Martinborough vs. Central Otago

[Jenise]

Yesterday, some friends and I were trying to characterize the difference between Martinborough and Central Otago pinot noirs for a friend who was leaving later in the day for his first trip to New Zealand. He's a very, let me underline that--VERY--serious Burgundy collector. Knee-jerk style, meaning it's an opinion I can't back up and didn't think through--nobody else does this, right?-- I offered my opinion based on absolutely nothing, really, that the Martinborough pinots were more "burgundian", but another disagreed and he probably has more experience with Central Otagos than I do. I've had Craggy Range, Felton Road, Quartz Reef and maybe three others, but many more good examples from the north island.

Now I'm curious what the answer to his question should have been, besides . What do others think? Sue? Neil?

One difference - age of vines.

According to a cracking little book on Central Otago called "Pinot Pioneers" (Ric Oram), there were 25ha in total in Central Otago in 1992. A decade later it was 534ha. I feel a little cautious before drawing conclusions on such a new region. Whilst Martinborough (and the wider Wairarapa area) has also grown rapidly, my understanding is that it has a little more history / generally older vines.

So far, my preferences have been for Martinborough, but I've not written off Central Otago (by any means) and have a bottle of Kawarau Reserve (2003?) that I really ought to open soon to see whether my impressions are changing.

In both regions (as elsewhere I guess) there are clearly producers with different aims (some aiming for volume and quality to match a price point, whilst others are more maverick). Thus again, unless tasting widely and frequently (and I'm not, but the Courtney's will I'm sure be) again I really wouldn't want to venture an opinion on stylistic differences.

I've dodged the question haven't I

regards

Ian

One difference - age of vines.

According to a cracking little book on Central Otago called "Pinot Pioneers" (Ric Oram), there were 25ha in total in Central Otago in 1992. A decade later it was 534ha. I feel a little cautious before drawing conclusions on such a new region. Whilst Martinborough (and the wider Wairarapa area) has also grown rapidly, my understanding is that it has a little more history / generally older vines.

So far, my preferences have been for Martinborough, but I've not written off Central Otago (by any means) and have a bottle of Kawarau Reserve (2003?) that I really ought to open soon to see whether my impressions are changing.

I'm with Ian on this one (and dodging the question, too ): I think that regional distinctions are difficult to find when the vines are so young in Central Otago. My favorite NZ Pinot was from Martinborough Vyds, so I agree with Ian on that front, too.

Mark Lipton

Well let me take a crack at this. I think, in general, the vines in Martyinborough are older as an average. Some of the Ata Rangi vines are 27 years old. I usually prefer Martinborough for the earthy character I get. I find that Martinborough tends to show dark fruit than Central Otago. I have found much to like about Central Otago. I find these maybe a little more forward in fruit. I had the Kawarau 2003 Pinot about a year ago and was very impressed. According to the harvest data for 2008 from the Wine Growers Association, Central Otago was about double Martinborough/ Wairarapa. It would be fun to taste the Craggy Range Te Muna Road versus the Calvert bottling. I don't think we get the Calvert from Central Otago here in the US. Overall, I think both regions have their outstanding producers.

Hello

Although Martinborough has, generally, older vine age than Central Otago, Pinot Noir was being grown commercially in Central in the mid 1980s. Martinborough achieved its status of a premier pinot region with the likes of Larry McKenna, then at Martinborough Vineyards, Dry River and Ata Rangi. The mid to late 1990s saw in Central Otago the rocket ship rise of names like Felton Road, Mount Difficulty, Carrick (all in the Bannockburn Region) following on from the already established names, Peregrine, Chard Farm, Mount Edward, Rippon, Gibbston Valley, William Hill and Black Ridge. The soils in the two regions are different, as is the climate and perhaps more importantly, there are many clonal differences in the plantings. In a blind tasting line up, Martinborough wines have a smokey tertiary level on the palate, an extension probably more due to careful winemaking and tending of vines than "age" per se. Central Otago delivers more in the front and mid palate, seductive and smooth fruit, herb and spice in the background - but, if you look at some of the single vineyard bottlings (Calvert and Te Muna Road by Craggy are a very good pair up), that third layer and palate extension is already apparent. (Felton Road, Block 3 or 5; Mount Difficulty Long Gully, Gibbston Soul Taker, Quartz Reef Bendigo). They are both very extremely difficult areas to make wine in, let alone pinot noir, but I reckon they are doing a pretty fine job of it, so far ..........

