By Raymond Chan
With 30 years
of operation, Martinborough Vineyard has in its 60 hectares of holdings some of
the oldest Pinot Noir vines in the region.
The grape growing and winemaking team has the resource of
well-established sites and systems to allow the making of first-class
wine. The vineyards are under biological
management, which gives considerable credit to biodynamics, and indeed under
the care of viticulturist Peter Wilkins since 2007, is heading closer to that
stance. Paul Mason, with the company
since 2004 took over the senior winemaking role with the departure of Claire
Mulholland in 2006. He firmly supports
the vineyard management seeing the regime employed yielding healthier fruit
which in turns provides better wine, which also reflects place with greater clarity. Respect for the environment and responding as
well as being integral with nature just adds weight to the approach.
This tasting
was an opportunity of presenting the current releases of Riesling and Pinot
Noir, the two most successful varieties of the region. My comments on the wines follow:
Flight One: The Rieslings
All of
Martinborough Vineyard’s Riesling wines are sourced from 2 hectares belonging to
the Jacksons,
planted in the late 1980s, on the Terrace.
The majority of the wine made is the ‘Jackson Block’ followed by the
‘Manu’ with only 40 cases of the ‘Bruno’ made.
Driest of the
three, the Martinborough Vineyard
‘Jackson Block’ Riesling 2009 (18.0/20) at 13.0% alc and 4.0 g/l rs was
pale in colour and a very youthful, tightly bound nose of minerals, citrus
fruit and florals. Dry to taste, the
palate was intense and crisp with tension and acidity, quite cutting and steely
in the Chablis mould. Pure and limey,
and possessing firm acidity, this should age 6-8 years easily. The Martinborough
Vineyard ‘Manu’ Riesling 2009 (18.5/20), using 5-10% botrytis-affected
fruit, was 11.5% alc and carried 27 g/l rs.
Elegantly attractive with fresh limes and honeysuckle aromas, this
slightly sweet wine was pronounced with lime, citrus and honey flavours, good
richness well balanced by fresh acidity.
Possessing a degree of steel, this was similar in structure to many
German wines. This was the most preferred
of the flight by the group of tasters.
The Martinborough Vineyard
‘Bruno’ Riesling 2009 (18.0/20) was made in a ‘Kiwi spatlese’ style to 9.5%
alc and 55 g/l rs, using very clean fruit with no botrytis. Soft straw yellow in colour, this had gentle
mineral and lime aromas with a touch of honey showing. Medium sweet, the palate was softly expressed
with honey and citrus flavour, quite delicate overall. Not quite the zing as in German wines, but
very attractive and accessible.
Flight Two: Introductory Pinot Noir
A most
interesting comparison was afforded by this flight of wines. The ‘Te Tera’ (Maori for ‘The Other’) label
using fruit from the stonier ‘Martinborough Terrace’ soils with the Burnt Spur
wines from clay-based soils. The Burnt
Spur single-vineyard site, situated 5 km south of the township is slightly
cooler and more elevated, and the vines, planted in 2000 are younger than those
in town. The fruit has thicker skins and
is generally picked a week later. The
other aspect was that of vintage: the smaller yield 2007s alongside the ‘dream’
2008 wines, in this case comparing the Burnt Spur wines here.
‘Te Tera’ was
first vintaged in 2002 to provide a Pinot Noir that could be enjoyed earlier
offered value. The Martinborough Vineyard ‘Te Tera’ Pinot Noir 2008 (18.5/20) is 13.5%
alc, and made from generally younger vines, 777, 115, Abel and 5 clones, the
fruit all destemmed, indigenous yeast fermented and aged 10 months in 25% new
French oak. Pale purple-hued ruby red, this
had ripe, soft red and dark berry fruits along with lifted florals and a touch
of cooling herbs on the bouquet and a fresh, succulently fruity palate with
supple, moderate tannin extraction. The
wine had well-balanced, subtle oaking, and had a delightful accessibility. Then to the pair of Burnt Spur wines. The Burnt
Spur Pinot Noir 2007 (17.5+/20) is 13.9% alc, made using clones 5, 6, 667
and 777. The wine was aged 10 months in
French oak. Full, dark ruby red with
some garnet hues, this had a full, soft and broad bouquet now showing some
gamey secondary notes with mushrooms and a touch of herbs. Soft and quite mellow, the fruit was in the
dark plum spectrum along with forest floor complexities. There was good grip and structure to provide a
frame and good length. The Burnt Spur Pinot Noir 2008 (18.0-/20)
was made from 5, 115 and Abel clones fermented to 14.2% alc, and aged 10 months
in French oak. Full, deep, bright ruby
red in colour, this had good primary plummy aromas rather than florals and soft
fruits. It was quite full, dense and
reasonably concentrated, and the excellent acidity gave freshness, liveliness
and a sense of elegance.
