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| Fine grapes and bungee ropes: the best of New Zealand wine | Fine grapes and bungee ropes: the best of New Zealand wine |
| (7 months later) | |
| I remember my first experience of Cloudy Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. It was back in the early 90s, and at that time, even getting hold of a bottle was a big deal. The first globally famous New Zealand sauvignon blanc was a cult wine, in such demand that retailers would brag about securing an allocation and charge accordingly. | I remember my first experience of Cloudy Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. It was back in the early 90s, and at that time, even getting hold of a bottle was a big deal. The first globally famous New Zealand sauvignon blanc was a cult wine, in such demand that retailers would brag about securing an allocation and charge accordingly. |
| How much of the scarcity was real and how much down to canny marketing was already a bit of a moot point by that stage: there was certainly a lot more of it about than when it first burst on to the scene in the mid-80s. But I fell for the wine anyway. It was my introduction to a style unimprovably described by the New Zealand writer Bob Campbell as "a bungee jump into a gooseberry bush": pungently verdant, but also slap-in-the-face refreshing. | How much of the scarcity was real and how much down to canny marketing was already a bit of a moot point by that stage: there was certainly a lot more of it about than when it first burst on to the scene in the mid-80s. But I fell for the wine anyway. It was my introduction to a style unimprovably described by the New Zealand writer Bob Campbell as "a bungee jump into a gooseberry bush": pungently verdant, but also slap-in-the-face refreshing. |
| Fast forward a couple of decades, and I'm tasting Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc again, this time the 2012 vintage, at the annual British gathering of New Zealand wine producers at Lord's cricket ground. It's still a bright, refined example of the Marlborough style of sauvignon. It just had none of the thrilling shock of the new of that first encounter, and, going through my notes, I found I had far more to say about the company's stylish chardonnay and vintage sparkling wine, Pelorus 2007. | Fast forward a couple of decades, and I'm tasting Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc again, this time the 2012 vintage, at the annual British gathering of New Zealand wine producers at Lord's cricket ground. It's still a bright, refined example of the Marlborough style of sauvignon. It just had none of the thrilling shock of the new of that first encounter, and, going through my notes, I found I had far more to say about the company's stylish chardonnay and vintage sparkling wine, Pelorus 2007. |
| In recent years, whenever I try a line-up of New Zealand wines, it's usually the "other" grape varieties – generally pinot noir, syrah, riesling, chardonnay and pinot gris – that get me most excited, while too often the sauvignon blancs leave me, if not unmoved, then certainly not reaching for the thesaurus. | In recent years, whenever I try a line-up of New Zealand wines, it's usually the "other" grape varieties – generally pinot noir, syrah, riesling, chardonnay and pinot gris – that get me most excited, while too often the sauvignon blancs leave me, if not unmoved, then certainly not reaching for the thesaurus. |
| As with all failing relationships, it's tempting to toss out the unwanted crumb of comfort, "it's not you, it's me". It's part of my job description to be looking out for the untried and as yet untrusted, and my tastes in wine have changed; I'm a bit promiscuous in other words. It's also true that, while sauvignon blanc hits a very specific spot if you're in the mood, as a white grape variety it offers a winemaker a much more limited range of flavours and textures to work with than the protean trio of chardonnay, chenin blanc and riesling. | As with all failing relationships, it's tempting to toss out the unwanted crumb of comfort, "it's not you, it's me". It's part of my job description to be looking out for the untried and as yet untrusted, and my tastes in wine have changed; I'm a bit promiscuous in other words. It's also true that, while sauvignon blanc hits a very specific spot if you're in the mood, as a white grape variety it offers a winemaker a much more limited range of flavours and textures to work with than the protean trio of chardonnay, chenin blanc and riesling. |
