Anne Krebiehl's third wine harvest blog from New Zealand

South Island - what a difference! Anne Krebhiel continues her tour around the wine regions of New Zeland - this week she crosses over into the South Island.

I leave pretty and peaceful Martinborough with a pang but the flight from Wellington to Nelson soon compensates me. In the bright sunshine I can discern the shadow of our tiny propeller plane on the clear coastal waters of Cook Strait and Tasman Bay as I catch my first glimpses of the South Island: again those bold mountainsides, some bare, some forested and the jagged islands that form the Marlborough Sounds.

At this point, I am still trying to gain time, expecting the harvest to start sooner, so I head straight to Neudorf in the Moutere Hills. Being too far to cycle and I have to go by car, past vast farms and paddocks and through wooded hills. But my tasting at Neudorf with Judy Finn is well worth the drive. Fresh, subtle Pinot Gris ('08), blossom-scented, off-dry Riesling ('08) with exquisite, palate-razing acidity and a concentrated Chardonnay (‘07) which remains refreshing despite its richness.

Again I am in for a Pinot-epiphany: the 2007 Neudorf Moutere, just released, is super-smooth, elegant, despite its youth, and instead of the usual intense fruit I get flavours of dusky undergrowth and an impressive depth and balance.

As I still swoon, Judi tells me of the Shell Mulch Trial which in a way is New Zealand (viti-)culture coming full circle. Together with Masters students of Lincoln University (Canterbury, NZ) Neudorf concluded a three-year trial in 2008 using shells from the ubiquitous greenlipped mussels along the vines to reflect light and thus assist the ripening process. Often, the desired phenolic ripeness of Pinot Noir grapes is achieved only once their sugar-ripeness has reached high potential alcohol levels, negatively influencing the overall balance of the finished wine.

With these light-reflective crushed shells, waste-products of the mussel industry which also improve the soil structure and suppress weeds, phenolic ripening is advanced and thus makes for more finesse in the end product. The Moutere Hills Pinot Noir is a case in point, that said, it does reach an ABV of 14%.

Following Judi's advice, I have a tasty supper at Hopgood's Restaurant in Nelson, just in the shadow of Christ Church Cathedral. For an aperitif, however, I drop in next door to Bar Delicious and find Julicher's 2005 Pinot Noir '99 Rows' that I didn't get to taste in Martinborough and find it mellow, spicy and punchy. And this is a feature of every even half-decent gastronomic establishment in Kiwiland: everyone proudly showcases the wines and cheeses, the local and seasonal produce. I am happy to partake of it, even though it does take me quite a while to finally sample a real pavlova...

Walking towards the bay where I am staying, I think of green-lipped mussels and the explanations and improvements modern science can provide to the ancient art of winemaking. Then I look up and see more stars than I have ever seen before, strange but beautiful Southern stars that completely overwhelm this habitual stargazer.

Join me again in Marlborough where I get a practical class in ripe phenolics...

Anne Krebiehl

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