There has been a very important shift in the wine consumers’ perceptions
and expectation with regard to the growing of grapes to make wine, and how it
impacts on the land and the environment.
There is an increasing awareness that natural resources must not be
abused, and of the vital importance of protecting the land so that it provide
for humankind in the future. New Zealand
Winegrowers has implemented the certification of ‘Sustainable Winegrowing’, and
many vineyards are organically managed, with a growing number certified, and biodynamic
viticultural regimes are becoming more widely instituted. While in Marlborough last weekend, I was able
to visit two wine growing and making operations that are living with the land
in their unique way, but becoming more environmentally considered.
Starborough
Although a relatively new label for wine, Starborough has a long and
well-regarded history in Marlborough stretching
back to 1849 when the 14,000 hectare property in the Awatere Valley
was the source for fine merino wool and outstanding lamb. Its modern history involving grapes began in
1992 when Bill and Lynette Jones, who already owned land in O’Dwyer’s Road in
the Wairau, purchased the historic homestead and added vines as a crop,
supplementing their existing Rapaura plantings.
Their Awatere vines are on terraces overlooking the lower Awatere, near
the hamlet of Seddon, and are an integral, but very small part of the whole Starborough
station running which outputs a diverse range of crop and livestock
products. While all the crops, including
the vines are farmed healthily with harmony and compatibility with the soils
and land, the philosophy in growing grapes is almost at odds with everything
else. Reducing yields for increased
quality and hopefully profit is contrary to normal farming. Yet this is what must be done. James Jones tends the vines with the same
care and attention as his brother Andrew does with the other produce. James has laboriously adapted cane management
within each vineyard to match the contours and micro-climate of each site, to
maximize the performance of each plant.
And interestingly, organic and biodynamic growing is being considered
for the vines, something deemed difficult to achieve for everything else on the
station!
However, what is in the glass is what I wanted to see and taste. James took us through his 2010 wines
post-blending and pre-bottling. The 2010
Sauvignon Blanc was classic Marlbourough, combining the full, passionfruit of
the Rapaura district of the Wairau, with the intense minerality and clear
gooseberry expression of the Awatere. It
has the best of both worlds, and could be better the excellent 2009. Pinot Gris may turn out to be the signature
wine for Starborough. The 2009 is a
double gold medal winner and on tasting showed the classic spiced pear fruit,
expressed with brilliance. James showed
the different trial blends of differing proportions of the O’Dwyer’s Road
fruit, fat and full of fruit, mixed with the powerhouse, cutting Awatere
fruit. The latter was the key ingredient
for balance and style. The final blend decided
in conjunction with winemaker Dave Clouston, had a high content of Awatere
juice, and the 2010 may be better than the 2009, as with the Sauvignon Blanc!
Tohu
It is difficult to miss the striking Tohu labels on the shelves at
Regional Wines, sporting the koru spiral motif.
The Maori connection is obvious from the start, and it is a pleasing and
comforting one, stirring one’s pride that the native culture of the land is
promoted so well with the labels. It is
the Maori understanding of guardianship of the land that is one of the tenets
behind the belief and philosophy in the growing of the grapes and the making and
marketing of the wine for Tohu. “Our
gift from the land” is Tohu’s catch-phrase, and it is an appropriate one. The Tohu vineyards are farmed to Sustainable
Winegrowing’ certification and beyond.
With vineyards in Gisborne, Nelson, the Waihopi and in the Awatere, it
was the beauty of the latter that made a lasting impression on me. Located in the upper Awatere, the vines
overlooking the river with Mount Tapuae-o-Uenuku as a backdrop are managed
meticulously. These vines are likely
candidates for organic and biodynamic farming…
Bruce Taylor is Tohu’s winemaker, now having two vintages under his belt
there. A Whakatane man, with an arts
degree to give him a lateral outlook and good sense of humour, Bruce is an
accomplished and seasoned winery man, have done a number of vintages overseas
and recently at Villa Maria’s Marlborough
winery before taking the winemaker post at Tohu. The Villa Maria experience, and no doubt
combined with input from his winemaker partner, Cath Oates who is at Mudhouse,
has provided Bruce with an excellent understanding of what it takes to make top
class Marlborough wine. Tohu’s Sauvignon
Blanc is in great hands, as the current 2009 release shows, but it is Pinot
Noir that is the challenge for Bruce.
Taking us through nearly a dozen different barrels of 2010 juice, one
could see the quality and the health of the wine in the depth of bright fruit
and fresh, vital acidity. Even more
interesting was the individuality of the barrels, reflecting the different
clones and sites, providing some outstanding blending options. If Villa Maria’s Pinot Noirs which Bruce had
a hand in are anything to go by, the Tohu will be pretty smart! We will be looking out for the release of the
2010 Tohu Pinot Noir based on these samples.
Also tasted was a racy, pristine dry Riesling as well as a gorgeous
sweeter version, showing that Bruce is no one-trick pony!. It all augers well in the Tohu camp.
- Raymond Chan