Posted on: Wednesday, March 2, 2005
New Zealand pinot vintages outstanding
By Michael Franz
Washington Post
The flow of high-quality pinot from New Zealand has turned from a trickle to a torrent during the past few years, and the wines in this new wave are not only numerous but also remarkably consistent. New Zealand's producers are now turning out scores of superb bottlings with a fresh, pure profile at prices that are often surprisingly affordable in the high-cost context of pinot noir.
Washington Post illustration Consequently, cabernet makes good wine almost anywhere that vines can be grown, whereas the world is full of lousy pinots. Many are thin and tart. Many are chunky and obvious. Few are delicate and nuanced, and even those few are rarely consistent from year to year.
So why not just drink cabernet? Pinot lovers will tell you that no other wine can be as complex and detailed in aroma and flavor, or as reflective of the site where the grapes were grown, or as versatile with food. Cabernet has loyalists, but pinot has lovers. Pinot lovers endure one disappointment after another because pinot noir — when really right — is incomparably wonderful.
Against this backdrop, you'll perhaps understand my excitement when a country that has been sending us a few promising pinots suddenly starts sending delicious ones in dozens. The speed with which New Zealand has achieved excellence with pinot noir is truly unparalleled, and the consistency of the wines reaching us proves indisputably that New Zealand is among the four or five best places in the world for growing this grape.
Despite the fact that most New Zealand pinots are made with fruit from young vines, almost all the renditions available here are generously endowed with substance and flavor. Although they're not (yet) as complex aromatically as Cote d'Or Burgundies, they show far more tenderness and purity on a dollar-for-dollar basis and are much more consistent. They are also more delicate and less overtly sweet than California pinots and are more attractively priced than qualitatively comparable pinots from Oregon.
Top performers are recommended below in order of preference:
Ata Rangi Martinborough 2001 ($45): Complete and convincing in every respect, this lovely wine shows tender fruit with ample flavor but impressive delicacy and restraint. Well-measured oak lends accents of spices and smoke, and all the major flavor components are well integrated. Escarpment Martinborough 2002 ($45): Impressively concentrated and flavorful, this wine is hardly shy. Yet, despite the ripeness indicated by its 14.5 percent alcohol, it shows an uncanny freshness and brightness. Pure and well balanced, this is skillfully made. Voss Estate Martinborough 2002 ($43): Seamless and impressively symmetrical, this gorgeous wine features complex aromas, deeply flavored fruit, well-measured wood and a very persistent finish. Alana Estate Martinborough 2000 ($22) : Surely among the best pinots available from anywhere at this price, it is still young enough to show primary fruit notes of cherries and strawberries, but also mature enough to include interesting notes that suggest wild mushrooms and damp earth. Craggy Range Winery, Martinborough Te Muna Road Vineyard 2003 ($40): Full of flavor but still fresh and light, with a long, pure finish. Schubert Wines, Wairarapa 2003 ($52): Impressively rich but not remotely heavy or obvious. Brancott Vineyards, Terraces Estate, Marlborough 2002 ($22): Substantial in weight but still lively and bright, this features delicious black-cherry fruit and soft, fine-grained tannins. Seifried, Nelson 2002 ($25): Pure and detailed, with solid fruit and balanced oak. Martinborough Vineyard, Martinborough 2001 ($40): Pricey but complex and classically styled, with spice and smoke notes augmenting pure cherry fruit. Nautilus Estate, Marlborough 2002 ($20): Juicy and deep, with bracing from spicy oak. Two Paddocks (Central Otago) 2001 ($44): Pure and deeply flavored, with excellent integration and balance. Olssens Central Otago "Jackson Barry" 2003 ($29): Rich and broadly textured, with subtle oak and lovely spicy undertones. Palliser Estate, Martinborough 2002 and 2003 ($27): The 2002 showing has more complex aromatics but the 2003 has a plusher fruit profile.
To appreciate this Kiwi accomplishment fully, it is important to recognize that pinot noir is difficult to grow and craft into fine wine. The pinot grape's thin skin leaves it vulnerable to a whole slew of maladies in the vineyard. Once in the winery, it must be lavished with careful attention, as pinot's extremely delicate juice will reveal many little winemaking flaws that would be undetectable in a big, robust cabernet.
OUTSTANDING
VERY GOOD
