By Sue Davies and Raymond Chan
Central Otago’s
first plantings were in the mid 1800’s during the Gold Rush days around the Clyde area by a Monte Cristo Feraud. The next person to identify that the Central Otago region would be an excellent place for
grapes was Romeo Bragato, before the lastest pioneers of growers and
vintners. Mt Edward was founded by one
of the original modern pioneers Alan Brady and joined by Duncan Forsyth in 2004
and ex-pat John Buchannan. Great
wine that has personality, reflecting its origins are the aim of this operation
with everything being ‘hands-on’. Mt
Edward’s main focus is Pinot Noir (80%) with the other key variety being
Riesling. Mt Edward is looking at
alternative grapes such as Albarino but more as an interest than a commercial
reality.
Pre-Taster
The initial wine
served was the Mt Edward Pinot Blanc
2008 (18.0/20). The cuttings came
from Larry McKenna’s Escarpment Vineyard in Martinborough. The wine possessed a nose that had the
precision of a top Alsace
example, being fragrant, refreshing, delicate in an aperitif style, but
mouthfilling with a suggestion of pears and spice. It would make a most
pleasing, lovely lunch time wine!
Flight One: Mt Edward Riesling
Two Rieslings
from the 2006 and 2007 were shown. Fruit
for this ‘regular’ label come from the ‘L’Attidude’ vineyard at Lowburn, near
the shores of Lake
Dunstan, Cromwell. The style is one where the alcohol level is
around 12.5%, carrying around 15 g/l residual sugar. The Mt
Edward Riesling 2006 (18.0/20) showed a slightly forward nose of toastiness
but lovely lemon aromas. Attractive
hints of lemon and lime on the nose with an off-dry richness and fresh acidity
showed on the palate. The Mt Edward Riesling 2007(19.0/20) had a
beautifully delicate lemon and lime bouquet.
The palate was fresh and delicate with a concentrated vibrancy and a
superb mineral backbone with great length.
Both were excellent aperitif wines.
Flight Two: ‘The DrumlinVineyard’ Riesling
Vintages from
2006 and 2008 of ‘The Drumlin Vineyard’ were shown – no vintage from the 2007
was made due to the poor set of fruit.
This steep hillside vineyard at Northburn Station is the ‘home’ site and
most marginal of their vineyards having the distinction of being the wettest
vineyard. Whilst it can produce
beautiful wines it can also mean a vintage or two of not producing anything of
worthwhile. The fruit from the 2007
vintage was swapped for a few rounds of cheese!
The total production of this vineyard is in the region of 70 cases, and
the style is made in homage to great German Rieslings with around 10.0% alc and
50 g/l residual sugar. The Mt Edward Drumlin Riesling 2006 (18.0/20)
was beautiful aperitif style in a luscious way!
Floral, fleshy, with excellent precision, balance and a very long
finish. There was plenty of natural
acidity balancing the residual sugar. Mt Edward Drumlin Riesling 2008 (19.0/20),
was fragrant and floral, lush and very moreish.
Lovely mineral characters enhanced the wine and the palate had a clean,
racy finish. The grapes for these wines
are picked early to capture the flavours, richness and acidity in a style that
the Germans achieve, a style that is gaining increasing popularity here..
Flight Three: Mt Edward Pinot Noir 2002 - 2008
The advantage Mt
Edward has over many other Central Otago
labels is their diversity of fruit and vineyards. Fruit sources are Bannockburn, Lowburn and Gibbston. The Pinot Noir is traditionally made,
vinified in open fermenters by indigenous yeasts and employing hand
plunging.. The wine spends close to a
year in French oak, some 25% being new. Seven
vintages of Mt Edward Pinot Noir showing the character diversity resulting from
vintage variation and differing growing conditions were tasted. From 2006 vintage the vineyards had been converted
to organic practices. Central
Otago is perfect for this style of growing due to the low
humidity, low disease, the cold winters killing the bugs. Mt Edward also use their grape marc (left
over grape skins) which helps lower the nitrogen. Being organic has many positives one being it
is physically easier for the staff to manage but more importantly it is better
for the vines and also allows the vines to express the character of the soil
they grow. By growing organically the
vines are forced to go deeper into the soil and sub soil and thereby creating
their uniqueness. The Mt Edward Pinot Noir 2002 (18.0/20),
vibrant with an attractive vanilla and rose note to the bouquet. Ripe fruit,
rounded maturity with a touch of spice.
This wine came from a warmish vintage with consistent balmy
temperatures. The Mt Edward 2003 (17.5/20), displayed light cherry and thyme characters
on the nose. Quite a complex wine with
good acidity and subtle oak handling.
There is a hint of stalk in amongst the cherry and plum. A long vintage with no big highs or
lows. The Mt Edward Pinot Noir 2004 (17.5/20) was the first year in screw
cap. An elegant style with nice spice
and still a youthfulness. Cherries and
florals, complex herb intensity but a touch of grippy on the finish. A short, hot vintage. The Mt
Edward Pinot Noir 2005 (16.0/20) this wine had a herbal note with the classic
Central Otago thyme flavour, a more simple,
minerally style. This was a small
vintage due to the frost. The Mt Edward Pinot Noir 2006 (18.5/20),
was a wine with Cromwell fruit dominant, which gives the wine a more warmer,
riper plummy aspect. Beautifully
balanced, lush, rich ripe fruit, youthful, silky tannins and refined. This came from a warm year. The Mt
Edward Pinot Noir 2007 (17.0/20), was plummy, spicy and concentrated. Savoury and fruit filled, this came from a
good vintage of small yields. The just
released Mt Edward Pinot Noir 2008 (17.0/20)
had a slightly candied lift to the nose with a very youthful cherry/berry and
spice flavour, but in an elegant style.
This wine had just been bottled and still needed t