Marlborough, New Zealand
I once Googled 'Bordeaux' and 'Burgundy', looking for the hottest news stories from the world’s top wine regions, only to find that 'Bordeaux' had beaten Lyon 2-1 and the bridesmaids at some Z-list wedding had worn 'Burgundy'.
Things move slowly in the wine world, so when a previously unheralded region launches a groundbreaking style of wine – especially one as fresh and exhilarating as Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc – it arrives like a slap in the face. The first slap arrived with the iconic Cloudy Bay brand back in the mid-Eighties, which in wine-trade terms is only yesterday.
Originally New Zealand’s wine industry was based entirely on the North Island – the South Island was considered too cool. It wasn’t until 1973 that the South Island’s first commercial vineyard was planted by the Montana company, which took a gamble on Marlborough. Today, Marlborough, at the South Island’s north-eastern tip, is New Zealand’s biggest wine region, with about half the national vineyard, while nearly two-thirds of the national crop is Sauvignon Blanc.
This white grape variety is widely planted in the Loire and is often blended with Semillon in Bordeaux, but it doesn’t sing with the pure exuberance it finds in Marlborough. These intensely pungent, piercingly acidic and aromatic wines are not easily forgotten. They’re described as grassy, herbaceous, with hints of nettle, and they sometimes pack a tropical-fruit punch. However, their trump card is laser-guided gooseberry, delivered to the palate with tongue-tingling precision. So what is the nature of this happy chemistry between region and grape variety?
Marlborough’s vines, which are among the most southerly in the world, enjoy a temperate maritime climate. They are warmed by strong, clear sunlight and cooled by sea breezes for a relatively long ripening period. North Island Sauvignon Blancs tend to be richer and riper-tasting, while the South Island’s cooler climate promotes more vibrant fruit flavours with bracing acidity. Think of the difference between a French Golden Delicious apple and a crisp English Cox.
New Zealand makes only 0.3 per cent of the world’s wine, exporting most of it, with two-thirds of exports coming to the UK. It has struggled to keep up with demand, which is why New Zealand wine has the highest average retail price in the UK – £6.25 a bottle at the time of writing, compared with an average of £4.30. Record-breaking vintages in 2008 and 2009 led to a big increase in bulk shipments from New Zealand, which have encouraged some short-term discounting – but don’t hold your breath. New Zealand’s wine producers have shown great restraint with the 2010 harvest, limiting yields and even pulling up certain vineyards to protect their premium pricing.
But they’re worth it... so spring-clean your palate this year with a true modern classic.
Three to try
ASDA New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc 2008
All the ripe gooseberries and zingy tropical fruit you could hope for at this kind of price. Fresh and grassy with a dash of pineapple and lime (12½% alcohol).
Stoneleigh 2008
Pale as rainwater yet bursting with ripe passion fruit. A big, zesty, citrusy mouthful with lifting acidity and a long, dry finish (13% alcohol). Available from Waitrose.
Wild South 2008
Pale greenish gold with peach, passion fruit and a whiff of elderflower on the nose and gooseberries on the palate: the whole elegant package is beautifully balanced by fresh acidity (12½% alcohol). Available from Oddbins.
First published in the March 2010 edition of Saga Magazine.