NZ's top level Pinot Noir, Chardonnay & Bordeaux blends are world-class
Sauvignon Blanc
(SB) is the flagship varietal of New Zealand. Both SB and New Zealand catapulted to fame,
hand in hand, in the 1990’s. There is
something inherently and unmistakably likable about this SB. The varietal’s citrus and tropical notes,
mixed with zesty aromas and tastes of freshly mowed grass, make it a compelling
wine for easy summertime drinking. SB’s
bracing acidity also make it a perfect food-friendly wine. Although many wine geeks cut their teeth on
this well-priced New Zealand SB, it should be noted that the country is no longer a one-trick-pony. It is now producing several world-class wines.
While SB today
accounts for nearly 75% of New Zealand’s vineyard plantings, the remaining 25%
has seen a significant change since the millennium. Pinot Noir is the new darling child of New
Zealand. The second most widely planted
grape, Pinot Noir, has skyrocketed to fame in just the last ten years. Top bottles of Kiwi Pinot can be magnificent
gems. With red Burgundies now commanding
astronomic prices, many are turning to New Zealand’s well-crafted wines for a
Pinot fix.
Chardonnay, the
most planted wine grape prior to the SB explosion, is now the third most
planted grape in New Zealand. Like Pinot Noir, the country’s top examples of
Chardonnay are also superlative, and considerably easier on the wallet than a
white Burgundy, or for that matter a top Chardonnay from Napa.
Bordeaux-style blends
are also ratcheting up the New Zealand ante for outstanding wines that can
compete on the world stage. Unique
terroirs such as the Gimlett Gravel soils of Hawke’s Bay are giving these
Cabernet-Merlot based wines some important bragging rights.
The harvest in New Zealand is now underway. How
about hosting a southern hemisphere harvest party as a way of warming up cold
February? Refer to my blog of January 24 for first-class
wines from the North Island. For the South
Island, consider these stunning wines which are all imported into the US:
- Fromm Clayvin Chardonnay ($50)
- Fromm Pinot Noir ($40)
- Greywacke SB Wild Ferment ($30)
- Valli Bannockburn Pinot ($45)
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