Just recently returned from a vacation in Sydney and New Zealand. This post recaps three wonderful days we spent in the Central Otago wine region of NZ.
The beauty of the landscape, the succulence of the cuisine and the friendliness of the people cannot be overstated. The wines were good to very good, with tremendous upside potential.
Like much of Northern California, Central Otago was first populated as part of a 19th-century gold rush. However, the wine industry is much younger than California, with most vines being planted in only the last 5-10 years. From this perspective, the quality of wine currently being produced is quite impressive. Pinot Noir is the primary focus. But I actually found some of the white varietals to be at a higher stage of development.
We visited ten wineries over three days. Many thanks to vinserve for his excellent advice on route planning:
GIBBSTON VALLEY area:
Amisfield
Chard Farm
Gibbston Valley
Peregrine
BANNOCKBURN area:
Carrick
Felton Road
Akarua
Olssens
Mt. Difficulty
LAKE WANAKA area:
Rippon
I’ve decided to summarize stuff in list form, so it is more readable and less boring. So here goes:
HIGHEST QUALITY (WHOLE RANGE):1) Felton Road
2) Carrick
3) Amisfield
4) Chard Farm
5) Akarua
90P WINES TASTED (CENTRAL OTAGO):1) 2001 Felton Road Block V Pinot Noir (mind-blowing 97P)
2) 2005 Felton Road Riesling (off-dry 93P)
3) 2005 Amisfield Sauvignon Blanc (92P)
4) 2002 Akarua Pinot Noir (91P)
90P WINES TASTED (OTHER NZ):1) 2004 Milton Viognier Hawkes Bay (92P)
2) 2004 Pegasus Bay Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon Hawkes Bay (92P)
3) NV Cloudy Bay Pelorus (sparkling 92P)
4) 2000 Martinborough Pinot Noir (91P)
5) 2005 Sileni “The Strands” Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough (91P)
6) 2000 Stonyridge LaRose Waiheke Island (90P)
7) 2005 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough (90P)
8) 2003 Trinity Hill Shiraz Hawkes Bay (90P)
BEST VARIETALS:1)
Pinot Noir (Still trying to find a definitive style, but I would liken many to Russian River Valley pinots. There is a nice ripe core, with some minerality and spice. The tannins are supple and not as firm as RRV, but that may develop as the vines mature.)
2)
Sauvignon Blanc (I was very pleasantly surprised by Central Otago sauvies. They are not as grassy as Marlborough SBs, but have wonderful grapefruit and green pepper notes. Light-bodied, but well-balanced and a soft little tweak on the finish. Very refreshing.)
3)
Riesling (Almost all the wineries are producing both dry and off-dry riesling. While I found the dry Rieslings to be a bit simple and boring, the off-dry Rieslings were delightful and on par with some of the better Kabinett-level German wines I’ve tried. I will definitely be seeking some out, especially the ’05 Felton Road).
4)
Chardonnay (Nothing special here. Gibbston Valley chards seems to be better than the Bannockburn chards).
5)
Pinot Gris (Many wineries are convinced that Pinot Gris is the white wine that will win Central Otago fame in the future. I am not so sure. The best we tried was from Mt. Difficulty, but I’d only rate it around 85P.)
PINOT NOIR VINTAGES – CENTRAL OTAGOBased on my conversations in the tasting rooms, 2002 is the vintage to look for in the market right now. Here is a general synopsis of the past few vintages:
2001 – Considered average on release, the ‘01s are often overlooked because of the excitement for the ‘02s. However, every ’01 we tried was right in its peak drinking window. Excellent balance between tannin and fruit. Drink now.
2002 – The hottest season on record, resulting in huge, ripe wines. Almost every winery told me that their ’02 pinot noir won an award at a foreign wine tasting contest. Drink or hold.
2003 – Another warm year, with the biggest yield on record. The wineries called them “elegant” and “savory”. I call them light and beaujolaical (I made this word up – means “like a beaujolais”). Drink now.
