Uncorked: New Zealand unlocks mysteries of pinot at affordable prices

The time has come to enter the New Zealand pinot noir scene.

The island in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about 1,000 miles southeast of Australia, is at the vanguard of pinot noir production. It has embraced all the mystery pinot has to offer in fruit flavors, spice notes and stunning aromas – and done so at very affordable prices.

While New Zealand has become synonymous with sauvignon blanc, the pinot noir it’s making is the most exciting, affordable and diverse on the planet.

Jeremy McKenzie has embraced the unpredictable nature of pinot noir. The winemaker at Isabel Estate in New Zealand is up for the challenge when it comes to nurturing the thin-skinned variety in the vineyard. McKenzie wants to show off pinot’s varied traits, to capture its nuances and tell a story of the Isabel Estate.

The Isabel Estate Pinot Noir 2021 ($30) had a little mint note on the mid-palate with dried rose petal and red cherry flavors that led into a melange of mushroom, juicy umami, hints of forest floor, potpourri and Christmas spice.

It was light on its feet and loaded with intrigue.

“With the good vintages, what comes through is being seduced by the charmingness around pinot noir,” McKenzie said. “There’s a lot going on. There’s a lot to think about.”

Because he wants the wine to be multidimensional, “there needs to be a brightness of fruit and energy, you can’t just have fruit, you have to have other stuff, like dried herbs, rolling into the palate.“

Which was something the 2021 vintage represented and why McKenzie is so fond of the wines it produced.

“The ‘21 vintage is a cracking wine,” McKenzie said. “It’s such a good value, nothing attracts me to winemaking more than making great pinot and chardonnay. Chardonnay might be my love, but pinot noir keeps the challenge going. I can never master it. It’s a fickle beast.”

All the charms of the Gingin clone are on display in the Isabel Estate Chardonnay 2022 ($30). There was marzipan on the nose with flavors of pear, white peach, nectarine and salty lime.

“There is a saltiness, you nailed it right on the head in noticing it,” McKenzie said. “We look for texture from the barrels. Some have an aromatic lift, some have a refreshing zing that is an energy creator that leads to the back of the palate. It leads you to salivate from that juiciness and makes you want to go in for the next glass.”

An examination of New Zealand wouldn’t be complete without a sauvignon blanc. The Kiwi wine industry has become synonymous with the varietal. The Isabel Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2023 ($22) had gooseberry and kumquat on the nose with tropical fruit flavors, a little green note and tart grapefruit on the finish.

It backed off on the aggressive green notes sauvignon blanc can display, and was focused around the tension between the tropical and citrus fruits.

“Our style is a bit more refined,” McKenzie said. “We are more on boxwood, lime and citrus in the profile. We use old French-oak barrels. We are all naturally fermented, which adds another layer of complexity. There’s no new oak, and you can see the texture in the wine and the style. We are looking at a wine that is more Sancerre-like and using it to showcase our site.”

Because history doesn’t run that deep in New Zealand, wineries like Huia are the beneficiaries. It was the 1990s when wineries were experimenting with their styles. Huia director Tom Pegler said it was a “transformational period.”

Which makes what they’ve accomplished in such a short period of time even more impressive.

“Our speculative plantings were only done 50 years ago,” Pegler said. “No one had commercially grown grapes here. There was a lot of experimentation in the industry to find out what works here. We’ve got the anchor knowledge on what people have done and what works well here.”

While sauvignon blanc is the mainstay that has pushed the entire Kiwi wine business to new heights, Huia also has gotten on board the runaway freight train that is pinot noir.

The Huia Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020 ($28) was an exotic thrill ride. On the nose there was blood orange, bacon fat and black tea. There were fascinating mystical red fruit flavors that were tied up in savory notes. It was a stunning pinot that was both endearing and easy to drink.

“We have some freedom to do what we think will make the best wine,” Pegler said. “When you look at some of the DOCG restrictive rules or some markets overseas, we are lucky we can make the best decisions for making the best wine that we can. Some European winemakers think we are the Wild West, but there are still specific rules as to what we can do. There’s a framework, but you also have the freedom because wine is not defined by 100 years of tradition. That’s an opportunity for us.”

The Huia Sauvignon Blanc 2023 ($22) was remarkable for the way it put the gooseberry and grassy notes on display, but kept the in-your-face aggressive green notes at bay. It’s a balanced white with the right mix of acidity and fruit flavors. Pegler noted the wine had a “minerality that might not be seen in the rest of Marlborough.”

Because the wine industry is still in its infancy, a risky wine like the Huia Marlborough “Tangle” White Blend 2022 ($22) can be crafted. It’s 47% grüner veltliner, 31% chardonnay, 21% sauvignon blanc and 1% pinot gris.

With peach, pineapple and ginger notes, the wine has a mouth-coating texture but still a crackling acidity. It’s like a giant quilt of flavor and texture; and it works.

“Aromatics have always been a really big part of what we do,” Pegler said.

As is making delicious wines loaded with their own unique character.

• James Nokes has been tasting, touring and collecting in the wine world for several years. Email him at jamesnokes25@yahoo.com.

TASTING NOTES

This eclectic array of wines ranges from collectible to everyday pleasure-priced.

Dowdell, Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 ($100): Loaded with flavors and aromas. There is blackberry compote, black currant, violets and resin on the nose. The flavor collection of blackberry, vanilla, currant, cedar and lead pencil shavings is bold and concentrated, yet in line with the gravelly tannins that emerge on the finish. Everything is turned up yet balanced, as each component plays off the other to create a memorable experience. There’s an extensive finish that is a long-lasting pleasure ride.

Intrinsic Columbia Valley Red Blend 2021 ($19): Violets, blackberry and anise on the nose. Black cherry, currant flavors mingle with dusty earth and black tea notes on the finish.

Keller Estate Petaluma Gap, Sonoma County Rôtie 2019 ($65): Meaty and woodsy with sandalwood, tanned leather and anise on the nose. Flavors of licorice, blackberry and the texture of coffee grounds run through the mid-palate. A worthy tribute to the Northern Rhône.

Moone Tsai, Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir 2022 ($108): Cherry and sandalwood mix with an exotic spice note on the pronounced nose. There’s tart black cherry, cedar and hints of spring violets on the finish. Sourced from Dave Phinney’s Our Lady of Guadalupe Vineyard and crafted by winemaker Philippe Melka.

Trapiche Mendoza, Argentina Malbec 2023 ($10): A spectacular value with smoky black cherry and sweet tobacco, with an expansive dark fruit profile on the finish.