Seasonal variations

Rippon, Pinot Noir wine. Photo / Dean Purcell

There is really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather," claimed the writer and painter, John Ruskin. Waiting for the long overdue warmth of spring, I've been feeling less well-disposed. But for our winegrowers, who are currently counting down the days until the risk of potentially destructive frosts has passed, what the weather's up to can have a huge impact on the wines they make each year.

"The seasonal has so much influence on the final wine," explained Dry River's viticulturalist, Shane Hammond, as he presented four consecutive vintages of wines made from different grape varieties by the Martinborough estate.

The wines certainly illustrated this. While all of them were good in their own right and carried the unmistakable signature of their vineyard and makers, the different vintage conditions had also left their indelible imprint on their styles.

Downpours during Martinborough's harvest in 2004 meant many grapes were picked earlier, leading to lighter fresher styles. In 2005 the weather caused poor flowering, which resulted in a small crop of consequently more concentrated wines. The following year drought shrivelled some of the grapes, whose picking time was dictated by bouts of potentially diluting and disease-causing rain.

In 2007, which produced some of the best wines in the line-up, the vintage got off to a bad start, with frost destroying a sizeable chunk of the crop. Then Mother Nature smiled on Martinborough, giving the region a warm dry harvest in which winemakers were able to leave their grapes on the vine until they reached optimum ripeness.

Some grape varieties are more sensitive to the vagaries of vintage than other, such as pinot noir and riesling. "Other varieties seem to be more buffered to seasonal difference," noted Dry River's winemaker, Katy Hammond. Cooler climates like ours allow nature to leave more of its mark on the wines.

Nevertheless, better winemaking and viticultural techniques have mitigated vintage variation to some extent and largely made truly atrocious vintages a thing of the past. And for the big brands, making a consistent product from year to year is paramount.

But boutique players such as Dry River are more accepting of difference. "Recently we've had succession of adverse seasons," said Shane, naming winter drought and excessive rain as just some of the challenges he's experienced in recent years. "But we've struggled to view this adversity as negative, as there's strength in every season."

Given the nine degrees of latitude over which our winegrowing regions are spread and the very different conditions experienced by each, it's usually difficult to generalise about the quality of the vintage in New Zealand overall.

However, there are odd years when the fortunes of most are comparable, such as 2007, which saw many regions produce stunning wines. Above is the pick from that year of some of my favourite pinot noirs, a variety that really shone in that season.

The 2007 pinot picks

Fruits of patience

Churton Marlborough Pinot Noir 2007 $39-$44

"Producing great wine takes time," says Churton's Sam Weaver, who's only just released his fabulous 2007 pinot while many wineries are now well into their 2008s. Made using biodynamic principles from the fruit of the estate's Waihopai hillside vineyard, Churton's elegant and structured pinots are establishing themselves as some of the region's best. The 2007 is another fine example with its supple plum fruit underpinned by silky acids, moreish savoury, earthy undertones and hints of dried herb.
(From Wine Vault, Fine Wine Delivery Company, Peter Maude, Bacchus Cellars, Point Wines, Mairangi Fine Wines, The Village Winery.)

Biodynamic beauty

Rippon Central Otago Pinot Noir 2007 $54.50

Whether or not you understand how it works, it's apparent that some of the most expressive pinot noirs, such as this enthralling example from Wanaka, are being made using biodynamics. Tiny yields in 2007 have resulted in a particularly concentrated pinot from Rippon. It's a veritable schist fist in a velvety glove that starts with soft and subtle notes of plush cherry underpinned by savoury and spice and builds on a wave of fresh acidity to a powerful flinty crescendo.
(From Glengarry, Scenic Cellars, The Wine Vault, The Village Trade.)

Refined palate

Alana Estate Martinborough Pinot Noir 2007 $50

The light touch of Australian-born Chris Archer resulted in Alana Estate producing some of Martinborough's most refined pinot noirs while he was at its winemaking helm. Its Estate Pinot Noir is an impressively fine wine with a linear acid-driven palate that unfurls to reveal complex and silky layers of dark berry fruit, exotic spice and mineral.
(From The Wine Vault, Bacchus Cellars, Point Wines, Scenic Cellars.)