Sorry to be a smart-ass, but I think it's a false premise: neither region tastes more like Burgundy. Only Burgundy tastes like Burgundy, and it depends what(and when) you mean by Burdundy. But the pinot-ness of each region can't be denied. And Marlborough is another region where Pinot can be interesting in NZ.

I'm not sure vine age has too much to do with it either. I tend to think of it as a producer question. Some producers are trying to approximate a Burgundian profile more than others, and certain vintages allow them to achieve that to various degrees. And of course the differnt clones and yeasts will help or hinder a Burgundian styling as well. And the age of the bottle will have an impact as well - generally speaking, I think the longer you let NZ pinots age, the more 'Burgundian' some of them can become.

But I'd like to hear what NZ experts have to say!

Welcome Angela, you down there in NZ? Sue`s neighbour maybe!
Look forward to more from you, good folks here.

Bob aka Doris.

Regional differences between Martinborough and Central Otago? Why not throw in Marlborough as well, which grows the majority of Pinot Noir in New Zealand? Just think of the amount on Pinot based bubbles that come out of Marlborough for a start.

As to the differences, those that should know will often tell you that they do not.

Thanks for the welcome Bob!

I actually agree here, do not try to compare New Zealand pinots with Burgundy. Or any other 'New World' pinots for that matter. Burgundy has been "doing" pinot for centuries. The rest of the world in vinuous terms is tip toeing on eggshells with this variety. Some places are showing fabulous promise, Oregon, Central Otago in the forefront, Marlborough, Nelson, Canterbury, Tasmania, Mornington Peninsula, Yarra, Sonoma and Russian River, Germany, Chile and South Africa all producing some stunning examples in the hands of talented winemakers. But. though some of them may have characters that you may liken to Burgundy, I would say that it is Pinot Noir characters that are being exposed, good winemaking, careful viticulture and judicious oak in keeping with your preferred style hopefully gives very good Pinot Noir. I would keep the term "great" pinot still with Burgundy ... for now ...

[Jenise]

Sorry to be a smart-ass, but I think it's a false premise: neither region tastes more like Burgundy. Only Burgundy tastes like Burgundy!

I considered that a given. Thing is, it has never stopped any of us from making the comparison--indeed, the term 'Burgundian' came about for a reason.

Hi Jenise,
Neil mentioned Marlborough, so I'll start there and say I find it very hard to distinguish between Marlborough and Central Otago Pinot Noirs. I pick the region correctly about 50% of the time - and I know I am not alone in this hit rate. Generally speaking, they both tend to get very ripe fruit, sometimes a little chocolate and almost always a sweet succulence and gentle tannins. It was initially a little easier to spot the difference until everyone started using the Dijon clones which has introduced a lovely and much needed savoury component. Initially Marlborough lagged in the introduction of these clones but now they are everywhere. It also becomes difficult when you get a whiff of dried woody herb and you zoom in on Central Otago because it reminds you of the wild thyme that grows down there and then, darn it, the wine is revealed to be Marlborough. The best CO Pinot Noirs have lovely underlying acidity that introduce brightness to the wine and extends the finish. They have an alluring spiciness and the 'peacock's tail' in all its splendor at the end.

It should also be pointed out that there are quite distinct differences in the Central Otago sub regions too. For example, grapes at Bendigo can be picked up to a month ahead of those in the Gibbston Valley, further west.

However, Martinborough Pinot Noirs do seem to have a point of difference, when compared to Central Otago Pinot Noirs, to me at least. They generally seem to have more structure and tannin, more dirt, more game and more of a bittersweet red fruit component. They are just more 'savoury' overall. I've been really impressed with what has come out of Martinbrough from the 2006 vintage - on a quality per quantity basis, Martinborough was my choice for NZ Pinot Noir region of the year. I haven't come to any conclusions about 2007, yet, however.