| But the Kiwis have to take some of the blame themselves. Part of the problem has been the sheer speed with which their industry has grown. The area planted to vines in the country tripled during the last decade, with the Marlborough region, which currently has around 22,000 of the country's 34,000-hectare total vineyard, the centre of a rural gold rush. Producers, many of them new to wine, looked to cash in on what seemed like a sure-fire investment by planting sauvignon vines in sites that weren't always cut out for the highest quality. The result over the past couple of years has been a flood of lesser wines, many of them masking their flaws with excessive sweetness, and sold at the rock bottom of the market that the Kiwis had always prided themselves on avoiding. | But the Kiwis have to take some of the blame themselves. Part of the problem has been the sheer speed with which their industry has grown. The area planted to vines in the country tripled during the last decade, with the Marlborough region, which currently has around 22,000 of the country's 34,000-hectare total vineyard, the centre of a rural gold rush. Producers, many of them new to wine, looked to cash in on what seemed like a sure-fire investment by planting sauvignon vines in sites that weren't always cut out for the highest quality. The result over the past couple of years has been a flood of lesser wines, many of them masking their flaws with excessive sweetness, and sold at the rock bottom of the market that the Kiwis had always prided themselves on avoiding. |
| Speaking to producers in London last month there was a sense that the smaller 2012 vintage has brought New Zealand sauvignon back to a more even keel (we'll be seeing far fewer of £4.99-5.99 bottles this year), and Kiwi bottles on average still command a higher price than those from any other country. | Speaking to producers in London last month there was a sense that the smaller 2012 vintage has brought New Zealand sauvignon back to a more even keel (we'll be seeing far fewer of £4.99-5.99 bottles this year), and Kiwi bottles on average still command a higher price than those from any other country. |
| More importantly, while sauvignon blanc still accounts for around 57% of all Kiwi bottles, the country has so many other strings to its bow. Pinot noirs from the likes of Ata Rangi, Rippon Vineyard and Dry River are as good as the variety gets outside Burgundy. Chardonnay, too, reaches Burgundian levels of pristine complexity in the hands of producers such as Kumeu River and Neudorf, while the delicate German-style rieslings (Framingham, Felton Road), peppery northern Rhône-like syrahs (Fromm, Man O' War) and spicy rich pinot gris (Ostler's, Misha's Vineyard) just get better and better. | More importantly, while sauvignon blanc still accounts for around 57% of all Kiwi bottles, the country has so many other strings to its bow. Pinot noirs from the likes of Ata Rangi, Rippon Vineyard and Dry River are as good as the variety gets outside Burgundy. Chardonnay, too, reaches Burgundian levels of pristine complexity in the hands of producers such as Kumeu River and Neudorf, while the delicate German-style rieslings (Framingham, Felton Road), peppery northern Rhône-like syrahs (Fromm, Man O' War) and spicy rich pinot gris (Ostler's, Misha's Vineyard) just get better and better. |
| New Zealand sauvignon isn't about to go away. And when it's as good as those made by Seresin, Churton, Blind River and ex-Cloudy Bay man Kevin Judd's Greywacke, I wouldn't want it to. But even adrenaline junkies need a change of pace sometimes; you can't spend your whole life dangling on a bungee rope. | New Zealand sauvignon isn't about to go away. And when it's as good as those made by Seresin, Churton, Blind River and ex-Cloudy Bay man Kevin Judd's Greywacke, I wouldn't want it to. But even adrenaline junkies need a change of pace sometimes; you can't spend your whole life dangling on a bungee rope. |
| Six of the best | Six of the best |
