This blog is based on the Spirits of New Mexico radio show that aired on March 13, 2021. We do on-air tasting of one or two wines to illustrate what is available in a particular wine region, or as a contrast of what influence a wine region has on a grape or blend. We use suitable glasses for the type of wine and do a double-decant of red wines to insure they have opened sufficiently for accurate judging.
This is a slight departure from our usual tasting. This time we are featuring a red and white wine from a region. In this case, New Zealand; primarily known for their Sauvignon Blanc wines, which are hard to miss in any wine shop or supermarket. Less ubiquitous, but also highly-rated are their Chardonnay wines, often unoaked, and their Pinot Noir wines. I had my first New Zealand Pinot Noir in Las Vegas and I was immediately a fan. Not that this should be too surprising considering that the North and South Island’s maritime climate provide a crucial element needed to make great Pinot Noir.
Winemaking began in the 1850s with the first Pinot Noir plantings in 1883 in Masterson in Wairarapa region of the North Island. Prohibition and the Depression severely crippled the industry until the late 1960s. In 1973 modern-day Brancott Estate planted Marlborough’s first vineyard and produced its first Sauvignon Blanc in 1979. By 1985 wine lovers were discovering the unique wines produced here, noted for their rich fruit flavors, razor-sharp acidity and Sancerre-like minerality. George Tabor reported that Cloudy Bay is “what many people consider to be the world’s best Sauvignon Blanc.”
George was the only reporter to witness the 1976 Judgment of Paris as he detailed the Napa Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon and Chateau Montelena Chardonnay top the best Red Bordeaux and white Burgundy wines. So now he’s picking on the Loire Valley? I’m surprised they still let him into the country.
New Zealand’s wine regions extend 1,600km (1000 miles) from sub-tropical Northland down to Central Otago, home to the world’s most southerly vineyards. There were just over 91,000 acres planted in 2017 with 45% coming from Marlborough, followed by Central Otago with over 25%, Wairarapa with 9%, Canterbury, 7%, and Hawk’s Bay with around 5%. I realize that does not total 100% and I have no idea where they put the other 9% so don’t ask.
Harvest times: late February in north and early to mid-April in south. Remember everything is reversed in the southern hemisphere. One also has to swirl their wine clockwise. Ok, I made that part up.
Marlborough and Martinborough
Confusing these two names is common. Although they lie close to each other they are very different. Marlborough is on the northeast coast of the South Island and Martinborough is on the southeast coast of the North Island. But never the twain will meet unless we have massive tectonic plates shifting.
- The Marlborough region produces the majority of the Sauvignon Blancs as well as Pinot Noir.
- Martinborough Pinot Noir is more Burgundian to the point that even smaller subregions are being defined much like Burgundy’s Cote d’Or.
- Martinborough is a subregion of Wairarapa, which means glistening waters in Maori
- Gladstone and Masterson are the other two lesser-known Wairarapa subregions
- Wairarapa has 3% of plantings, but 1% of production, meaning low yield, high quality fruit
- Martinborough is classified as a cool-climate growing region
Martinborough has exceptional soil for making wine; the plateau is made up of alluvial gravel that is centuries old and nutrient poor, pushed up to the surface by tectonic plate movement. Located within a wide river valley between the Rimutaka mountain range and the eastern Wairarapa hills means the vineyards are protected from too much rain and wind, and enjoy a long, even, sunny growing season. The cold nights ensure the grapes retain their high natural acid, which gives the wine its noticeable freshness, and ensures a long life in bottle.
Wineries of Note:
- Highly regarded wineries include Ata Rangi, Palliser Estate, Martinborough Vineyards, Te Kairanga and Escarpment.
- Palliser Estates: On the show in 2019 we sampled a 2016 Pinot Noir sourced from three vineyards in Martinborough. It was very impressive.
- Te Kairanga Wines: This was my first New Zealand Pinot Noir at a Las Vegas resort which is also located in Martinborough
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
The Marlborough region on the north side of the South Island became highly popular in the 1990s and shows no sign of stopping. The maritime influence, the good drainage and poor soils that reduce yield allow for long growing seasons. The terms one encounters most are gooseberry, razor-sharp acidity and grapefruit for those that have never had gooseberry fruit. Other regions are Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne on the east side of the North Island and Nelson above Marlborough.
Map courtesy of Pinterest.com
Marlborough subregions
Wrapping around the surrounding hills the Southern Valleys make up this important sub-region. Soils and meso-climates vary, but tend to be heavier and contain more clay than Wairau. It also becomes cooler and drier further south into the valleys.
Wairau Valley contains old, gravely riverbed soils, and diverse aspects and rainfall create numerous meso-climates within this sub-region. Broadly, it covers a range of cooler, drier inland sites; barren stony, early-ripening sites; and sea-breeze moderated coastal sites. Across the sub-region wines reflect fruit intensity and body.