If you are interested, I compared two high fliers from the 2006 vintage - Ata Rangi from Martinborough, and Wild Earth from Central Otago, on my blog. In summary, Ata Rangi is the 'thinking' wine while Wild Earth is the 'drinking' wine.
http://www.wineoftheweek.com/blog/blog2 ... m#20081218 (right click to open in new window)

Cheers,
Sue

[Jenise]

Sue said:

It also becomes difficult when you get a whiff of dried woody herb and you zoom in on Central Otago because it reminds you of the wild thyme that grows down there

Speaking of that, we had a Central Otago pinot earlier this week which I just posted about. That dry woody herb thing was definitely in the Amisford which has gained some very nice weight since I last tasted it.

About Marlborough pinots, that adds an interesting angle; however, such are impressions on this side of the pond that though we're well aware of those wines they weren't considered by anyone in the conversation that started this thread to be as worthy as the other two regions.

Angela's (welcome to WLDG, Angela!) comments about the Central Otago's being possibly more forward vs. the earthier-ness of the Martinboroughs, which you corroborate, are in combination why I considered the latter more "Burgundian". To my limited experience, they're just less full-frontal.

According to a cracking little book on Central Otago called "Pinot Pioneers" (Ric Oram),

I bought this book a week or so ago, agree with you, cracking good read!

otago-phyll.jpg

A point of difference with Burgundy is that the CO vines are on their own roots. Unfortunately phylloxera has now reached the area and new plantings are grafted.

otago-mt-difficulty.jpg

This is Mt Difficulty's vineyards in the badlands of CO's old gold-rush workings.

About Marlborough pinots, that adds an interesting angle; however, such are impressions on this side of the pond that though we're well aware of those wines they weren't considered by anyone in the conversation that started this thread to be as worthy as the other two regions.

That could be down to regional marketing initiatives. For Central Otago especially, Pinot Noir is THE grape that everything rides on. The plantings of Pinot Noir in Central Otago far outweigh everything else. Similarly, it is Pinot Noir that put Martinborough on the map. Marlborough seems to be suited to so many more varieties than just Pinot Noir - Sauvigon Blanc of course but also Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. In my opinion, Pinot Noir from Marlborough should not be ignored.

Here are some interesting stats for Pinot Noir red wine grapes (excludes PN sparkling grapes)

Total Pinot Noir plantings in New Zealand in 2008 - 4189 hectares and 16% of NZ's total vineyard area.
Martinborough (as part of greater Wairarapa) - 462 hectares and 54% of region's total.
Central Otago - 1196 hectares and a whopping 78.5% of region's total.
Marlborough - 1738 hectares but just 10% of region's total.

That might help put it into perspective.

Cheers,
Sue

Hi Jenise,
Neil mentioned Marlborough, so I'll start there and say I find it very hard to distinguish between Marlborough and Central Otago Pinot Noirs. I pick the region correctly about 50% of the time - and I know I am not alone in this hit rate. Generally speaking, they both tend to get very ripe fruit, sometimes a little chocolate and almost always a sweet succulence and gentle tannins. It was initially a little easier to spot the difference until everyone started using the Dijon clones which has introduced a lovely and much needed savoury component. Initially Marlborough lagged in the introduction of these clones but now they are everywhere. It also becomes difficult when you get a whiff of dried woody herb and you zoom in on Central Otago because it reminds you of the wild thyme that grows down there and then, darn it, the wine is revealed to be Marlborough. The best CO Pinot Noirs have lovely underlying acidity that introduce brightness to the wine and extends the finish. They have an alluring spiciness and the 'peacock's tail' in all its splendor at the end.

It should also be pointed out that there are quite distinct differences in the Central Otago sub regions too. For example, grapes at Bendigo can be picked up to a month ahead of those in the Gibbston Valley, further west.

However, Martinborough Pinot Noirs do seem to have a point of difference, when compared to Central Otago Pinot Noirs, to me at least. They generally seem to have more structure and tannin, more dirt, more game and more of a bittersweet red fruit component. They are just more 'savoury' overall. I've been really impressed with what has come out of Martinbrough from the 2006 vintage - on a quality per quantity basis, Martinborough was my choice for NZ Pinot Noir region of the year. I haven't come to any conclusions about 2007, yet, however.

