If chardonnay lovers reflect on production techniques, they probably imagine their favourite white wine slumbering for a year or more in stacks of French oak barrels, while gaining in richness and complexity. At Pyramid Valley, they have decided to do things differently.
Founded in North Canterbury in 2000, Pyramid Valleyis today controlled by Aotearoa New Zealand Fine Wines Estates, which also owns the Lowburn Ferry and Smith & Sheth brands. Aotearoa is a partnership between viticulture expert Steve Smith – formerly of Villa Maria and Craggy Range – and American billionaire Brian Sheth.
So, what’s the production change? Open-topped, concrete vats were once commonly used in New Zealand for fermenting wine, but from the 1960s, they were often replaced by enclosed, temperature-controlled, stainless-steel tanks. Now, concrete is on the comeback trail.
In British Columbia, the Haywire Winery exclusively uses concrete tanks for its fermentations and wine storage. “Within thick concrete walls, a fermenting wine’s temperature rises and falls gradually, which is gentler on the wine … This has a very positive impact on the aromatics of the wine.”
Haywire winemaker Michael Bartier also points out that “concrete is similar to a barrel, in that it is porous and allows oxygen to move naturally through the walls and soften the wine. Concrete gives the wine the weight and texture of a barrel fermentation, but rather than tasting like a barrel, the wine tastes of where it was grown.”
Pyramid Valley is still using oak casks, but is achieving highly impressive results with tall, reinforced-concrete tanks, known as tulipes. You can taste their influence in these wines.
This very elegant, youthful wine was hand-picked from old vines at Waipara. Fermentation was principally in French oak barrels, but nearly 40% of the blend was fermented and aged in a concrete tulipe. Full of cool-climate vigour, it is mouthfilling, with good acid spine, finely integrated biscuity oak, and penetrating, citrusy, peachy flavours. (14% alc/vol) $50
Wine of the Week
Pyramid Valley Weaver Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022
★★★★★
This memorable wine was grown in the hillside Churton Vineyard, between the Waihopai and Omaka valleys. Hand-picked, it was fermented and aged on its yeast lees for eight months in a concrete tulipe, matured for another 10 months in old oak puncheons, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Light yellow/green, it is weighty and savoury, with notably concentrated, ripe, tropical-fruit flavours, complex, dry and lasting. This is an exceptional Marlborough sauvignon blanc, notably vigorous, deep and refined. (14% alc/vol) $85