The Awatere Valley is the most geographically distinct sub-region, lying south of the Wairau Valley and stretching inland from the sea, and climbing towards the inland Kaikoura ranges. Cooler, drier, windier and often with a degree of elevation, sites with typically lower yields produce bright, aromatic Pinot Noir and dramatic, distinctive Sauvignon Blancs, both of which are attracting increasing international acclaim.
What we are tasting: Invivo X SJP 2019 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, 13% ABV, $14.97
In case you wondered about those initials; SJP means Sarah Jessica Parker of Sex and the City fame. And yes Sarah had a hand is selecting the blend. I guess they finally succeeded in getting the Cosmopolitan out of her hand. This first release made it to the Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 so they must be doing something right. And it is a cute bottle.
Picture courtesy Invivoxsjp.com
The winery is located in Te Kauwhata, New Zealand. I know those Maori names can be daunting. Sarah Jessica Parker’s first ever wine was perfected in May when Invivo founders Tim Lightbourne and Rob Cameron travelled to New York City to create her new Sauvignon Blanc. They brought samples of the 2019 vintage, harvested in April. Over a three-hour session, Sarah Jessica and the Invivo team finalized the proportions from each vineyard to create the exact blending recipe used in the wine.
Tasting notes: Abundant notes of grapefruit, honeysuckle, passion fruit and citrus zest evolve from the glass. At first, the palate is expansive and leads with a wall of sweet-scented fruits and a soft – but balanced – acid spine. The mid-palate grows to another level, where supple phenolics offer a framework to further lift the fruit. The wine continues to unfold and is very long and persistent. This is a seriously drinkable Sauvignon Blanc that will continue to develop for up to seven years.
The 2019 Sauvignon Blanc is a blend of five estates in Marlborough, spanning both the Wairau and Awatere Valleys. Sarah Jessica loved the intensity of style from the Waihopai Valley and has blended that with pure fruit aromatics from the Western Wairau and the power and purity found in the Westhaven Vineyard in the Dashwood.
New Zealand Pinot Noir overview
Martinborough, Pinot Noir
In Martinborough, Pinot Noir has over 50% of all plantings. Pinots from this area differ from Central Otago in that they possess a deeper color with earthy and gamey notes, more complexity and tighter tannins, compared to the lighter, red-fruit driven style of Otago. This is due to the lower-yielding smaller berries that have a higher skin to juice ratio. Chardonnay also has a very good reputation in Martinborough, again with greater complexity and weight than other regions.
Central Otago Pinot Noir
Located at the bottom of the South Island, Central Otago is well known for its spectacular vineyards and premium quality wines. The primary grapes are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Sauvignon Blanc.
Pinot Noir is the dominant grape in Central Otago, with warmer sub-regions, such as Bannockburn, Bendigo and the Cromwell Basin typically producing wines described as classically Central Otago; with strong, sweet plum and cherry flavors, together with a seasoning of thyme character in some cases. Gibbstown and Wanaka tend to make cooler, edgier wines with red cherry, fresh herb, spice and often a pronounced mineral character. Reference Decanter 2017
- The first vines were planted in 1864 by Frenchman Jean Desiree Feraud.
- The region has a total of 1932 hectares; average yield is 10.5 tons per year, which represents 2.4% of New Zealand wine production.
- Central Otago benefits from a semi-continental climate, with hot summers, cold winters and long dry autumns – experiencing weather conditions from one extreme to another
What we are tasting: Matua 2018 Pinot Noir 12% ABV, $11
Matua winery began in the 1970s after planting vines and making trail-and-error wines to find what would be the signature New Zealand grape variety. In 1974 Bill and Ross Spence made New Zealand’s first Sauvignon Blanc in Hawke’s Bay on the North Island’s northeast coast. They purchased a tin shed orchard that had a wine license – something that was hard to obtain back then – which led to the first Sauvignon Blanc. They purchased property in Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough, eventually moving their winery there.
- In 2001 Beringer-Blass Wine Estates purchased the property
- In 2012 Matua was named NZ Producer of the year, and unveiled the new teal design
- Chris Darling was named chief winemaker in 2018
Tasting notes: This Pinot Noir is a vibrant cherry color, exuding an aroma of sweet raspberry complimented with sweet and spicy oak, just hinting at the layers and depth of fresh and fruity flavor. Bright and energetic to taste, it is brimming with red fruit and soft, supple tannins, perfectly seasoned with a dash of oak for those light toasty notes. The finale has a fresh, lingering finish that is simply moreish.
Moreish is an English slang term for more of, or possibly can I have more, please? Both the Aussie and Kiwi chaps are very fond of the word.
Analysis
Both wines excelled at their price point. I had my doubts about a celebrity wine, but it’s an excellent example of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc that works as a standalone wine as well as a great seafood wine. For its low-cost the Matua had everything I love in a Burgundy-style Pinot; lower alcohol, good balance, light tannins and expressive fruit and spice. Sampling a white and a red also provided refreshing variety to our on-air tasting. We’ll do this one again.
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