If you are interested, I compared two high fliers from the 2006 vintage - Ata Rangi from Martinborough, and Wild Earth from Central Otago, on my blog. In summary, Ata Rangi is the 'thinking' wine while Wild Earth is the 'drinking' wine.
http://www.wineoftheweek.com/blog/blog2 ... m#20081218 (right click to open in new window)

Cheers,
Sue

Sue

As I would expect from you, a good concise breakdown of the differences. For my palate, I keep finding the Martinborough wines come out ahead in any serious comparative tasting. One of the advantages of living in Sydney nowdays is that kiwi producers really put on display their top end wines at the 2 annual NZ wine shows. Hence I have the luxury of really getting the opportunity to compare what is around. Recently the one Martinborough PN I keep drifting back to each time is the Schubert B Block and Marion. Although I have yet to try the Bald Hills which appears to get very good write ups, Schubert does seem to be producing some of the decent down there. As for the Wild Earth, I am happily working my way through a six pack of 05 with bbqs at present. I keep trying to get my local wine shop to stock it. Excellent call.

As an aside, I was in Auckland recently and grabbed one of the Gimblett Gravel reds. Here are my notes on it. What I don't understand is how Bob came out and so totally slammed this wine.

Villa Maria Twyford Gravel Vineyard Cab Sav 2003 From the famed Gimblett Gravels, definitely one of the better NZ Cab Sav I have had in recent years (barring the Stonyridge & Te Motu Wines, both from Waiheke Is outside Auckland). Excellent length and well portioned mid section just like the ladies under the trees on Mission Beach. Of real interest is the fact that local wine critic, Bob Campbell MW absolutely slammed this wine on his site 3 years ago giving it 76 pts (!). I on the other hand would have gone with 91-92. Either Bob had a really lousy bottle or I really need to spend more time checking out the new wave of kiwi cabs.

Mark

[Jenise]

This is Mt Difficulty's vineyards in the badlands of CO's old gold-rush workings.

Peter, thanks so much for the picture. I love being able to visualize places, and that is a landscape unlike any I expected to find in NZ.

The land around there reminds me of the desert badlands of Arizona. It was reformed by gold mining in the mid 1800s, it's sunbaked hard claytype soil that has been sluiced out from the workings. There are bare gullys and mesas and it is really surprising to see bright green lines of vines over the lower slopes.

The vineyard picture was taken from the Mt Difficulty tasting room on 8 Jan 09.

Lots of other areas of New Zealand get all the press in terms of aesthetics (and rightly so), but the light in late afternoons on Central Otago can be absolutely stunning. I used to go to Central Otago - before the wineries appeared - a fair bit, and the combination of that light, the rolling hills, shadows and lack of people made it a gorgeous, yet almost unknown area. Lots of great memories from driving and hiking around the tops of the ranges there...

This is Mt Difficulty's vineyards in the badlands of CO's old gold-rush workings.

Peter, thanks so much for the picture. I love being able to visualize places, and that is a landscape unlike any I expected to find in NZ.

Jenise, here are a couple from Central Otago, taken along the Highway 6 heading east from Queenstown. It was late June and winter was just starting to roll in; only one or two ski areas were open but the wineries were pouring!

Boulders.JPG

This was one of my favorites:

CattleStop.JPG

In addition to the wineries of Central Otago, I would recommend to your friend that lunch at the Carrick winery is a worthwhile stop. In addition to good food, we took advantage of special pricing on a 3pack of their PN that was only offered to lunch patrons. Plus the view from the restaurant was quite nice.

One of the interesting points in this thread is the comparison....because we never thought there was one. Our trip to NZ occurred at a time when we were relative wine neophytes. The only PN area in NZ that we considered visiting was Central Otago, but I can't recall why. (It was also the only wine area in NZ we visited.) Maybe it was just that our trip had a full itinerary and CO just happened to be near Queenstown where we stayed for a couple of days. Anyway, at the time, only Central Otago was on our PN radar screen.

That sign can't be in Central Otago. There are no bullet holes in it!

That sign can't be in Central Otago. There are no bullet holes in it!

Good one! Must be a relatively new sign then. I was wondering if the visible dents were remnants of a drive-by. Guess the kiddies were practicing with their BB rifles!