| Yealands Black Label Grüner Veltliner, Marlborough, New Zealand 2012 (from £11.50, Slurp; Great Western Wine) White grape Grüner Veltliner is rarely found outside its Austrian home, but an increasing number are popping up in New Zealand. The variety's characteristic white pepper adds savoury interest to the pristine peachy fruit and crackling acidity. | Yealands Black Label Grüner Veltliner, Marlborough, New Zealand 2012 (from £11.50, Slurp; Great Western Wine) White grape Grüner Veltliner is rarely found outside its Austrian home, but an increasing number are popping up in New Zealand. The variety's characteristic white pepper adds savoury interest to the pristine peachy fruit and crackling acidity. |
| Greywacke Pinot Gris, Marlborough, New Zealand 2011 (from £16, The Wine Society; Slurp; Noel Young Wines; imbibros.co.uk) Kevin Judd helped establish Cloudy Bay before setting up his new venture, where he's already making some of the country's best chardonnay and sauvignon. His fabulous pinot gris is a heady cocktail of sweet spice, white flowers and apricots. | Greywacke Pinot Gris, Marlborough, New Zealand 2011 (from £16, The Wine Society; Slurp; Noel Young Wines; imbibros.co.uk) Kevin Judd helped establish Cloudy Bay before setting up his new venture, where he's already making some of the country's best chardonnay and sauvignon. His fabulous pinot gris is a heady cocktail of sweet spice, white flowers and apricots. |
| Felton Road Bannockburn Riesling, Central Otago, New Zealand 2012 (from £15, Bibendum Fine Wine; Berry Bros & Rudd; Roberson Wine; Philglas & Swiggot) Best known for helping to put the southerly Central Otago on the pinot noir map, Felton Road also make elegant chardonnay and riesling. This gently off-dry version has incisive crystalline acidity and layers of lime, subtle peach and salty minerals. | Felton Road Bannockburn Riesling, Central Otago, New Zealand 2012 (from £15, Bibendum Fine Wine; Berry Bros & Rudd; Roberson Wine; Philglas & Swiggot) Best known for helping to put the southerly Central Otago on the pinot noir map, Felton Road also make elegant chardonnay and riesling. This gently off-dry version has incisive crystalline acidity and layers of lime, subtle peach and salty minerals. |
| Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Syrah, Hawkes Bay New Zealand 2010 (from £16, Fareham Wine Cellar; Wine Direct; The Wine Society) Syrah thrives in the Gimblett Gravels area of Hawkes Bay on the North Island, and Craggy Range is particularly good at it, the perfumed red and black fruit here seasoned with black pepper and sinewy tannins. | Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Syrah, Hawkes Bay New Zealand 2010 (from £16, Fareham Wine Cellar; Wine Direct; The Wine Society) Syrah thrives in the Gimblett Gravels area of Hawkes Bay on the North Island, and Craggy Range is particularly good at it, the perfumed red and black fruit here seasoned with black pepper and sinewy tannins. |
| Neudorf Chardonnay, Nelson, New Zealand 2011 (£18.50, The Wine Society) Founded in 1978, Tim and Judy Finn's Neudorf in Nelson in the north west of the South Island is one of New Zealand's wine pioneers. The couple's sensitively oaked Chardonnays continue to impress: so seamless, rich yet elegant. | Neudorf Chardonnay, Nelson, New Zealand 2011 (£18.50, The Wine Society) Founded in 1978, Tim and Judy Finn's Neudorf in Nelson in the north west of the South Island is one of New Zealand's wine pioneers. The couple's sensitively oaked Chardonnays continue to impress: so seamless, rich yet elegant. |
| Pyramid Valley Angel Flower Pinot Noir, North Canterbury, New Zealand 2009 (from £48, Les Caves de Pyrene; winebear.com) | Pyramid Valley Angel Flower Pinot Noir, North Canterbury, New Zealand 2009 (from £48, Les Caves de Pyrene; winebear.com) |
| One for Burgundy lovers, and not just because they're some of the few people willing to pay £50 for a single bottle of wine – this delicately fragrant, lace-textured red from the brilliant Pyramid Valley is world-class pinot noir. | One for Burgundy lovers, and not just because they're some of the few people willing to pay £50 for a single bottle of wine – this delicately fragrant, lace-textured red from the brilliant Pyramid Valley is world-class pinot noir. |
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