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Wine Review

Pyramid Valley Growers Collection 2007

By Raymond Chan
It is always a pleasure to spend time with Mike and Claudia Weersing of Pyramid Valley. The couple must count among the most passionate wine people in the country, and their ideas and philosophies are truly avante garde, almost eschewing many common, near-industrial winemaking practices. The wines from their home vineyard in Waikari, North Canterbury are yet to come on stream in any commercial sense, but their ‘Growers Collection’ wines, made from fruit from special vineyards managed to their particular criteria can provide an idea of what the home vineyard wines will be like The tenet is the use of old vines cropped very low, fermented with indigenous yeasts and minimal intervention, avoiding fining and filtering, to capture the essence of the site.

This tasting was of the third release of the Pyramid Valley ‘Growers Collection’ wines. As usual, the wines need background information to understand where they are coming from. Even so, they can be interpreted with controversy. However, at this tasting, the wines were generally very-well accepted and indeed highly regarded. Here are my notes on the wines tasted:

Flight One: Riesling


Three Riesling wines from Marlborough were presented in order of decreasing residual sugar, but increasing alcoholic strength and fruit extraction and weight. First was the Pyramid Valley ‘Lebecca’ Riesling 2007 (18.5/20), from 25 y.o. vines in Rapaura, at 11.0% alc and 34 g/l rs. The palest of the three in a steely, minerally Germanic Kabinett style, elegant and with lovely balance of sweetness and acidity. Next was the Pyramid Valley ‘Riverbrook’ Riesling 2007 (17.5-/20) from 10 y.o. vines on Brancott Road, incorporating 15% botrytised fruit. At 12.5% alc and 20 g/l rs, this carried a little more colour, but greater depth and concentration, in an Alsace style. Slightly riper and warmer in expression, and some sulphide notes detracting a little. Third was the Pyramid Valley ‘Rose’ Riesling 2007 (17.5+/20) from the site contiguous with Lebecca, given more leaf plucking, and fermentation partly in older oak. 13.1% alc and 9 g/l rs. Seen as the Lebecca wine allowed to progress fully without intervention. More colour again, broader and riper again, Alsace in style, dried stonefruits and with much more weight, yet still with crispness. Interestingly, among the group of tasters, all three were evenly liked.

Flight Two: White Wines


A flight of three very diverse wines and varieties, showing Mike and Claudia’s skills in the vineyard and making wines that demonstrate a wide perspective and understanding of wine styles in an international sense. The Pyramid Valley ‘Kerner’ Pinot Blanc 2007 (18.5/20) from Waihopi Valley fruit fermented in old French oak to 14.0% alc and 3.4 g/l rs must be one of the most complete and serious versions made in this country to date. Lovely ripe stonefruit flavours with citrus and honey nuances on a well-weighted palate, with excellent length. Next was the Pyramid Valley ‘Hille’ Semillon 2007 (17.5/20) from 20 y.o. vines from the Brancott Valley. 95% Semillon, 5% Sauvignon fermented in 50% new French puncheons to 13.5% alc. Bright straw yellow, this had powerful, herbal Semillon fruit, laced in strong oak overtones, all somewhat raw and acidic at this stage. Experience has shown that 18 months in bottle are required for the components to come into harmony. This was controversially received on the night. Then the Pyramid Valley ‘Orton’ Gewurztraminer 2007 (18.0-/20) from 30 y.o. vines from Hawke’s Bay. At 14.5% alc and 1.7 g/l rs, this was bottled without filtering or fining and unsulphured. Deep golden hued yellow, this was a little cloudy in appearance, but fulsome in open and ripe floral, spice and ginger aromas and flavours. Savoury with a funky yeasty note and a touch of bitterness from the concentration and depth, this was wild and extreme Gewurztraminer. A technocrat wine taster would reject this as over the top and not clean nor polished enough. Having tasted this wine three months ago, and dismissed it as faulty, this amazed me with its transformation to a wine of real interest and complexity.

Flight Three: Red Wines


A wine shown for the first time to a group of consumers, the Pyramid Valley ‘Howell’ Cabernet Franc 2007 (18.5+/20) from Hawke’s Bay fruit was made in a style similar to the high quality, new wave producers in the Loire. A sort of super-Chinon or Bourgueil, this avoided the leafy and acidic characters that best these wines. Dark ruby red in colourthis had firm, dense cherry and dark berry flavours and a fragrant floral and coffee note on a well-ripened palate with good, fine tannin textures. Very drinkable now, but will reward bottle age over the next 4-5 years easily. The next two wines were well-served as a pairing. The Pyramid Valley ‘Eaton’ Pinot Noir 2007 (18.0+/20) from the Omaka Valley employed 15% whole cluster and spent 15 months in 33% new French barriques to 14.2% alc. It was pale ruby red with soft, strawberry notes and gentle perfumes. More ethereal in style, the palate was fresh, with the acidity a feature, the red fruit flavours forming the core. The Pyramid Valley ‘Calvert’ Pinot Noir 2007 (18.5+/20) from Bannockburn was vinified as the ‘Eaton’ wine to 13.5%, but appeared darker in colour and expressive of dark cherry, berry and herb aromas and flavours on a powerfully concentrated palate with fine silken textures. A classic comparison of Marlborough and Bannockburn wines, by all accounts.

Flight Four: Home Site Pinot Noirs and a Sweet Wine


As a treat for Regional Wines, Mike & Claudia showed the first two Home vineyard Pinot Noir wines. The Pyramid Valley ‘Angel Flower’ Pinot Noir 2006 (18.5+/20) from a north-facing slope with shallower clay-limestone soils was 100% destemmed and aged 20 months in 33% new French barriques to 13.5% alc. Only 30 cases were made. Pale garnet red in colour, this possessed a strawberryish nose with herbs in a lighter, cooler style. Despite this, it was rich with depth and concentration, with a sweetness of fruit and fresh acidity. Savoury and subtly spicy, this was tightly tannic and had the structure to age well. Even more interesting was the Pyramid Valley ‘Earth Smoke’ Pinot Noir 2006 (19.0-/20), also first crop from 6 y.o. vines from the east-facing blockon deeper clay-limestone soils. At 13.0% alc, this was aged 20 months in 33% new French barriques. Some garnet colours of development showing, this was fresh and youthful with its savoury red fruit and herbal aromas and flavours and tight, dense, tannic structure. Quite complete and possessing a harmony, this exuded a feel of Burgundy with its subtle concentration and structure. For 2006, these show real freshness and integrity. The final wine was the Pyramid Valley ‘Hille’ Semillon Late Harvest 2007 (17.0/20), from the Hille site in the Brancott, fermented to 14.4% alc and around 95 g/l rs. Less than 50 cases were made. Light golden straw in colour, this had a distinctive coffee grounds aroma of high toasted oak, along with an underlying ripe herb flavour on a ric
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PYRAMID VALLEY SEMILLON HILLE 07
Pyramid Valley Semillon Hille 07
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