As an indication of how far Kiwis are pushing the winemaking envelope there was one wine which Kermode describes as offering “a sexy smorgasbord of cola cubes, saffron, celery leaf and yes, perhaps some green tea. Unusual, but in a good way…” Read on to figure out what it was!
The UK is New Zealand’s most important export market for wine and, judging by the crowds at the ‘New Zealand in a Glass’ annual tasting, and some of the empty bottles on the feature tables, it’s a glass that remains metaphorically half full.
Always popular, but never an event to rest on its laurels, this year’s venue switched to London’s OXO2, with just enough room for the 30-plus tasting tables, a masterclass area, and – to my delight – the return of top notch, complimentary Kiwi coffee.
Not a lot of elbow room: OXO 2, a new venue for the ‘New Zealand in a Glass’ annual tasting
Lovers of the Flat White kicked off the day with a business briefing from Rabobank analyst Maria Castroviejo, who revealed an export market that’s in relatively rude health, thanks to its coveted premium positioning.
Although the mighty Sauvignon Blanc continues to dominate, it is alternative varieties that are now making the pace in terms of growth, she reported, albeit from a much lower base. The tasting reflected this, with my perception being there was a greater range of varieties on show from what is still an astonishingly youthful part of the ‘New World’.
Appropriately enough ‘coming of age’ was the theme for the first of the masterclasses from Rebecca Gibb MW, who must surely by now be an adopted Kiwi national treasure, dedicated to that hoary old British obsession with ‘age-ability’. The second was given over to Pinot Noir, ‘from valley floor to mountain slope’. Saying she wanted to “really focus on the regions,” this session assessed the merits of Pinot Noir from the (mostly alluvial) valley bases, versus those from the hills, with the former generally offering lighter, brighter fruit, and the latter bringing us richer, riper styles of wine.
A measure of the keen interest in the ‘unexpected New Zealand’ feature table: a significant number of drained bottles, later in the day at least, with curious tasters having lapped up the Albariño, Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Tempranillo and even Lagrein on show.
Sauvignon Blanc might still account for almost nine in ten bottles of New Zealand wine in the UK, but the event amply underlined New Zealand’s enormous potential for growth, as consumers are encouraged to try something reassuringly familiar, but different. That said, the very winemakers who put Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc on the world wine map in the first place were also out to prove that their bubble isn’t going to burst anytime soon, with some outstanding examples of both innovation and a tangible evolution in style.
David Kermode’s Top 10 Wines:
Greywacke Wild Sauvignon, Marlborough 2017 (Liberty Wines – RRP £27.99), from the one time King of Cloudy Bay, Kevin Judd, an alternative style, from indigenous yeasts, spending 8 months on lees, this was a little too ‘wild’ for some, but I loved it. A textural feast, bags of herbaceous charm rounded off with a flinty finish, if this isn’t a ‘coming of age’ wine for Marlborough, I don’t know what is.
Framingham F-Series Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough 2017 (Liberty Wines – RRP £22.99), with 90% aged in old oak barriques and 9 months on lees, this seductive wine unfolds like a map, with a complex array of bright citrus, stone fruit and a delicious savoury twist. Elegant, yet strong, and very long.
Stanley Estates “Wild” Sauvignon Blanc, Awatere, Marlborough 2018 (Seckford Agencies – RRP £22), good luck getting hold of a case of this, as Seckford were limited to just 60 bottles! Fermented in the vineyard, with the naturally-occurring yeasts that exist there, this is delicate and divine, with pure, perfumed gooseberry and squidgy peach.
The Hunting Lodge Homeblock Waimuku Sauvignon Blanc, Auckland 2018 (seeking representation – RRP £23.99), from a family estate just half an hour from Auckland’s CBD, this strikingly packaged wine is a new entry to the UK, looking for distribution. It shouldn’t take long… Another wild-fermented wonder, with a fresh flinty nose, elegant stone fruit, ripe greengage and some nuttiness in the finish, this was one of my favourite wines across the tasting.
Loveblock ORANGE Sauvignon Blanc, Awatere Valley, Marlborough 2019 (Graft Wine Company – RRP £22.20), an orange wine that isn’t really very orange, this is a great find for Graft. Using green tea powder instead of sulphur to transit the grapes, the resulting wine offers a sexy smorgasbord of cola cubes, saffron, celery leaf and yes, perhaps some green tea. Unusual, but in a good way…
Akarua Rosé Brut Central Otago NV (Liberty Wines – RRP £23.99), New Zealand’s sparklers can sometimes feel like a hard sell, especially in our Champagne-obsessed market, but they deliver such brilliant bang for your buck. This is a great example, with a nose like a strawberry smoothie, bursting with pure, bright red fruit character and a lovely millefeuille finish.
Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Les Beaux Cailloux Chardonnay, Hawkes Bay 2017 (Bibendum Wine – RRP £82), floral, elegant, structured and sumptuous Chardonnay that’s more than a match for the best Burgundy, with an ethereal charm around its defined mineral core.
Escarpment ‘Noir’, Martinborough 2018 (Seckford Agencies – RRP £17.95), a new wine from Larry ‘McPinot’ McKenna, ‘Abel Clone’ Pinot Noir, naturally fermented in clay amphora and left on skins for 270 days, with no added sulphur dioxide.With crunchy red cherry, juicy tannins and just a hint of earthiness, it’s vegan, but hides its hipster influence.
Akitu A1 Pinot Noir, Central Otago 2017 (Mentzendorff – RRP £42), one of my favourites from Otago, this striking-looking wine offers thrilling fruit quality, bursting with juicy black cherry and ripe plum, a waft of sun-baked herbs, warm cinnamon spice and voluptuous velvety tannins.
Stanley Estates Lagrein, Marlborough 2016 (Seckford Agencies – RRP £17.35), a hand sell, for sure, but a lovely bright, juicy expression of the grape, with plush black fruit, liquorice and notes of soft leather. The tannins are firmly under control, teaming up with the vibrant acidity to make a perfect partner for fatty meats. Roast duck is apparently a match made in heaven!