Flight Three: Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir
Regarded as
one of the most consistent and leading examples of Martinborough and New Zealand
Pinot Noir, made from up to 10 different clones from vines up to 25 years old,
all from the Martinborough Terrace.
Careful sorting in the vineyard and pre-ferment is carried out and
around 10% whole bunch is included. The
must is given up to a week cool pre-ferment maceration, spends around 20 days
on skins and aged 10-12 months in French oak, 30%-35% new.
From a cool
growing season, which meant the latest start of picking (12 April) to date, the
Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir 2004
(18.0+/20) at 13.9% alc must be one of the best wines from this difficult, cool
vintage. Pale garnet red in colour, this
had a soft, light nose showing very attractive delicacy of fragrant soft red
fruits, in the cooler spectrum, but certainly with no unripe characters. A more subtle expression, this showed
excellent proportion and concentration on the palate with strawberry, floral
and some secondary complexities. Supple
tannins completed the picture. Very
burgundian. The Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir 2007 (18.5/20) at 13.9% alc came
from a very low yield year. Dark ruby
red with excellent depth to the colour, a touch of reduction showed
initially. The wine exhibits ripe dark
fruit characters with a pleasing herbal aspect.
Quite dense and very concentrated, this is a powerful wine with
structure and grip and a very long finish.
Compelling in many aspects. The Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008
(19.0-/20), at 13.8% alc is the result of a dream vintage. Healthy, light, purple-hued ruby red, this
possessed concentrated, fine perfumes of violets and perfect primary fruit. Though supple and elegant, there is
considerable power, strength, extraction and concentration behind the pristine
and pretty fruit. Fabulous florals are
the feature. This has an excellent
future ahead of it, say 8-10 years easily.
Flight Four: Marie Zelie Pinot Noir
The
introduction of the ‘Marie Zelie’ label with the 2003 vintage was the
re-establishment of the Reserve label, last seen in 1998. Named after Marie Zelie Hermance Frere, the
first winemaker in the Wairarapa, this is a barrel selection of the best
barrels of wine from the oldest blocks.
It invariably uses the older clones, Abel, 10/5 and UCD5. The selection is small, to ensure there is no
degradation of the main label in any way.
‘Marie Zelie’ is made and released only in the best vintages. A wine from 2005 was considered, but deemed
not worthy of the designation. It was
presented at a tasting held at Regional Wines in September 2008. I rated the wine 18.5-/20. Click here for the review.
The Martinborough Vineyard ‘Marie Zelie’ Pinot
Noir 2003 (19.5+/20) was made from 10/5, UCD5 and Abel, 10-15% whole bunch,
given 4-5 days cool pre-ferment maceration, 50% native yeast fermentation to a
peak of 32°C to 13.6% alc. Four barrels
were selected, this wine given 12 months in 100% new French oak followed by a
further 4 months in a mix of new and 1 y.o. oak. 742 bottles were made. Dark, deep ruby red with garnet hues. Beautifully lifted fruit on the nose, the
barest touch of VA, adding to the harmonious spiced red fruits with integrating
savoury, mushroomy aromas. On palate,
amazing richness, depth, weight, density and power. Yet remarkably very Pinot Noir and
concentrated essence of Martinborough terroir.
Mushroomy, fruit-cake secondary complexities appearing, and the complete
mouthfeel experience. This will keep
another decade. The newly-released Martinborough Vineyard ‘Marie Zelie’ Pinot
Noir 2006 (19.5/20) was made from 10/5, UCD5 and Abel clones, 20% whole
bunch, given 4-6 days cool pre-ferment maceration, toal native yeast
fermentation to 33°C to 14.0% alc. Four barrels were selected and aged 10 months
in 50% new French oak, followed by a further 8 months in a mixture of seasoned
oak. 984 bottles were made. Dark, deep garnet hued ruby red with a touch
of orange, this was a massive wine on nose with deep, complex red fruit aromas
along with nuances of spices, savoury secondary hints and superbly balanced
oak. The palate exudes rich density with
freshness from the new fruit and acidity, but the fruit weight is
predominant. Textured red berry and
fruit cake savouriness reflects the Martinborough terroir. The structure is integral with the fruit
depth. This will keep well over a
decade.
These two
wines are in a different dimension to the ‘regular’ premium Pinot Noirs. They are far more rich weight and
serious. Arguably they miss the point of
Pinot Noir varietal beauty, but they capture the concentrated essence of
Martinborough terroir. They are complete
wines. Surprisingly, despite the vintage
separation of three years, they are remarkably similar. And astonishingly, they are very accessible
and drinkable. But to not cellar these
wines would deny the true and obvious potential.