National treasure

There’s no doubting that sauvignon blanc is New Zealand’s biggest vinous drawcard. With so many on the market, the Dish Tasting Panel picks out the very best of the best.

Last August was the 45th anniversary of the very first grapevines to be planted in Marlborough’s Brancott Valley. At the time, many thought growing grapes was madness, but today, our annual wine exports are valued at $1.63 billion, wine is now New Zealand’s fifth largest export good by value and we have over 37,100 hectares planted in vines. And sauvignon blanc? It comprises 59 per cent of our total vineyard area, we grow seven times more of it than any other white variety, no other country makes it like we do, and it’s absolutely our global calling card in the world of wine. If we were looking for a liquid national treasure, it would be the crisp, gum-tingling, grassy, passionfruit-laden, herbaceous beverage we know as Marlborough sauvignon blanc. However, it was great to see Waipara and Central Otago earning gold medals in our tasting of 125 entries. “This tasting impressed me with its overall high quality,” said judge Jane Boyle. “Our winemakers take their role very seriously and it’s gratifying to see they’re not resting on their laurels where quality and innovation are concerned.”

Our judges were also very impressed to see the number of wines that were entered in the oak-influenced category. In fact, six of our top 10 wines underwent full or partial fermentation in oak, which is a huge indicator of how our preferences for sauvignon are changing. We’re looking for interesting, groovy, complex

sauvignons that linger long on the tastebuds and provide the perfect partner for all manner of meals.

“In the past, these wines have sometimes been over-oaked and overworked to the point where the fruit characters were completely overwhelmed,” added Jane. “Our top-scoring wines showed not only purity of fruit but also skilful winemaking and oak usage which was both considered and discrete.” With oak, there’s a fine balance between success and failure. “The best of these wines showed far greater complexity than their stainless steel fermented brothers,” commented winemaker Patrick Newton. “These wines will be great with food and will age gracefully.”

So how about 2017? “It’s no secret that with terrible weather during harvest in Marlborough, 2017 was always going to be a challenging vintage,” commented judge and wine consultant Colin Ford. “The conundrum presented itself,” added Patrick, “pick early before rain and have more of the herbaceous aromas with racy acidity, or risk rot and dilution by leaving it through the rain to gain more tropical notes. Overall the 2017s were a mixed bag with many being on the lighter end of the flavour spectrum.”

“What’s surprising is how well many of the wines we tasted from 2017 did stack up,” said Colin. “The best were clean and fresh, with flavours more towards the lime and mineral end of the spectrum than the passionfruity flavours of riper vintages.”

“The 2016s were more concentrated with greater length and weight – showcasing the excellent growing season and extra time in the bottle,” added Patrick. “However, there were signs of age popping into some of the wines, with canned asparagus/pea notes. These are best drunk in the next year.”

For The French Café sommelier and new Dish judge Stephanie Guth, this tasting was an education. “Marlborough sauvignon was the fastest growing wine style/segment in the market I worked in previously (Ontario). But the shelves are full of big brand names that all make a pretty uniform expression and style of the grape. It took coming to New Zealand to see that sauvignon is grown all over the country and comes in many different styles; barrelaged, wild yeasts, lees contact, skin-contact, whole bunches, blending … there’s definitely a style to suit all palates.”