2004 – Frost at the very beginning and end of the season, and cold inbetween. The wines are vegetal and austere. A genuinely bad vintage. Avoid.
2005 – Another bout of frost at bud set and difficult weather conditions during the growing season resulted in very low yields. I did not taste any ‘05s, but the wineries are optimistic that the grapes that did make it through will be hardy and intense enough to make special wines.
2006 – We visited in the early part of the growing season and the weather has been unseasonably dry and hot. Vine growth is 4 weeks ahead of 2005. Off to a good start.
NICEST TASTING ROOMS:They are all very modern and spacious, except for Felton Road, Rippon and Akarua, but our favorites were:
1) Amisfield
2) Mt. Difficulty
3) Olssens
4) Peregrine
MOST BEAUTIFUL GROUNDS:When I say beautiful, for the most part, I mean breathtaking. The vistas and scenery must be seen to be believed. The very best were:
1)
Olssens (Modern sculptures abound throughout the front of the vineyard. Spring flowers blossoming everywhere. A hobbit-like tasting room. Cherry orchards on the hillsides atop the vines.)
2)
Peregrine (the facility has won international design awards. It is shaped like a falcon’s wing. Tranquil Japanese-style pond in front. A century-old sheep-shearing shed in back. Barrels of wine directly behind the tasting room behind a glass partition - kind of like Neal).
3)
Rippon (On the shores of Lake Wanaka, a huge turquoise-blue mountain lake. The vines roll gently down the hillsides all the way to the water).
4)
Chard Farm (Located on the banks of the Kuwarau River by a deep rugged gorge. Wild purple thyme growing everywhere.)
WINERY DINING:Only a few of the wineries have dining facilities. We only ate at Gibbston Valley (where I had an outstanding roast salmon dish with a maple-walnut sauce on the outdoor patio), but many locals recommended Mt. Difficulty.
1) Gibbston Valley
2) Amisfield (very new dining facility – looks awesome/first class)
3) Mt. Difficulty (only open for lunch – great view from the patio)
4) Akarua (Lazy Dog Café – casual dining. We actually almost ran over the “lazy dog” himself, who was sporting a leg cast. That would have been classic.)
5) Carrick (only open for lunch, quite sterile looking)
WHERE WE STAYED:For the first couple nights, we were at the
Matakauri Lodge just outside of Queenstown. By far, the nicest place we’ve ever stayed. There are only 7 rooms, including four private villas (one of which we occupied). Located directly on the shores of Lake Wakatipu. One night, we ate in the wine cellar, just Mrs O and I. The second night, we were the only guests in the lodge, so it was like having a personal chef and server. Words fail to describe the experience. Simply incredible.
The second night, we stayed in Bannockburn in a restored turn of the century villa called the
Bannockburn Road Cottage. It had 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, an open living and dining area, pot-bellied stoves, a huge deck, and a terrific herb and flower garden. We cooked our own dinner and enjoyed the tranquility and coziness. Located literally around the block from the Bannockburn wineries (Felton Road, Mt. Difficulty, Olssens, Carrick, and Akarua). Highly recommended.
TRANSPORTATION:When touring the Gibbston Valley area, we hired a private tour guide from
Queenstown Wine Trail. It cost around $200 for 6 hours and included lunch. Highly recommended. Ask for Lance. He owns the company and all the tasting rooms treated us like champs.
Since we were only around the block from the Bannockburn wineries, we drove our rental car while in that area. It’s about 40 minutes from Gibbston Valley.
We stopped at Rippon on our way to Mt. Cook.
BEST WAY TO REFRESH YOUR PALATE:Bungy jump off the (
Kuwarau River bridge across from Chard Farm). Mrs. O and I were fortified enough to take the plunge. (That’s me in the photo). Three seconds of sheer terror followed by three hours of adrenaline-pumping exhilaration. Bonsai!
If anyone has any interest in specific wines from the wineries listed above, I’d be happy to share my notes.
Cheers,
Otis