11 minute read
Pinot Noir
SHOULD IT BE TOP OF YOUR LIST?
There is simply no other grape quite like pinot noir. No variety fills more column inches and fewer glasses.
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Some wine lovers think of it as an overrated, wimpy, wannabe that - at its best - is a pleasant warm-up to cabernet (or something best used in fizz). Others are convinced that they should love it (I have a good friend who claims it is his favourite grape and yet, unless it tastes like shiraz, he is inevitably underwhelmed), while others have no doubt that great pinot noir reigns supreme as the finest, most sensual, most thrilling wine on the planet and that it is simply a matter of time before all wine lovers see the light and bow down before this glorious grape (and yes, I belong firmly in this latter camp).
WORDS KEN GARGETT
A genuine interest in local pinot noir kicked off in the 90s, though try as one might avoid the syndrome of the ‘Emperor’s New Grapes’, it was not easy to find much that was decent. Too much of it was made like shiraz and cabernet and lacked the finesse, texture, perfume and elegance that are the hallmark of good pinot.
As the vines gained age, better clones were introduced; the most likely regions were identified and winemakers gained overseas experience, especially in Burgundy. The wines improved out of sight. Yet Aussie pinot has long had some sort of cultural cringe about it. Wine lovers from offshore will know and love our shiraz, cabernet, chardonnay and much more, but they are often surprised to learn that we ‘do pinot’. Does anyone who has drunk a fair bit of both Kiwi and Aussie really think that New Zealand’s efforts are superior to ours? Sure, they are different (and very often very good), but both nations are producing superb examples. The Kiwis are prepared to shout about theirs from the rooftops but, despite all the blog debate and wine-nerds navel-gazing about pinot, we seem determined to keep ours a secret, at least beyond our borders - there are no such inhibitions locally. Pinot is grown in most wine regions, though there has been a move to reality with some of the warmer regions giving up the pretence. There are around 5,000 hectares grown in Australia - less than 5 per cent of the nation’s vineyards. The Yarra Valley and Tasmania each have approximately 13 per cent of the total; the Adelaide Hills around 10 per cent; Mornington Peninsula just fewer than 8 per cent, and the rest is spread about. As well as still table wines, pinot is a key component of quality sparkling, especially in regions such as Tasmania.
In talking to a range of pinot noir producers around the country, there is no question that the variety is considered as important both to them as winemakers and to their respective regions.
Mike Symons of Stonier Wines identified its importance to Mornington Peninsula by describing how it has “helped build recognition of the region, being the core focus variety of the region in hectares and message.” He sees Mornington as “one of the more consistent areas for pinot noir in terms of quality, year on year,” and notes that it is “always the headline with any marketing of the region.” As he points out, “Mornington pinot noir is a category on many wine lists.”
Tom Carson of Yabby Lake confirms the link between pinot noir and the Peninsula: “It is more than 50 per cent of the vines planted in the region and represents about 50 per cent of total production. It is our highest priced wine and what most customers expect to find at our cellar door is a really compelling range of pinot.”
Steve Webber of De Bortoli Wines in the Yarra Valley confirms that it is the “most important variety in the region. [Pinot] goes three ways – rosé, fizz and red (rosé and red in serious growth). [Pinot] makes 30 per cent of what we make.” It is the same story, with slightly different versions in all serious pinot regions, and a few aspiring ones too.
Jim Chatto is the Chief Winemaker at Mount Pleasant Wines in the Hunter Valley and yet his personal vineyard is world’s away - a small patch of pinot in Tasmania’s Huon Valley. Those alone sum up the fascination winemakers have with this variety. Also from Tasmania, Conor Van der Reest of Moorilla Estate acknowledges
the importance of the variety but from a slightly different angle. He says, “I think it’s been the rise in popularity of pinot noir that’s done more for spreading the Tasmanian story than Tasmania spreading the word on pinot noir. I think pinot noir for Tassie represents the chance to build a critical mass that will let us be more understood and have more influence on the whole of the Australian wine scene.”
In New South Wales, Daniel Shaw from Philip Shaw Wines in Orange notes that pinot is their third largest planting.
Western Australia might not be the first place one thinks of for quality pinot, but several producers are taking it very seriously. Burch Family Wines (BFW) has the Howard Park Flint Rock, the MadFish, and they are also involved with the Marchand & Burch from Burgundy. If there was ever any doubt about how serious winemakers can be about this variety, consider this from BFW: “We looked at sites all over southern Western Australia, analysing temperature, gradients, rainfall, soil type, drainage, weather patterns, the wind etc. We finalised on a site east of Mt. Barker that had all the correct conditions and altitude from 200m to 300m, which was an added bonus. We initially planted pinot noir clones 115, 114 and 777 in a range of planting densities and altitudes. We recently added three additional clones, imported directly from Burgundy through quarantining ourselves to increase the clonal diversity in the vineyard.”
Rob Diletti of Castle Rock and 3 Drops also in Western Australia believes that the “Great Southern produces some great pinot noir, but it is isolated to some unique sites in certain sub-regions.” Rob sees his site as “unique, as it has an easterly aspect so we don’t get the afternoon sun; there is about 300m of elevation and it gets a cooling effect from the prevailing easterly which comes in off the Great Australian Bight. These factors help keep it quite cool and an ideal site for growing pinot noir. The soils are gravel over the hard clay, so they are not vigorous, and are well drained.”
Most winemakers agree that pinot noir has never been better in this country. So what has caused that and what will bring about even further improvements in the future?
Steve Webber believes the wines are better today, with more perfume; they are more age-worthy, slightly riper; there is a more considered use of whole bunches; there are better vineyards with more vine age, increased vine density and cane pruning; the use of hand harvesting and sorting, better selection of oak, new clones and finally, an understanding and acceptance by winemakers that we are not trying to make Burgundy. And what will bring about further improvements? Better clones and site selection.
