by Ben Rotter » Thu Aug 16, 2012 7:17 am
Rather than tasting notes, I offer thoughts for interest/discussion since (i) these are the kinds of comments I appreciate reading from fellow geeks, and (ii) I coincidentally visited Central Otago last month. I discussed winemaking with a handful of winemakers there, tasted at a number of wineries in Lowburn/Cromwell, Bannockburn and Gibbston (and wines made from grapes sourced from all those sub-regions plus Bendigo), and drank a few wines too (an important distinction to make from tasting, I think). I came away feeling there was real potential for whites:
*Off-dry Riesling in particular, and especially the more floral expressions (such as Carrick's)
*Gewürztraminer, with aromatics and palates more reminiscent of Alsace than most New World Gewürztraminers. Some were a little too fat and heavy, but many held the balance fairly well (Chard Farm's and Rock Burn's stood out, even if I'd still rather drink Alsatian)
*Chardonnay was pretty solid, even if I felt the oak was often overdone (Carrick's being a standout for me, with an atypically long finish and obvious yet well integrated oak).
(The Pinot Gris might be enjoyed by those who like it with a little r.s. but personally, they left me cold. Nevertheless, I thought the slow move toward less r.s. and more lees contact was heading in a helpful direction - of which Gibbston Valley Wines was a good example.)
With Pinot Noir being by far the most planted variety in the region, it was a focus. I have long found the Central Otago style of Pinot Noir too ripe (i.e., big, alcoholic, somewhat sweet fruited, and rather too smooth in its tannin profile), and am in no way convinced that it "must" be harvested above Brix 26 (which is the norm). Nevertheless, it was most interesting to see the differences in style across the sub-regions (for example, Bendigo's being riper, Gibbston's being more earthy) and the differences in winemaking approach across producers (e.g., inclusion of whole bunches or proprtion of new oak). I strongly suspect the style "requires" age (at least five years) for those (like me) who would like too see the "big-ness" tamed (I feel that Felton Road, Quartz Reef, Chard Farm and Gibbston Valley Winery are worth mentioning, at least in this regard), and that seems to be an opinion shared by the locals as well as many geeks outside NZ.
BTW, whilst the term "Down Under" was historically used to refer to either Australia or New Zealand (and possibly other antipodean locations, as defined by the British) I find that the term is increasingly being used to refer exclusively to Australia (and that usage applies to Kiwis, Aussies and Brits). I can understand the shift, since it's quite possibly a consequence of the Kiwis' desire to be recognised as distinct from Australia (not just the dominance of Australian culture taking "ownership" of the term - which is possibly why most Aussies see the term as having always been exclusively Aussie-related). Many Kiwis may feel that New Zealand is being misplaced/misunderstood/slighted when it is referred to as "Down Under", as Matt indicates.