New Zealand Beyond Sauv Blanc

 

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)

New Zealand Wines You Gotta Try in 2020

                            Hawke's Bay Gimlett Gravels are from milleniums-old rivers

Looking for interesting new wines for 2020?   I'm on my way shortly to New Zealand and I’ve got ten don’t miss wines from the country's North Island---all of which are imported into the USA.  These carefully chosen “gotta trys” come from two different wine regions. 

The first district, Hawke's Bay, is one of the country’s warmest grape growing areas.  Hawke's temperatures make it a popular spot to grow red varieties, although a good amount of Chardonnay is also produced here.  The wine area is composed of sub-regions, the most famous of which is the Gimlett Gravels.  These deep, free-draining gravels have only a thin layer of topsoil over them.  Most of the Hawke's Bay red wines listed below are from this special terroir.

The other quality wine district on New Zealand’s North Island is Martinborough. This area is a much smaller and cooler, and the focus here is Pinot Noir.  In fact, New Zealand has long been known for its signature varietal, Sauvignon Blanc. Pinot, however, has now gained a huge momentum and is rivaling Sauv Blanc.  The country’s best Pinot is from Martinborough.

Below's your list for 2020, listed alphabetically by producer.

Ata Rangi (Martinborough)

• Pinot Noir:  scored consistently high by international critics, this is one of the best examples of the magic of New Zealand Pinot.  $55

Elephant Hill   (Hawke's Bay)

• Airavata Syrah:  Airavata is the powerful God of Elephants in Hindu.  This wine is a powerhouse with a long, silky finish.  K&L in San Francisco has it for $50.
• Hieronymus:  A blend of Merlot and Malbec with a small amount of Cab Sauv mixed in.   Only made in exceptional years, this one is a near-perfect wine.  $50

Palliser (Martinborough)

• Sauv Blanc:  along with the cooler variety Pinot Noir, this winery also produces a terrific white that is a great price for $20 bucks a bottle.

Sacred Hill (Hawke’s Bay)

• Helsman:  A huge wine made from a blend of Cab Sauv and Merlot with a little Cab Franc sprinkled in.  $42
• Deerstalker’s Syrah:  Knock-out aromas & a great finish.  $42

Te Mata Estate (Hawke’s Bay)

• Sauv Blanc Cape Crest:  This elegant barrel fermented wine has a little Pinot Gris & Semillon included.  $25
• Elston Char:  an opulent example of what this varietal can do.  $35
• Coleraine:   one of the area’s highest Parker scoring wines, it's a medium bodied wine with silky tannins.  60% Cab Sauv,28% Merlot & 12% Cab Franc.  $77

Trinity Hill (Hawke’s Bay)

• Homage Syrah:  one of the iconic red wines of the Gimlett Gravels.  $75

Coming with us to New Zealand in February 2020?   Wine-Knows will be visiting all ten of these producers and you can taste the best of the best in person!

New Zealand's Hawke's Bay Wines

The Gimlett Gravels terroir

 

We visited New Zealand’s oldest wine region last year on our reconnaissance trip.  Established in the 1850’s, Hawke’s Bay is also the country’s second largest wine district.   This is premium red wine country.  More than 80% of New Zealand’s Cabernets Sauvignon and Franc, Merlot and Syrah are grown in Hawke’s Bay, but the area also offers some stunning whites such as Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.   Like all fine wine producing areas in the world, this district is all about terroir.

Located on roughly the same latitude as Bordeaux (but opposite hemispheres), Hawke’s Bay has a similar maritime climate as its French counterpart.   But there’s another important similarity.  One of the sub-districts of Hawke’s Bay offers a unique gravel soil.   Called the Gimblett Gravels, these soils were deposited when the local river changed its course during a huge flood in 1867.  Those of you who have visited Bordeaux’s Medoc with Wine-Knows, have seen similar gravel-like soil, a result of erosion from the Pyrenees with its debris carried down over centuries by rivers.   The stones, which act to radiate heat, provide an important respite from the chilly marine weather in both countries. 

Located on New Zealand’s north island just a few miles from the sea, the Hawke’s Bay wine district boasts one of the most enchanting towns in the country.  Napier is an architectural & gem.  Destroyed by an earthquake in the early 1900’s, the town was rebuilt at the height of the Art Deco period and its downtown is replete with Art Deco buildings.

Favorite producers?  Listed in alpha order, here’s the scoop on our faves:

• Bilanica
• Craggy Range
• Te Mata
• Trinity Hills
• Unison (we hosted the winemaker from Unison in our home last August for a Winemaker’s Dinner which many of our San Diego clients attended). 

Those of you coming with us in March 2014 to New Zealand will be visiting all of these wineries, two of which will include dinners with their winemaker.