University Wine Club New Zealand Pinot Noir tasting Friday 21 st May 2010

Pinot Noir New Zealand is now acknowledged as one of the few countries to have successfully come to grips with this fickle and finicky grape variety. The temperate climate and long sunshine hours, along with some excellent winemakers, have produced some world-class Pinot Noir. 27,547 tonnes of 2009 Pinot Noir vintage produced – the highest red wine variety in New Zealand. The reputation that gets Pinot Noir so much attention is owed to the wines of Burgundy, France. For much of wine history, a stretch of hills called the Côte-d'Or (“Slope of Gold”) was the only region to achieve consistent success from the Pinot Noir variety. Joel Fleischman of Vanity Fair describes Pinot noir as "the most romantic of wines, with so voluptuous a perfume, so sweet an edge, and so powerful a punch that, like falling in love, they make the blood run hot and the soul wax embarrassingly poetic."

Describing Pinot Noir: Old World vs. New World Pinot Noir can generally fall into one of two basic styles: Old World and New World. – An Old World style tends to be light-bodied, complex, earthy with a subtle fruit character. Mostly reserved for wines of the Burgundy region. The following descriptions might be used: Mushrooms Smoke Tea Perfume, incense, sandalwood Spice – clove or cinnamon Hints of flowers – violet Tart red fruits – cranberry and sour cherry – A New World style tends to be fuller-bodied and fruit-driven – which NZ Pinot Noir is often associated with: Juicy red fruits – strawberry, cherry, raspberry Meat – particularly bacon Wet earth Floral Toast

New Zealand Pinot Noir regions

Spy Valley Pinot Noir 2008 Marlborough Fermented in small, traditional open-top vats. Hand-plunged to extract colour and tannin, and after pressing the wine was aged in French oak barrels for 10 months. A potpourri of blueberry and violets with a typical Spy Valley layer of red fruit and liquorice on the nose Fruit sweetness dominates a rich and complex palate. The structure is classically firm while remaining supple and approachable. 14.0% alcohol $26.64 from Vino Fino Cellar 3-5 years.

Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2007 Marlborough Approximately a year in French oak (half new) Intensely fragrant with alluring aromas of dark plums and blueberry, layered over spicy sandalwood and smoky bacon The palate is succulent and flavoursome with dark fruits and toasty oak gently supported by plush tannins Cuisine: “floral perfumes and a rich round palate with a slightly feral edge.” 14.0% alcohol $39.99 from Vino Fino

Blind Trail Pinot Noir 2008 Central Otago French oak (30% new) Bob Campbell score 83/100 (tasted Sep 2009): This second label of Wild Earth Wines offers a lighter, simpler Pinot Noir at a more competitive price point. Delicate fruit flavours suggest red cherry and raspberry, supported by a sensitive influence of spicy oak. $20.49 from Vino Fino 12.9% alcohol

Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2006 Barrel aged for 10 months in 100% French oak (40% new) Rich, intense fruits, delicate floral tones enhanced by nuances of wild thyme, and creamy, silky tannins leading into a long mocha finish. Recommended cellaring 6-8 years From the cellar $31.99/bottle Alcohol 13.7%

Raffle time! Lovers Rest Pinot Noir 2008

Camshorn Waipara Pinot Noir months in French oak – 25% new Aromas of lifted black cherry and plum with subtle oak, vanilla and clove spice. Generous palate showing wild berry and chocolate. Notes of dried herb and lingering cracked pepper characteristics. Bob Campbell score 90/100 – “Big, chewy wine with masses of appeal” 13.0% alcohol Cellar ~6 years $ from Vino Fino

Lovers Rest Pinot Noir 2008 Very generously donated to the Wine Club by Graeme and Deborah! Vinified and bottled at Mountford Estate – by CP Lin! Their first vintage (with more to come) promises great depth of flavour and sublime elegance 13.5% alcohol $30/bottle at cellar door (website coming soon)

Pencarrow Martinborough Pinot Noir 2008 Pencarrow is Palliser’s second string wine range Made with traditional Burgundian techniques including a pre-fermentation maceration which allows wild yeast to initiate the fermentation, and a post-fermentation maceration to ensure the complex tannin structure. After pressing it was matured in French oak casks for 9 months. Intense ripe fruit flavours of classical red and black berry fruits with a supple savoury note backed by pleasant oak characters. The palate is full, round and lingering with fine balance 13.5% alcohol $17.93 from Vino Fino

Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2008 Martinborough Complete malolactic fermentation in the barrel. 12 months in French oak (25% new). Bright, succulent, ripe red fruits create an inviting first impression. As the wine unfolds, delicate floral aromas emerge – dark, velvety roses. Tannins are very fine and supple, allowing the wine to show lovely primary fruit on the nose at this early stage. Legend has it that the Abel clone, of the Pinot Noir grape variety, was brought in illegally from France in the late 70’s $64.99 from Vino Fino 13.5% alcohol Cellar 5-6 years plus

Next tasting… Hawkes Bay wines Friday 11 th June 2010