New Zealand Wine Tasting - Marlborough - Day 2 (Mar. 2020)

After enjoying a fine half day of wine tasting in Marlborough on the first Monday of March, my wine tour through Marlborough continued on Tuesday. It was a long (and fairly busy day) with visits to five wineries, but very enjoyable nonetheless.

The day began where I spent the night - Villa Maria Estate - one of New Zealand's largest wineries. Villa Maria was founded in 1961 by 21-year-old Sir George Fistonich. Having a Croatian background, George was passionate about wine from a young age and it was central to his upbringing. He leased five acres of land from his father in Mangere, Auckland, and crafted his first wines using the one acre of vines that were planted on the site to form Villa Maria. George understood very early on the importance of regional differences between grape quality and wine styles. He pioneered the use of contract growers - a very common practice in New Zealand these days - and was the first New Zealand wine company to initiate payment for grapes based on quality, rather than quantity. Beginning with the 2002 vintage, Villa Maria was the first major wine company in New Zealand to seal all of their wines by screwcap.

Villa Maria's success is attributed to the team's commitment to quality, innovation, and passion to create the best wines possible, starting with exceptional vineyards and people. It it not surprising that by making quality wines the focus, recognition and awards naturally follow - Villa Maria is New Zealand's most awarded winery.

The team at Villa Maria is very tight-knit. George was keen to nurture the talent of the individuals on the team while also providing winemakers with the opportunity to express their own flair. I had the opportunity to meet with Helen Morrison, Villa Maria's Senior Marlborough Winemaker. Upon graduating from Lincoln University in Canterbury with a bachelor's degree in Viticulture and Oenology, she took on winemaking and judging for a number of years prior to joining Villa Maria in January 2014 where she enjoys working for such an iconic winemaking family with a strong focus on sustainability and environmental responsibility.

Being environmentally responsible has been a core objective for Sir George Fistonich for a very long time, with a strong desire to leave something for the next generation. Villa Maria has been a member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) since its inception in 1995, received its BioGro (Organic) Certification in 2009, and acquired CEMARS Certification in 2010. Some of the many Sustainable Practices employed by Villa Maria include the use of organic vineyards, heat recovery, night air cooling, natural lighting, recycling, and hybrid vehicles - all with the goal of reducing their carbon footprint and impact on the environment. In Fall 2021, Villa Maria was acquired by Indevin.

Starting at 9 a.m. sharp, Helen and I tasted through a number of wines from the Villa Maria portfolio. The range begins with the entry level Private Bin series - a value range of wines that are approachable with consistent quality, and popular with wine drinkers globally. A step up is the Cellar Selection range - wines that are complex, elegant, and food-friendly, with an emphasis on fruit quality and minimal handling. The Reserve range features Villa Maria's most distinguished wines with exceptional quality and ultimate finesse. And finally, the Single Vineyard range features wines with identity, with each wine displaying its own distinct characteristics due to the unique terroir where the grapes are grown. All of the wines I tasted from each range were delicious, while some were really fantastic wines. Many wines from Villa Maria are available at the LCBO, including some in VINTAGES. Wines can also be ordered via their agent - Dandurand. Wine reviews of a few of my favourites from this tasting are provided below.

The second stop of the day was a short drive northwest to Nautilus Estate. I was picked up by winemaker Clive Jones, but before heading to the winery, we took a nice driving tour of some of Nautilus' vineyards, beginning at the Clay Hills Vineyard in the Omaka Valley, Southern Valleys sub-region. This 5.5 hectare site is located on an elevated hillside (120 metres above sea level) with clay soils on the eastern Omaka Valley and is exclusively Pinot Noir that was planted between 1999 and 2004. We then headed north into Wairau Valley and made a quick stop at their organic Renwick Vineyard - with its classic stony "Rapaura" soils - that was purchased in 1992 and was Nautilus' first vineyard.

Following the vineyard visits, we headed to the Cellar Door of Nautilus Estate, a small, boutique winery that was established in 1985 by owner and fifth-generation vigneron - Robert Hill-Smith. Being family-owned, Nautilus takes a cautious, long-term approach to everything they do. They are also a member of the Family of Twelve - a group of 12 prestigious family-owned wineries in New Zealand that they share ideas and time with. In 2000, Nautilus opened the first dedicated Pinot Noir facility in the Southern Hemisphere, and in 2006 they completed a separate, energy-efficient white wine making facility. Over the years, they have maintained their focus on harnessing the different sub-regional flavours in this cool climate region while using innovative winemaking practices to craft textural and complex food-friendly wines that are also vegan and vegetarian-friendly.