But half the fun of this grape is the widely divergent opinions it brings forth. Mike Symons is less convinced about clones, but agrees in respect of sites: “I am not sure clones have made much of a difference really, despite it being a favourite topic among wine glitterati – at the end of the day I would be very happy if all of our vineyards were MV6, the oldest clone in Australia. I would prefer a great site over a clone any day.”
David LeMire from Shaw + Smith in the Adelaide Hills acknowledges that there “are dozens of variables…A lot of the improvements have come from the vineyard, but the winemaking has been important too. Vineyard site has been the key to our improvements. But then there is the vineyard management, the interaction of clone and site, and different handling of each batch in the winery to complement the fruit. In the winery, the sorting table now plays an important role, as does increased use of the whole bunch, but that use of the whole bunch is related to the site, the clone, the season, and so
on. Certainly taking a flexible approach that reacts to the fruit from each parcel is paying dividends.”
Tom Carson believes that the potential for improvement lies primarily in the vineyard, and that we have some way to go still. “l just think that we are a way behind the rest of the top pinot noir regions in the world when it comes to viticulture - closer planting, rootstock/clone interaction and general vineyard work and attention to detail. It’s time that we lifted our game. On a recent trip to Oregon, the top producers’ vineyards were immaculate and extremely well-tended, really detailed site selection with regard to soil changes and subtle slope changes.”
Daniel Shaw is one who believes in the importance of clones and has been progressively grafting his vineyard to the preferred options. “I feel that Orange is too cool for us to see these older clones express themselves. The newer clones from Burgundy, however, are really changing the wines we make.” He has also reduced the amount of new oak in use and is bottling earlier to “make sure that the fruit remains expressive.”
An aspect on which there was general agreement was that pinot noir is important for exports but not, as one might imagine in terms of volume or value, but rather in enhancing the international perception of Australian wine. Pinot has come a very long way from those tentative early days where it seemed that the wines were judged only on how close they came to Burgundy. Aussie pinot noir is a diverse and often thrilling variety with an important, if niche, role to play in the future.
NEW ZEALAND PINOT NOIR
Some years ago, when it became obvious that New Zealand sauvignon blanc was the grape that would represent the country in vinous Olympics for decades to come, some cruel souls felt that perhaps the divinities did have a sense of humour, giving our neighbours what was seen as very much a third-tier variety as their flagship. They were decidedly more stonyfaced when it subsequently became apparent that the Kiwis were also able to make first class pinot noir.
While nothing quite matches the sauvalanche, there has been massive growth in pinot noir plantings. There was a time, a decade or two ago, when Montana Estate (as it was then) went from not having a single pinot vine in the ground to the largest vineyard area under pinot of any winery in the world. Most importantly, the proliferation was paralleled by excellence, and while pinot has proven itself a most pernickety variety, very particular about where it will succeed, in New Zealand, it seems to find favour almost everywhere, especially the cooler regions. Production is set to reach 37,000 tonnes in 2016 - 15 per cent of New Zealand’s total harvest and second behind sauvignon blanc.
The key regions are Martinborough (part of the greater Wairarapa), Nelson, Marlborough (though part of the harvest is used for sparkling), Canterbury/Waipara, Central Otago and even Hawkes Bay. Canterbury/Waipara is well down in production but with international cult producers like Bell Hill and Pyramid Valley, expect it to be a household name among pinot lovers in coming years. Marlborough tends to the pretty, fragrant, fresh, red-fruited styles (among the many fine producers, Brancott Estate, Dog Point, Fromm Estate and Greywacke are personal favourites), while those from Nelson (Neudorf is a star) are also fragrant, though more spicy and savoury.
Central Otago has captured the world’s imagination and there are a plethora of choices. The style is wonderfully expressive, boldfruited and with dark fruits, though there are sub-regional variations. Felton Road, Maude, Charteris, Rippon, Valli and so many more offer brilliant pinot from here. Finally, if restricted to a single region, for me it would be Martinborough – the depth of flavour, complexity, balance, finesse, silkiness and texture can be awe-inspiring. So many options but Ata Rangi, Dry River, Martinborough Estate, Kusuda, Craggy Range, Escarpment are all impeccable.
Sauvvy may rule Kiwi wine but the true quality is found in its stunning pinot noirs.
All of the producers mentioned are making quality pinot noirs worth seeking out, but there are plenty more. And who better than to ask than other pinot makers? Not surprisingly, many recommended some of the other makers quoted here.
Who else? Those nominated (and most were named at least twice) included Curly Flat, Giant Steps, Paringa Estate, Eldridge Estate, Moorooduc Estate, Home Hill, Bay of Fires, By Farr, Farr Rising, Coldstream Hills, Yering Station, Mayer, Bindi, Montalto, Mount Mary, Yeringberg, Gembrook Hill, Bass Philip, Sailor Seeks Horse, Meadowbank and Stoney Rise.
Mud House Single Vineyard Claim 431 Central Otago Pinot Noir
Internationally awarded Pinot Noir from New Zealand’s premier wine region
2012 vintage
GOLD - New Zealand International Wine Show 2013, Korea Wine Challenge 2014, China Wine and Spirit Awards 2014 PURE GOLD - Air New Zealand Wine Awards 2013 BLUE GOLD - Sydney International Wine Challenge 2014 TROPHY - New Zealand Pinot Noir & Central Otago Pinot Noir, International Wine Challenge, UK 2014, Master Drinks Business Global Masters Pinot Noir Awards, UK 2015
2013 vintage
GOLD - New Zealand International Wine Show 2014
2014 vintage
SILVER - Royal Easter Show Wine Awards, NZ 2016
