KEY POINTS:
Rain at harvest and a sauv-alanche of unexpected fruit and grapes left unpicked and rotting in the vineyards - these are the tales being told of the 2008 vintage in Marlborough. But though some wineries describe it as "one of the more challenging vintages" others claim it "promises to be one of the best for some years".
So who's telling the truth? Both it seems, as this year in particular there are two sides to the vintage story, which prominent local viticulturalist TerraVin's Mike Eaton describes as "exceptional for some and abysmal for others".
It's another record-breaking vintage for Marlborough - now responsible for 60 per cent of the country's production. On top of the 1000 hectares of new vines that came on stream in the region this year, many growers discovered their crops were in some cases 20 per cent more bountiful than they'd bargained for. This bumper harvest, combined with the fact that much became ready to pick at the same time, pushed Marlborough's winemaking infrastructure to the limit.
As the tanks overflowed with unheralded fruit, some growers were caught out and forced to leave grapes unpicked. Those without firm contracts, and, allegedly, some with more established agreements, found their fruit hard to sell. So the region was ripe for those seeking cut-price grapes, which will probably result in a wave of cheaper wines in the coming year.
Quantity may be up, but quality is looking distinctly variable given the challenging conditions - including every winegrower's nightmare, rain. It created more bottlenecks in the rush to pick, as well as the rapid spread of the rot, botrytis.
Early ripening varieties such as chardonnay and pinot - and the first tranche of sauvignon - escaped the worst of the weather, with some wineries reporting outstanding flavours in their fruit. However, later varieties such as riesling and pinot gris are looking less flash, with rot ravaging these varieties more than others.
"There should be a spread of quality," says winemaker Fiona Turner, who saw many thousands of tonnes of grapes pass through the facilities for which she consults. "But I expect the best will be as good as it's ever been."
"For those who had good sites, were industrious about employing good viticulture and had the experience often gained from many harvests locally, it all paid off in a year that really did show what we were made of," Eaton says.
The gulf in quality between the wines made by Marlborough's good and average producers looks set to be wider this year than ever before in what is certainly a vintage of two halves.
MARLBOROUGH TRIO
SPECIAL SELECTION
Giesen The Brothers Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
$21.99
Made from a selection of the best parcels of fruit, Giesen's flagship sauvignon is a racy, food-friendly style with savoury herbal notes and subtle tropical fruit over a tight lemon core. This well-priced reserve has only been released once before, last time as Adam's Block from the 2005 vintage.
From Super Liquor Albany and Aviemore Dr, Kumeu Cellars.
PERFUMED AND PRETTY
Clos Marguerite Marlborough Pinot Noir 2006
$28-30
Reminiscent of a Burgundy Villages, Clos Marguerite's pretty and perfumed pinot is made in a fresh, lighter style, unfolding to reveal its bright red fruits, rose-like florals and savoury gamey undercurrent.
From Caro's, Fine Wine Delivery, New Zealand Winemakers Centre, Wine on Jervois.
VALUE FROM VAVASOUR
Dashwood Marlborough Chardonnay 2006
$16
Marlborough has the potential to produce some of the country's best-value wines, such as this easy drinking chardonnay from the Vavasour stable. A whiff of smoke on the nose leads to a creamy palate of peach and melon seasoned with some subtle spice from its component aged in French oak.
Widely available.
