Pinots stand the test of time

Iremember 2007 well. It was the calm before the GFC (global financial crisis). The Clark government was running out of gas and so were the All Blacks – they didn’t even make the semis of the rugby world cup. What New Zealand did make however, was some excellent wine.

I’d joined the Cuisine wine team in October that year, plunging straight into a tasting of 2007 sauvignon blanc. It was a marathon – 233 wines in three days. The sharp-as-glass acidity of those wines left my mouth feeling wounded.

But the overall quality was outstanding. We presented the results in the magazine illustrated by that famous James Bond image where you’re looking down a rifled gun barrel. A corny headline read ‘‘2007 – Licensed To Thrill’’.

And so it continued over the next few months with other varieties. The 2007 rieslings were beautiful and concentrated, as were the chardonnays.

Vintages often favour one variety above others, and in the case of 2007 it was pinot noir. We went into the Cuisine pinot noir tasting late in 2008 expecting good things. We were treated to spectacular things.

The pinot class of 2007 was a humdinger… wines that were full of energy, seamless in structure and easy to like. From that tasting we awarded an extraordinary 91 pinots (out of 242 entrants) four stars or more. In my time at the magazine, no other tasting has matched that strike rate.

As is often the case with pinot, this excellence sprang from adversity – spring frost in some regions and then a cooler growing season overall. Things didn’t really start looking good until autumn, which was dry and benign, giving producers the luxury of picking when they wanted.

Longevity being the real test of a vintage, how are they doing, our 2007s?

A couple of wineries – Pegasus Bay (Waipara) and Dog Point (Marlborough) – have made it easy for us to find out. Both recognised the quality of the vintage and cellared a good portion of their 2007 pinots. You can buy the Pegasus Bay 2007 pinot direct from the winery (email: info@pegasus bay.com), while Dog Point has released its wines to selected restaurants. This is a lovely wine. Sweet cranberry-like fruit and a touch of earthiness play out along a bright line of acidity.

It is lightstepping, with a subtle sort of richness.

Dog Point Pinot Noir 2007 (restaurant pricing)

The earthy, mushroomy, brown tea flavours older pinot is famous for frame a core of dark, sweet cherry.

The tannins are terrific – light, but abundant and providing great mouthfeel.