Pinot Noir, the producer also works with Pinot Gris, Riesling and Chardonnay, using wine as a medium to express the individual character of Otago’s sub-regions.
Specifications
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Vintage: 2024
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Grape Variety: Pinot Gris
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Region: Gibbston, Central Otago, New Zealand
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Vineyard: Gibbston Highway
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Clones: Berrysmith, Sel Ovalle
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Altitude: 343m
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Soils: Alluvial loess over firm river gravels and colluvium
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Alcohol: 14%
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Sweetness: Dry
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Production: 478 dozen
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Fermentation: Open-top fermenters; 24 days on skins; full malolactic fermentation
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Maturation: 12 months in neutral oak
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Production Attributes: Unfined, Unfiltered
