Autumn 2011

Vintage Outlook

Old Martinborough hands cannot recall another frost-free spring in the past 30 years.  Tender baby vines escaped damage, making 2011 unique, and vineyards are looking good for a fine quality vintage.  

Settled weather with even temperatures through spring was ideal for flowering and vine growth, and some rain in late January was perfectly timed to boost energy levels as grapes reached the veraison stage. This means the changing colour as grapes swell, ripen and develop those elusive flavours that make Martinborough wines so special.

There is a downside. As a February 2011 Palliser blog put it, “the grapes have just started to color up and are suddenly looking very attractive to the feathered enemies that stalk from above”.  

Winemakers and viticulturists pay close attention to weather patterns, obviously. 

Winemakers’ weather comments

Paul Mason from Martinborough Vineyard commented that “the frostless spring was followed by a very warm dry summer with several events of strong hot winds. As it is so dry, berry size looks to be small which should result in wines of deep colour and depth of flavour. For us it looks like vintage (picking) will start mid to late March”.

At Dry River, the winemakers reported that “the vineyard has looked immaculate throughout the season and the balanced vines look to deliver a fine quality vintage.

“Vine growth was rapid in October due to the amount of ground moisture combined with the warm temperatures and an early assessment suggested the potential yields would be adequate due to the amount and size of the inflorescences. Flowering conditions were perfect for all varieties and in the lead up to Christmas the winds arrived at the perfect time to help slow vine growth and vigour”.

Nga Waka winemaker Roger Parkinson reports that “We have been firmly in the grip of a strong La Nina event since the start of the growing season. Typically La Nina years produce warmer, drier seasons with occasional outbursts of rain and the risk of significant late season rain as ex-tropical cyclones drop out of the tropics and head south down the east coast of New Zealand. To date we have certainly experienced warmth and dryness with no frost events for the first time in many years and the lowest growing season rainfall to date on record (183mm for the 5 months to the end of February).

“The benign conditions over flowering ensured excellent fruit-set and the likelihood of a bountiful harvest. Peak daytime temperatures have been only slightly above average but night-time temperature have been well above average as more easterly and north-easterly patterns have drawn warm air down from the sub-tropics.

“At this stage harvest looks likely to start towards the end of March, up to a week earlier than average. Currently the grapes are in pristine condition and if autumn is typically dry, the potential for a high quality vintage looks very promising. La Nina years do pose a risk for late season rain so we will not be trumpeting the quality of the vintage until we get the grapes safely in to the winery.”

Martinborough wine pips $7000 French drop in blind tasting

A $200 bottle of Martinborough pinot noir has blitzed in a blind tasting a $7000-a-pop rival from France and a clutch of renowned wines from around the world. 

The Kiwi wine was crowned the finest at a tasting on Friday at the redwhite + bluezz wine bar and jazz club in Pasadena, California, in a contest to find the world's top 20 pinot noir wines.   Click here to see full story.

Awards and Accolades

Building an international reputation for fine wine is a long term goal, and consistency is essential.  Some say it’s a journey not a destination, as the quality standards bar is lifted ever higher.  So every time a Martinborough wine wins a significant award or is rated highly by acknowledged experts, the Wines From Martinborough brand is strengthened a little more.

UK Decanter rating

Wine writer Matthew Jukes in the UK Decanter magazine included four Martinborough pinot noir wines in his March 2011 Top 10 Current Pinot Noirs. The wines are Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2008, Craggy Range Aroha Pinot Noir 2007, Escarpment Te Rehua Pinot Noir 2008 and Dry River Pinot Noir 2007.

The Age/Sydney Morning Herald

Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2009 was rated the Best New Zealand Pinot Noir with 97 points in The Age/Sydney Morning Herald 2011 Wine Guide.  Commentator Nick Stock said “You’ll struggle to find better quality and value outside of Burgundy” and “superb, once again”. Click here to see the full story.

Winestate  (advance news)
 
The next issue of Australia’s prestigious Winestate magazine (May/June 2011) is huge for Palliser Estate Wines – announcing 5 Stars and Equal Top in Class status for both the Palliser Estate Pinot Noir 2008 and the Pencarrow Pinot Noir2009.  The Palliser Estate Methode Traditionelle 2006 also scored Top in Class. 

Cuisine

Cuisine magazine’s March 2011 Aromatic wine feature gave 5 Stars and a Top 10 rating to Martinborough Vineyard Manu Riesling 2010, and 4 Stars to the Burnt Spur Pinot Gris 2010. For ratings from other publications and commentators.

• Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Gris 2009
  - Top 20 in New Zealand by Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine  (January 2011)
  
• Burnt Spur Pinot Gris 2010
  - 4.5 stars - excellent result / high silver medal Winestate magazine
  - Nominated for Winestate Annual 2011-12 and Wine of the Year judging for late 2011 by Winestate Magazine (Michael Cooper - NZ recent releases) in the March/April 2011 issue internationally 
  
• Bob Campbell listed Martinborough Vineyard  in the Top 20 New Zealand wineries in Decanter magazine (September 2010)
  
• Both Martinborough Vineyard Te Tera Pinot Noir and Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir are being poured in Qantas Trans-Tasman Business Class flights
  
• Sue Courtney listed Martinborough Vineyard as Best Producer for 2010 and the Martinborough Vineyard Chardonnay 2008 as Best Chardonnay for 2010

Biodynamic First 

Vynfields has led Martinborough’s green charge, and now the already Organic certified vineyard has achieved another first: Demeter Biodynamic Certification.  Named for the Greek goddess of grain and fertility, Demeter certification is widely considered the highest grade of organic farming.  See www.vynfields.com. 

Based on Rudolf Steiner’s principles of holistic sustainable organic agriculture, Demeter certification was the first ecological label to be recognised internationally. 

To achieve certification, Vynfields owners Kaye McAulay and John Bell worked over several years to develop the property as a “balanced and sustainable unit”, including a strong emphasis on recycling through composts, increasing plant and animal biodiversity, and recognising the rhythmic influences of the sun and moon. These methods lead to a natural reduction of pests and diseases in plants and animals, and an increase in the nutritive and health giving value of food  – qualities Kaye and John believe are evident in their wines.

Toast 20 Years of Toast

Don’t miss this big date – Sunday 20 November 2011 – for the 20th anniversary of Toast Martinborough.  One of the first wine food and music festivals, and still indisputably one of the best.

Don’t take our word for it: check out videos and comments of festival-goers having a great time in and around the premium boutique wineries of Martinborough on www.youtube.com/toastmart.

To help secure those hard-to-get tickets, join Friends of Martinborough for priority access – see www.toastmartinborough.co.nz for details.

In Search of Pinot Noir

Prolific wine author Dr Benjamin Lewin MW visited Martinborough to research information, meet key players and collect anecdotes for his new book . With a chapter entitled Pinot Power in the Antipodes complementing (for example) A Thousand Years of Burgundy and The Holy Grail, this could be a perfect wine-related gift for discerning friends and colleagues  ...  not to mention great exposure for Martinborough wines in very fine wine company.