Anne Krebiehl: Fourth blog from New Zealand harvest

Written by Anne Krebhiel

Tuesday, 14 April 2009

Red eye: am on the early coach from Nelson en route to Renwick. State Highway 6 winds its way through coniferous forests, crosses the turquoise Pelorus River in a picturesque, narrow valley and continues south to reach the expansive vineyards of Marlborough: Renwick, a sleepy highway village, sits amidst these and it's yet again a case of dropping the rucksack, grabbing bicycle, helmet and map and heading off to hit the cellar doors.

Everything is within easy reach and the Wairau Valley is as flat as a pancake. As I set off I am warned about the high winds that come up in the afternoon but blithely shrug off any concern. (The prospect and promise of sampling fine wines regularly removes any reservations I may have about my stamina, time or capacity to take it all in.)

Later, as I struggle to cycle against the wind I realise that the Richmond Range and Wither Hills create a perfect wind channel. Serves me right, I guess. At least I am on an endorphin-induced high throughout my stay... but that may also have something to do with the olive groves surrounding the Seresin Estate.

Nevertheless, I manage to cover lots of ground in one and a half energetic days: Allan Scott, Charles Wiffen, Cloudy Bay, Framingham, Fromm, Grove Mill, Hans Herzog, Lawson's Dry Hills, Nautilus, Seresin and Wither Hills. I regret that I did not make it to Drylands and Forrest - I will have to sample their wines on another occasion.

Marlborough was nothing more than dry sheep farming country a few decades ago but it is the spot that has put NZ on the map with its particular brand of intensely fragrant and crisp Sauvignon Blanc.

Indeed, this is what most people flock here for: estate agents even advertise ‘lifestyle blocks' which already have yielding Sauv Blanc vineyards. All the big names are here: Montana, Villa Maria and Cloudy Bay cover huge acreages and even their contract vineyards proudly state who their fruit is grown for. It is here as well that the gulf between handcrafted and mass-produced wines is most apparent.

Most Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is probably made to fit that very particular and internationally successful template. Producers in other regions often feel that their range is not complete unless they also offer their spin on a Marlborough SB....but there is only so much of these highly perfumed and confected wines I can take.

Restrained, subtle examples (like Wither Hills' Rarangi, Lawson's Dry Hills' 2008 SB or Seresin's 2008 SB, even though that has some Sémillon in it) are the exceptions that prove the rule. In Rebecca Wiffen, simultaneously Assistant Winemaker at Lawson's Dry Hills and Marketing Executive for her own family's Charles Wiffen vineyards, I find a like-minded, spirited and excellent commentator on the region.

In the vineyards she points out various different Pinot Noir clones to me, explains their suitability and shows me the famous Chardonnay Mendoza clone. As we sample our way through the ripening grapes Rebecca demonstrates how the changing colour of the pips and the lignification of the grape stems are good indicators of phenolic ripeness.

The berries may taste very sweet but if the pips are still green there is no point in harvesting. Likewise, where the grape stems are turning a woody brown the pips inside the grapes easily come off their mucus and have a beige-brown colour.

All the while Rebecca's handsome Labrador/Collie cross Freddie is frolicking about excitedly. Over a delicious home-cooked dinner of freshly-dug, home-grown vegetables and chicken Rebecca lets me sample the citrus-scented and surprisingly crisp Charles Wiffen Riesling 2008 -- surprising because it has 11 grams/litre residual sugar and remains totally refreshing.

The 2007 Wiffen Pinot Noir is completely fruit-driven, rich and cherry-like with soft tannins and great acidity and will probably be even better in the coming years. Armed with tips on where to eat in Christchurch -my next stop -- I say my goodbyes and feel very touched by Rebecca's generous hospitality.

Here are some of my Marlborough highlights -- who ever said that Marlborough was Sauvignon Blanc country?

FROMM
Pinot Noirs Clayvin Vineyard and Fromm Vineyard, both 2005 -- both exceptional and expressive of their relative terroirs
La Strada Syrah 2005 -- keenly priced, lovely tones of white pepper, very elegant.
ALLAN SCOTT
2006 Moorland Riesling -- made from 35 year-old vines (ancient in NZ terms), smells of citrus peel and smoke, concentrated and rich without being weighty, dry.
2008Gewürztraminer -- with 8g/l of residual sugar it is like honeysuckle in a glass.
HANS HERZOG
2007 Viognier -- pleasantly floral and concentrated, hint of savoury herb and something like musk. Totally alluring.
2006 Pinot Noir - punchy and powerful, still needs time.
FRAMINGHAM
2004 Dry Riesling - incisive -- lovely aftertaste of passionfruit.
2007 Montepulciano (sadly now uprooted) -- savoury fir and red cherry flavours, very balanced.
LAWSON'S DRY HILLS
2008 Riesling -- earthy and full of sweet, ripe peach fruit.
SERESIN
2008 Memento Riesling -- decidedly sweet with 45g/l of residual sugar, a paradigm of balance and full of sweet pear and lemon aromas.
2006 Chardonnay Reserve -- outstandingly full of flavour, an almost anarchic aroma from its wild ferment.

Anne Krebiehl

Peter Balisciano said:

	Anne, love your Blogs. They make me feel as though I am there tasting these grapes and wines also. When I was a boy I used to go with my Grandfather to buy grapes so that he could make his wine and he would lket me taste them right out of the boxes. Keep up the blogs. Peter
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