With only 17 hectares of Pinot Blanc planted in New Zealand,
the variety is certainly a minor one, and in all practically insignificant in
terms of acreage. Pinot Blanc is
genetically identical to Pinot Gris, and based on the growth and success of the
latter variety, there should be considerable promise for the former. There have been a number of Pinot Blanc wines
released in the past decade and a half, some from Canterbury well-rated. Often, less than acceptable examples have
been seen, usually made from high cropped fruit resulting in coarse, earthy,
stringy wines. However, there is
increasing interest in the Pinot Blanc variety now, as better viticulture and
new clones are making their mark, and interesting, excellent fruited wines
becoming available. The new generation
of Pinot Blanc wines in New
Zealand promises far more than the European
‘workhorse’ versions, and they approach the best examples of Pinot Gris. We offer four very different Pinot Blanc
wines that demonstrate the progress and the promise:
Mt Edward Central Otago Pinot Blanc 2009
This wine is the perfect introduction to Pinot
Blanc. Recently appearing in the market,
this still has youthful green hues to its pale straw colour, and the wine
clearly shows the white stonefruit and mineral aromas and flavours that make up
its varietal expression. The cool Central Otago climate and continental nature of the
region are manifest in its subtle herbal nuances, and the finesse and delicacy
showcase Pinot Blanc at its best. This
2009 vintage is the second release of a Pinot Blanc by Duncan
Forsyth, the fruit coming from the ‘L’Attitude’ vineyard at
Lowburn, the cuttings originally sourced from Larry
McKenna of Escarpment Vineyard. The grapes were whole bunch pressed and cool
fermented using wild and introduced yeasts to 13.0% alc and 11 g/l residual
sugar. Off-dry in style, the gentle
sweetness lifts the fruit flavours and adds a dimension of richness. There are only 2.2 ha of Pinot Blanc planted
in Central Otago. Maybe there should be a lot more…
Escarpment
Vineyard Martinborough Pinot Blanc 2009
Pinot Blanc is new to the Wairarapa and planting count
for a tiny 0.6 hectares. This is the
first release of a varietal Pinot Blanc under the Escarpment Vineyard label,
the earlier yields from Larry and Sue McKenna’s Te Muna Road site being bottled under a
blended label. The fruit for this 2009
wine was fermented to 13.8% alc and 5 g/l rs.
An even pale straw yellow in colour, this has a fresh, full bouquet of
ripe stonefruits along with hints of tropical fruits, nuts and spices. The palate is dry, but this has a sweet
lusciousness. Larry has built in good
body and the proper extraction level for excellent mouthfeel, and while the
wine is not robust, it is substantial, and will put on more depth and flavour interest
with it. Pinot Blanc at its most
flavoursome can be reminiscent of Chardonnay and this wine certainly does that
with its intriguing, subtle oak and malo-like nuances. Larry assures us there was no oak contact nor
any MLF in the winemaking to ensure maximum freshness.
Clayridge
Marlborough Pinot Blanc 2008
Mike Just has a passion for Pinot Blanc; it must be in
his blood. From his formative days
making wine in Germany, Mike
came to adore the variety he made there and fell in love with the wines from
across the border in Alsace. He regards the variety as the “cute little
sister” to Pinot Gris and indeed has great respect for it, way above its
‘workhorse’ image. Mike treats the fruit
very carefully, hand-picking the estate-grown fruit and employing whole bunch
pressing for the clearest must. But for
complexity, one-third is barrel-fermented with wild yeasts to 13.5% alc,
leaving only 4.5 g/l residual sugar. The
result is a very pale, green hued wine that sits close to Europe
in style with its funky, nutty complexities that originate from complexing
sulphides. Dry, crisp and fresh, this
has an excellent ‘keen’ edge which provides a sleekness to the structure. The length of flavours is another feature. This is a wine that could keep well, contrary
to the norm for the variety. Marlborough’s plantings
of Pinot Blanc stand at around 6.0 hectares.
There is potential here.
Greenhough
‘Hope Vineyard’ Nelson Pinot Blanc 2008
Andrew Greehough and Jenny Wheeler have approximately
half of Nelson’s plantings of Pinot Blanc, with their 0.6 hectares in the ‘Hope
Vineyard’. With an average age of 18
years, the vines are well-established and properly balanced, in tune with the
site, soil and climate. The Greenhough
interpretation is very much in line with their other wines, possessing
gentleness and harmony allied with presence and substance. Brilliant straw yellow in colour, this has an
open, full and broad bouquet of autumn fruits and warm, savoury complexities. At 14.0% alc, the wine is full-bodied and dry
with only 2.9 g.l rs. The wine is round
in the mouth, with a fatness and richness of fruit, soft and lush, but with
good acidity for freshness. Full
barrel-fermentation in seasoned oak, partly with indigenous yeasts with
maturation in wood for seven months accompanied by lees stirring, the wine
reveals layers of interest. This is
drinking well now and will do so over the next 2-3 years.
Regional Wines will be conducting a Varietal Study Tasting of
Pinot Blanc on Thursday 15 April.
These wines and a selection including examples from Austria and Alsace will enable attendees to explore the
Pinot Blanc variety in greater depth.
Click here for more details.