With the slumping dollar jacking up prices for Côte d'Or Burgundies, pinot noir lovers need some good news. And here it is: The flow of high-quality pinot from New Zealand has turned from a trickle to a torrent during the past few years, and the wines in this new wave are not only numerous but also remarkably consistent. New Zealand's producers are now turning out scores of superb bottlings with a fresh, pure profile at prices that are often surprisingly affordable in the high-cost context of pinot noir.
To appreciate this Kiwi accomplishment fully, it is important to recognize that pinot noir is difficult to grow and craft into fine wine. The pinot grape's thin skin leaves it vulnerable to a whole slew of maladies in the vineyard. Once in the winery, it must be lavished with careful attention, as pinot's extremely delicate juice will reveal many little winemaking flaws that would be undetectable in a big, robust cabernet.
Consequently, cabernet makes good wine almost anywhere that vines can be grown, whereas the world is full of lousy pinots. Many are thin and tart. Many are chunky and obvious. Few are delicate and nuanced, and even those few are rarely consistent from year to year.
So why not just drink cabernet? Pinot lovers will tell you that no other wine can be as complex and detailed in aroma and flavor, or as reflective of the site where the grapes were grown, or as versatile with food. Cabernet has loyalists, but pinot has lovers. Pinot lovers endure one disappointment after another because pinot noir -- when really right -- is incomparably wonderful.
Against this backdrop, you'll perhaps understand my excitement when a country that has been sending us a few promising pinots suddenly starts sending delicious ones in dozens. The speed with which New Zealand has achieved excellence with pinot noir is truly unparalleled, and the consistency of the wines reaching us proves indisputably that New Zealand is among the four or five best places in the world for growing this grape.
Despite the fact that most New Zealand pinots are made with fruit from young vines, almost all the renditions available here are generously endowed with substance and flavor. Although they're not (yet) as complex aromatically as Côte d'Or Burgundies, they show far more tenderness and purity on a dollar-for-dollar basis and are much more consistent. They are also more delicate and less overtly sweet than California pinots and are more attractively priced than qualitatively comparable pinots from Oregon.
Add all of this up, and we see a phenomenon that seems, well, revolutionary. Top performers from my recent tastings are recommended below in order of preference, with regions of origin, approximate prices, and importers indicated in parentheses:
OUTSTANDING
Ata Rangi Martinborough 2001 ($45, Epic): Complete and convincing in every respect, this lovely wine shows tender fruit with ample flavor but impressive delicacy and restraint. Well-measured oak lends accents of spices and smoke, and all the major flavor components are well integrated.
Escarpment Martinborough 2002 ($45, Meadowbank): Impressively concentrated and flavorful, this wine is hardly shy. Yet, despite the ripeness indicated by its 14.5 percent alcohol, it shows an uncanny freshness and brightness. Pure and well balanced, this is skillfully made.
Voss Estate Martinborough 2002 ($43, Meadowbank): Seamless and impressively symmetrical, this gorgeous wine features complex aromas, deeply flavored fruit, well-measured wood and a very persistent finish.
Alana Estate Martinborough 2000 ($22, Capitol) : Surely among the best pinots available from anywhere at this price, it is still young enough to show primary fruit notes of cherries and strawberries, but also mature enough to include interesting notes that suggest wild mushrooms and damp earth.
Craggy Range Winery, Martinborough Te Muna Road Vineyard 2003 ($40, Kobrand): Amazingly integrated in light of its youth, this is full of flavor but still fresh and light, with a long, pure finish.
Schubert Wines, Wairarapa 2003 ($52, New Zealand Wine Imports): Impressively rich but not remotely heavy or obvious, this stunning newcomer is skillfully wrought.
