Where is New Zealand Pinot Noir
Going?
New Zealand Pinot Noir, although not blessed with the centuries-old history of some of the great wines of the world, is one of the country’s longer-running varieties. It changed little in the first couple of decades, marked by great wines from many
still-respected estates like Ata Rangi, Dry River, Pegasus Bay and Neudorf, alongside some which have stopped producing, like St.-Helena.
A boost came in the late 90s and early 2000s in the form of Central Otago, when blockbuster fruit-driven and powerful styles emerged from the region. Over the past decade and a half, however, this has changed significantly, as many who have tracked the style evolution of Felton Road or Gibbston Valley Wines will have noticed. Even in Martinborough and North Canterbury, bastions of the classic styles, there has been a shift towards a more ‘current’ style of Pinot Noir.
What has changed, and what has contributed to this evolution?
New clones? At one stage, clonal material was considered the great new hope, but as vines have matured and settled into their environs, this has proven to be less significant as previously assumed. Some vignerons, like Wilco and Dry River and the team at Pyramid Valley, believe that the rootstock vines potentially play an even more important part, as NZ does not yet have the right rootstock vines to suit limestone soils and low-yielding terroirs. As our vineyards approach adolescence of 20-30 years age, the wines being made are also changing. Fruit is being tempered with complexity and subtlety, not just from the vineyard but in the winery. Confidence in winemaking and a better understanding of their fruit has allowed winemakers to exert a lighter hand with less new oak. These are generally less extracted wines and due to improved viticulture (heavily influenced by organics) also lower alcohols with more elegant, complex structure. Generally, maceration times have come down. Where the standard winemaking practice in NZ was to destem the fruit and have extended cuvaison of 28-25 days, it is now more often 21-28 days with rising use of whole bunch (though it is not for everyone!). This has resulted in more transparent, delicate, effusive and gentle wines rather than the intense blockbusters of yesteryear.
Marlborough has been a strong contributor to the Pinot Noir story as have the limestone-influenced regions of Waikari, Waitaki and Central Hawke’s Bay. These have forced winemakers to reconsider the balance of the grape variety and how it can display on the palate. Once regarded as the source of sparkling wine base and fruity, slightly simple Pinot Noir, Marlborough now boasts fantastic pockets of Pinot Noir in the Southern Valleys which have inspired producers like Churton, Folium, Te Whare Ra, Fromm, Giesen and Corofin to explore the possibility of a cru and climat system. In the manner of the Côte d'Or, many of these producers are making wines from these vines alongside each other, and this is being reflected on their labels. Will the day come when we understand the character of a Clayvin in the same way as we do a Ruchottes-Chambertin, the vineyard taking centre-stage regardless of which producer has farmed the fruit and made the wine?
Lastly, winemakers are also navigating what it means to be a Pinot Noir from Waipara, or Martinborough, or indeed Wanaka. At one stage, emulating the great wines of Burgundy was the inspiration; then about a decade ago, a strong movement started to reject emulation by declaring that NZ Pinot Noir shouldn’t taste like Burgundy - embrace the fruit, embrace the exuberance of the New World, they cried! However, like all things which swing and sway, styles are now returning more towards a Burgundian elegance, lightness of flavour, yet more confident structure. Freshness, complexity and poise are appearing in the wines, just as the wine from Burgundy itself is changing subtly - influenced as it is by the New World.
We live in interesting times for Pinot Noir. Where will we go next?
Words by Stephen Wong