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80 / the tasting panel / march 2016 estate, but more important, large diurnal shifts in day and nighttime temperatures endow the winery's flagship variety, Pinot Gris, with naturally high levels of acidity. At a time when Chardonnay dominated white wine landscape, planting 314 acres of Pinot Gris might seem like a gamble—but perhaps not, given the site's mesoclimate. What is clear is that no other winery in Oregon embraced or championed Pinot Gris in quite the same way that the King family did. "In that first vintage, our winemaking help was pretty stellar: Will Bucklin, Merry Edwards and the great André Tchelistcheff," says King. "And we were lucky in making early decisions about our Pinot Gris style. We made a cold fermented, stainless steel style, and it was delicious from the first little tank. We wanted no must char- acters and no oak—we didn't need it. It was all right there." Since then, the original 600-acre estate has blossomed to 1,033 acres in total, and the entire property is Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth, one of the most rigorous certifying bodies in the U.S. Today, King Estate bears the distinc- tion of being the world's largest contiguous organic vineyard, and the property includes areas of riparian habitat, as well as areas of native wet prairie. Bear, cougar, fox and wild turkey roam the estate. It's also home to large King Estate 2014 Pinot Gris Quite tropical in expres- sion, with heady notes of mango and bruised pear, orange blossom and pineapple. Lean, racy acidity on entry, with brightness lending balance to lush, ripe fruit character. Overall, fresh, lively and inviting. King Estate 2008 Domaine Pinot Gris Extremely fresh and vibrant with crisp acidity leading the charge. White grapefruit pith and lime zest intertwine wet stone, slate and leesy undertones. King Estate 2007 Signature Pinot Gris Pale straw in the glass with a slightly lighter countenance, notes of orange blossom and man- darin orange glide under weightless aromas of river rock and spice. Silky and substantial, the wet stone character reemerges on a clean, mouthwatering finish. tasting notes Kevin Sommelet, King Estate winemaker for white wines. King Estate's Lab Operations Director Brent Stone.