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| Sadly that red cup is for spitting |
Today I had the great pleasure of attending a tasting at Tribeca Grill for Villa Maria Estate, a very prestigious winery in New Zealand. The winery is getting ready to celebrate its’ fiftieth anniversary. Mazel tov! Their group winemaker Alastair Maling has enjoyed a prolific career in winemaking. Ten years ago he passed the International Master of Wine Exam and in 2002 he accepted his current position at Villa Maria. It was very thrilling to hear him speak about a selection of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noirs. (It helps that the New Zealand accent reminds me of Flight of the Conchords.)
Sauvignon Blanc
So, I’ll admit. I’m not a huge fan of this particular wine. It’s the premier grape for New Zealand. This worried me early in the tasting. This changed when we came to the 2009 Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. It’s very restrained for an acidic wine, but has this concept of finesse. Along with passion fruit (a staple for Sauvignon Blanc), I also tasted a distinct flavor of minerality. A lot of this comes from the vineyard’s location on the Awatere River where the soil goes from silt to stony gravel. This really challenged my definition of a New Zealand white. According to Alastair the goal of any New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is to create “a medley of flavors that run across the palate.” With this bottle, mission accomplished.
Pinot Noir
The Pinot Noir grape benefits from old vines. This is a problem for New Zealand where vines are quite new. And yet, I discovered a really excellent Pinot from Villa Maria. Overall, Pinot Noir in New Zealand derives complexity from chillier tannins. The flavors of red cherry and black fruits emerge, but the texture of the palate is much silkier and velvety. The 2007 Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir comes from three vineyards. It’s very rustic and comes across more like a Burgundy Pinot. It helps that 2007 was a fantastic vintage for New Zealand. This is also a vintage that would benefit from only five to seven years aging (any more and the purity of the fruit would be lost).
And so there you have it. Be sure to check out New Zealand wines -- especially those that come from Villa Maria!
Sauvignon Blanc
So, I’ll admit. I’m not a huge fan of this particular wine. It’s the premier grape for New Zealand. This worried me early in the tasting. This changed when we came to the 2009 Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. It’s very restrained for an acidic wine, but has this concept of finesse. Along with passion fruit (a staple for Sauvignon Blanc), I also tasted a distinct flavor of minerality. A lot of this comes from the vineyard’s location on the Awatere River where the soil goes from silt to stony gravel. This really challenged my definition of a New Zealand white. According to Alastair the goal of any New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is to create “a medley of flavors that run across the palate.” With this bottle, mission accomplished.
Pinot Noir
The Pinot Noir grape benefits from old vines. This is a problem for New Zealand where vines are quite new. And yet, I discovered a really excellent Pinot from Villa Maria. Overall, Pinot Noir in New Zealand derives complexity from chillier tannins. The flavors of red cherry and black fruits emerge, but the texture of the palate is much silkier and velvety. The 2007 Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir comes from three vineyards. It’s very rustic and comes across more like a Burgundy Pinot. It helps that 2007 was a fantastic vintage for New Zealand. This is also a vintage that would benefit from only five to seven years aging (any more and the purity of the fruit would be lost).
And so there you have it. Be sure to check out New Zealand wines -- especially those that come from Villa Maria!
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