Pinot Noir - Made in the Vineyard
NZ Pinot Noir is riding a massive wave at the moment, being the NZ wine industry’s largest growth varietal, closely followed by Pinot Gris. It is very much a cool-climate grape, originating from Burgundy in France and planted widely in other cool climates globally (Washington, Oregon & Tasmania among others). It is a difficult grape to grow, with low yields (or grapes per acre), and subject to frost in many regions. In a recent Central Otago Pinot Noir masterclass, the winemakers noted that in the last 15 years they simply haven’t seen a vintage that was the same as the last. These variable weather/vintage conditions again complicate the science of trying to nail down the characteristics of NZ Pinot Noir. We need to remember as well that vines are, by world standards, still quite young in NZ, and you need vine age to really develop trademark tastes and characteristics of wine. Here is our humble attempt to define some of the characteristics of different NZ Pinot Noirs:
Marlborough: Fruit-driven, bright cherries ranging from sour to ripe. Great drink young styles with a handful of superior examples to put down for a while. Cloudy Bay, Villa Maria, St Clair, Stoneleigh, Wither Hills, Foxes Island & Jackson Estate make some of the best examples from this region.
Central Otago: Intensity of flavour as opposed to palate-weight. Complex, precise fruits. Younger-vined examples may seem a little ‘thin’ in the mouth. Better examples age well, and will soften, developing fuller mouthfeel over time. Look out for Craggy Range Zebra, Mt Difficulty, Wooing Tree, Amisfield, Quartz Reef & Felton Rd for some stunning examples.
Martinborough: NZ’s trickiest Pinot Noir growing area, subject to weather extremes from day to day, month to month and certainly vintage to vintage. Most vineyards are very small, boutique operations with low-yielding vines tended by passionate growers. Wines from the region are considered to have excellent concentration, texture and depth. The area’s unique soil and climate provide qualities in the wine most similar to Burgundy