Dish

L

ast August was the 45th anniversary
of the very first grapevines to be
planted in Marlborough’s Brancott
Valley. At the time, many thought
growing grapes was madness, but today, our
annual wine exports are valued at $1.63 billion,
wine is now New Zealand’s fifth largest export
good by value and we have over 37,100 hectares
planted in vines. And sauvignon blanc? It
comprises 59 per cent of our total vineyard
area, we grow seven times more of it than any
other white variety, no other country makes it
like we do, and it’s absolutely our global calling
card in the world of wine. If we were looking
for a liquid national treasure, it would be the
crisp, gum-tingling, grassy, passionfruit-laden,
herbaceous beverage we know as Marlborough
sauvignon blanc. However, it was great to see
Waipara and Central Otago earning gold medals
in our tasting of 125 entries. “This tasting
impressed me with its overall high quality,”
said judge Jane Boyle. “Our winemakers take
their role very seriously and it’s gratifying to
see they’re not resting on their laurels where
quality and innovation are concerned.”
Our judges were also very impressed to see
the number of wines that were entered in the
oak-influenced category. In fact, six of our top
10 wines underwent full or partial fermentation
in oak, which is a huge indicator of how our
preferences for sauvignon are changing.
We’re looking for interesting, groovy, complex

sauvignons that linger long on the tastebuds

and provide the perfect partner for all manner

of meals.

“In the past, these wines have sometimes

been over-oaked and overworked to the point

where the fruit characters were completely

overwhelmed,” added Jane. “Our top-scoring

wines showed not only purity of fruit but also

skilful winemaking and oak usage which was

both considered and discrete.” With oak,

there’s a fine balance between success and

failure. “The best of these wines showed far

greater complexity than their stainless steel

fermented brothers,” commented winemaker

Patrick Newton. “These wines will be great with

food and will age gracefully.”

So how about 2017? “It’s no secret that

with terrible weather during harvest in

Marlborough, 2017 was always going to be a

challenging vintage,” commented judge and

wine consultant Colin Ford. “The conundrum

presented itself,” added Patrick, “pick early

before rain and have more of the herbaceous

aromas with racy acidity, or risk rot and

dilution by leaving it through the rain to gain

more tropical notes. Overall the 2017s were a

mixed bag with many being on the lighter end

of the flavour spectrum.”

“What’s surprising is how well many of the

wines we tasted from 2017 did stack up,” said

Colin. “The best were clean and fresh, with

flavours more towards the lime and mineral

GREAT PAIRINGS

Dish Tasting Panel judge Colin Ford is a huge

fan of the lemon-lime character and zingy

acidity of sauvignon blanc with oysters on

the shell – “Bluff or Rocks, I don’t care, it’s a

classically New Zealand combo. Or creamy,

crumbly, stinky sheep or goat’s cheese with

sauvignon blanc, particularly with a year or

two of bottle development, is heaven”.

Sommelier Stephanie Guth added: “On the

menu now at the French Café, chef Simon

Wright makes a beautiful crayfish carbonara

with pancetta, zucchini, lemon and parmesan

which I think a lightly barrel-aged sauvignon

would pair wonderfully with.”

A WORD FROM OUR WINNER...

Liam McElhinney is the winemaker

responsible for crafting our top two wines of

the tasting; two very different wine styles,

judged by two different panels. “Our te Pā

2017 Sauvignon Blanc shows the vibrant

blackcurrant and passionfruit notes that are

the hallmarks of our Wairau Bar vineyard,

with the elegance and finesse of our Awatere

blocks showing through with zesty lime

and nettle aromatics. In complete contrast,

the 2016 te Pā Sauvignon Blanc Oke is a

specific parcel of fruit from our Home Block

vineyard. Oke is hand-picked and whole bunch

pressed directly into 300L French oak cigars.

The juice is left to its own devices... pretty

high risk winemaking but the results can be

super rewarding.”

There’s no doubting that sauvignon blanc is New Zealand’s

biggest vinous drawcard. With so many on the market, the

Dish Tasting Panel picks out the very best of the best.

national treasure

end of the spectrum than the passionfruity

flavours of riper vintages.”

“The 2016s were more concentrated with

greater length and weight – showcasing the

excellent growing season and extra time in the

bottle,” added Patrick. “However, there were

signs of age popping into some of the wines,

with canned asparagus/pea notes. These are

best drunk in the next year.”

For The French Café sommelier and new

Dish judge Stephanie Guth, this tasting was

an education. “Marlborough sauvignon was

the fastest growing wine style/segment in the

market I worked in previously (Ontario). But

the shelves are full of big brand names that all

make a pretty uniform expression and style of

the grape. It took coming to New Zealand to see

that sauvignon is grown all over the country

and comes in many different styles; barrel-

aged, wild yeasts, lees contact, skin-contact,

whole bunches, blending ... there’s definitely a

style to suit all palates.”

DISH TASTING PANEL

DISH 113