Joelle Thomson

Joelle Thomson’s weekly column is published on Fridays.

The decline of Chenin in New Zealand remains a mystery
11 June 2021

South African wines made headlines in one of the most respected newspapers in the world this year because of a relatively obscure grape variety, Chenin Blanc, which can hold its own with the finest white wines, wrote UK critic Jancis Robinson MW in the Financial Times last month. It will come as good news to South Africa’s winemakers whose industry has had it tough in the past 12 months due to three total bans on the sale of alcohol since the Covid pandemic began. It could also bode well for New Zealand winemakers looking for a segue from Sauvignon Blanc.

Wine of the week

18.5/20
2018 Astrolabe Wrekin Chenin Blanc $32

Another deliciously succulent Chenin Blanc from winemaker Simon Waghorn, who fermented this wine in a combination of oak and stainless steel to add complexity and roundness but retain fruit freshness. Wild yeasts were used in this wine’s fermentation which can accentuate a more diverse range of flavours in wines. This is all about fresh flavours of lemon with a hint of grapefruit, held together in a dry style with a medium body and great long finish, thanks to the acidity, which makes every mouthful taste zingy – and will also see this wine through to a ripe old age. Acid is a great preserver. A delicious Astrolabe Chenin, as always.

It’s always seemed unusual to me that Chenin Blanc produced in New Zealand tastes so fresh and ages so well but has declined in production over the past 20 years from 1041 hectares nationwide in 2001 to 79 hectares in 2010 to nothing mentioned today, which is code for unimportant and barely any left. The last time that New Zealand Winegrowers reported an actual figure was in 2016 when there were 24 hectares of it left. Today Chenin Blanc is lumped in with the ‘other varieties’ which total 395 grapes and include some unpromising interlopers as well as this great white.

Sad. It does make me sad because the quality of good Kiwi Chenin Blanc continues to rise, as a new wine from an old winery showed a group I was doing staff training with this week at Wellington’s biggest independent wine store, Regional Wines & Spirits.

One of the wines I showed the tasters (which was presented blind, alongside another dry white), was my wine of the week, above, the 2018 Astrolabe Wrekin Chenin Blanc, whose maker says that Chenin flourishes in the New Zealand climate. Winemaker Simon Waghorn makes this wine from grapes wine was grown on a clay slope on the Wrekin Vineyard in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys. This vineyard is in conversion to organic certification with BioGro New Zealand. All the grapes are hand picked, fermented with wild yeasts, partially in barrel, partially in stainless steel to retain fruit freshness. “I love Chenin Blanc because of its crisp acidity and ability to age…” says Waghorn.
I’ll echo those sentiments. If only we had more, sob sob. It really does seem a shame, especially when so many winemakers talk about finding an interesting alternative and dive deep down the pathway of even more obscure, harder to pronounce varieties such as Gruner Veltliner, Viognier and Arneis but won’t venture down a path with a proven track record of greatness, namely, Chenin Blanc. It’s not that those other whites will not do well in this country. Some will. Some won’t. But Chenin Blanc is one of the greatest whites in the world in terms of its vibrant personality and ability to age for decades and its natural tendency to produce relatively large crops. This means it is easier to make money from than, say, Viognier or Gewurztraminer, which are both tricky to grow and harder to pronounce, making both a challenge to sell. Chenin Blanc is easy to pronounce and even easier to understand because it is nearly always dry and rarely has new oak which keeps its price down. Despite the small volumes, there are many good and some outstanding ones in good vintages, such as Chenins from Forrest Estate, Mount Edward, Easthope Family Winemakers, Margrain Vineyard and, best known of all, The Millton Vineyard.

The quality is always high and the prices never are. The decline of Chenin in New Zealand remains a mystery.

Find out more about South African Chenin Blanc at www.chenin.co.za

Grant Taylor, founder and owner of Valli Vineyards, is one of the most interesting creators of Central Otago Pinot Noir. There are four different Pinot Noirs made every year but there are no tiers in the range, although no doubt there are plenty of tears in frosty years because Central is the most southern wine region in the world and can be rather chilly.

My wine of the week is arguably the edgiest of the four and that’s what I love about it. Reviews of the other three Pinots still to come. Oh, and yes, the edgiest of the four Valli Pinots ironically comes from North Otago’s Waitaki Valley, the spectacularly beautiful, chilly corridor that connects Oamaru to Omarama.

19/20
2019 Valli Waitaki Vineyard Pinot Noir $79.99
Instantly delicious and typically the lightest of the four Valli Pinot Noirs  each year, with the 2019 vintage being no exception, except for the fact that this wines tastes significantly weightier and has more depth of flavour, more body, a longer finish and is sensationally silky on the mid palate than its previous vintage (2018) was. This is all about red fruit flavours of cranberries, dried cherries and spicy notes which intermingle deliciously well.
It’s made from Pinot Noir grapes grown on Grant’s Road Vineyard in Waitaki Valley where limestone and river gravels, a maritime influenced climate and five different Pinot Noir clones (115, 777, Abel, UCD5 and 114) all contribute to this wine’s character and quality. Grant’s Road Vineyard was planted in 2004 and 2005, is trellised with vertical shoot positioning and also contains Riesling, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay.

Is it possible to buy great Pinot Noir for less than $20?
The short answer is: no. But, inspired by a couple who attended Winetopia in Wellington in the weekend, I thought the time was nigh to share my five best buy recommendations under $25, which is the threshold (if you know where to shop) for very good quality Pinot on a budget. It may be more than you’d ideally like to spend on a weeknight red but how big is the dent that take out coffees make in your wallet each week? Perhaps it means drinking less wine (and coffee) but stepping it up on the quality level. Here are five Pinot Noirs that consistently deliver the X factor for a modest price. Modest? Not big, free of pretension and relatively medium or low, according to Google.

Five top Pinot Noirs under $25

2018 Deliverance North Canterbury Pinot Noir $21.99 to $25-ish
A light and juicy style that tastes super refreshing and delivers delicious flavours for the price. Not surprising it comes from North Canterbury’s Muddy Water Wines, which always highlight great quality.

2018 Nor’ Wester North Canterbury Pinot Noir $21.99 to $25-ish
The gateway Pinot to the impressive range made at Greystone Wines in the Waipara Valley, just down the road from Pegasus Bay. I love the earthy depth in this wine. It is outstanding, especially at the price.

2018 Main Divide North Canterbury Pinot Noir $24.99
The second tier of Pegasus Bay and regularly the beneficiary of grapes destined for bigger things. It’s well known, well loved and always delivers, big time.

2017 Mansion House Marlborough Pinot Noir $24.99
Marlborough is more than a one trick pony, as the region’s Pinot Noirs (and many other wines) show. Mansion House is another lesser known label as the supposed second tier to the large Whitehaven Wines. I love the earthy nature of this refreshing and affordable Pinot Noir.

2018 Te Hera Martinborough Pinot Noir $23.99
Under priced and under the radar, this is a tasty little Pinot Noir from Martinborough, which over delivers on flavour and on its modest price tag. It’s made with grapes grown at Te Muna, 9 kms east of the village, where winemaker John Douglas has a vineyard. I keep telling him to put the price up but he won’t, so here’s a bargain buy, if ever there was.