Regionality in Kiwi Pinot?

Lord’s Cricket Ground was the scene for the 2007 NZ Trade Tasting (its 26th year) and on the afternoon of 16th January this year I attended as per usual, trekking all the way from Southwark where I had been at another tasting in the morning. My expectations were high, not only because there are some marvellous wines coming out of NZ – though the mere thought of several hundred Sauvignon Blancs vying for attention was enough to make my palate wince – but because I wanted to be at the Regional Tour of New Zealand Pinot Noir seminar that was also to take place there.

This seminar was a trial run of a larger presentation that is to be given at the Wellington conference to be held at the end of January and featured:

* Warren Adamson from New Zealand Winegrowers, UK
* Nigel Greening from Felton Road (Central Otago)
* Roger Fraser of Murdock James Estate (Martinborough)
* Mike Brown, Waimea Estates (Nelson)
* Ant MacKenzie, Spy Valley Wines (Marlborough).

The main premise of the seminar was twofold: Tim Atkin’s assertion in The Observer in 2004 that NZ is “a world-class producer of Pinot Noir” and James Halliday’s Harpers observation in 2005 that “NZ is almost unique in having different regions producing distinctly different Pinot Noir”. The former view certainly seems to be reflected in the increased plantings of PN in NZ (from 431 hectares in 1996 to 4,063 ha in 2006 – a rise of nearly 850%) and the parallel rise in sales (exports rose from 0.3 million litres in 2000 to 4.1 million litres in 2006, with a 262% growth in sales in the UK alone since 2002). However, there is a perspective which says that some of this wine – particularly that at near Burgundy prices – is still to find its way to the end consumer, with much of it sitting on merchants’ shelves – a triumph of hope over reality.

The second premise is interesting. We tasted through 9 PNs:

* Sherwood Estate 2005 (Marlborough): soft cherry and light vanilla wash
* Pegasus Bay 2004 (Waipara): full dark fruits, earthy notes, but natural feel
* Sileni Cellar Selection 2005 (Hawke’s Bay): dark fruits, evident intensity with a little smoke. Quite rich and long
* Waimea Estate 2005 (Nelson): rich and enveloping, big chewy blackcurrant skin notes
* Quartz Reef 2005 (Central Otago): sweet ripe entry, softening red/forest fruits on palate
* Martinborough Vineyard Te Tera 2005 (Martinborough): acidic entry with chocolate notes and good structure/length
* Spy Valley 2002 (Marlborough): red and dark fruits with liquorice and spice nuances
* Felton Road 2001 (Central Otago): rich and ripe, fruity style
* Murdock James 2000 (Martinborough): soft yet full with noted toffee and herby flavours at the end, with an extended aftertaste of aniseed/liquorice.

There was clear regional variation, the unique limestone/clay soils of Waipara helping to bring forward the darker notes, spice and earth qualities in the Pegasus Bay sample, for example. The slightly greater diurnal range of Martinborough in southern Wairarapa and its stony alluvial soild helping to bring out the meaty and chocolate part of the spectrum and the sweet but firm tannins. Nelson’s gravels and the fact that it is NZ’s warmest region lends a ripeness to the Waimea wine. Marlborough’s maritime climate and silt and clay soils allows the red fruit focus and linear structure to show through, perhaps with fuller bodied wines from the south. Central Otago, of course, is the most southerly vineyard are in the world and benefits from very long days and loess soils that emphasise the brambly fruit components and some herbal characters in the warmest areas.

Altogether, I felt the case was made for the regional hypothesis and it remains to be seen whether the differences highlighted sharpen over coming years. As to whether NZ’s regionality is as unique as James Halliday suggests is to my mind not wholly proven. Perhaps the real test would be to pursue this aspect through PNs from California, Oregon and Washingtion and from Burgundy, Alsace and the Loire to nail this one. I suspect that while there is a wide geographical spread in NZ which may be a key contributor to variation, we may find that the other components in the mix – soils and winemaking philosophy – may produce as much if not more potential differences. Which country, may we ask, is likely to show the greatest diversity in these aspects which express themselves in the range of wines available?