Clive and I tasted through the many wines from the portfolio - a pair of traditional method sparkling wines and an array of white wines including their popular Albariño and Grüner Veltliner single varietal wines. We then took a brief tour of the winemaking facility before heading back to the tasting bar to taste a flight of Nautilus Pinot Noir. Clive joined Nautilus as winemaker in 1998 and has overseen their Pinot Noir programme, including the design of the Pinot Noir gravity flow facility. Moreover, the Nautilus Pinot Noir has shown a high pedigree ever since Clive's first year at the estate and today it is considered a Marlborough benchmark.

Wine reviews of a few of my most favourite wines from Nautilus are provided below. The wines of Nautilus are imported into Canada by Negociants International, and their Agent in Ontario is Breakthru Beverage Canada.

A short drive east in the Rapaura area along the northern edge of the Wairau Valley to Allan Scott Family Winemakers was the third stop of the day. As the name suggests, this is a family winery that established itself as one of the first independent wineries in Marlborough in 1990. Allan Scott planted some of the region's most famous vineyards, including the very first, and has worked at the winery every vintage since. Allan is one of the most experienced people in the Marlborough wine business as he has been working in the industry for nearly 50 years after settling in the region in 1973. Allan and his wife, Catherine, purchased a block of land to get into contract growing, setting themselves up for the new era of New Zealand's wine industry when independent winemakers began to emerge. All three of Allan and Catherine's children are now involved in the family's winemaking business.

The eldest daughter, Victoria, is responsible for marketing, while their son Josh is Chief Winemaker. Their younger daughter, Sara, also trained as a winemaker, but mostly works in the vineyard. I had the pleasure of meeting Sara as she gave me a quick tour of the facility. Allan Scott is one of the few wineries in Marlborough with their own bottling line. During the tour, I also was surprised to see that they are packaging wine in kegs so that wines can be served as Wine on Tap. After the conclusion of the tour, we headed to the on-site Allan Scott Bistro for a wine tasting with a fine lunch and great conversation. The Allan Scott Bistro has a lovely sheltered outdoor courtyard (where we enjoyed lunch), as well as indoor dining by the fire. During lunch, I also had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Allan Scott himself and later received a signed copy of his book - Marlborough Man.

Allan Scott is a member of Méthode Marlborough and their Cecilia Brut Méthode Traditionnelle NV (reviewed below) is a lovely Chardonnay-based sparkling wine that I hope comes to the LCBO, although it may be available through their Agent - The Case For Wine. I also learned that Allan Scott is experimenting with ageing sparkling wines under the sea - the wines were dropped into Marlborough Sounds a couple of years ago and they are looking to bring a few back up soon. Allan Scott also practices sustainability, while all wines beginning with the 2018 vintage are vegan-friendly.

In addition to their Marlborough wines, Allan Scott also has a vineyard and winery in Central Otago. As Sara explained to me, Central Otago in the deep south was a family holiday spot when they were younger, often referred to as "our base", with the name eventually morphing to "Scott Base" and the brand Scott Base Wines was borne. I enjoyed the Scott Base Pinot Noir (reviewed below) and it was one of the few wines from Central Otago I tasted on this trip to New Zealand.

The fourth stop of the day was southwest into the Waihopai Valley to visit Spy Valley Wines. The name of the winery comes from its proximity to an international satellite communications monitoring station - a spy base. I discovered the wines of Spy Valley a number of years ago, most notably their barrel-fermented ENVOY Sauvignon Blanc, and have been enamoured with their wines ever since. I met up with Tricia Pike, Cellar Door Supervisor, who gave me a tour of the winery and vineyards, followed by a tasting of many special wines from Spy Valley portfolio.

Spy Valley Wines was founded in the 1990s by Bryan and Jan Johnson when they established 180 hectares of estate vineyards on land in the Waihopai Valley considered too hard, too dry and too unfertile for wine. The terroir at Spy Valley is stony, free-draining riverbed terrain, while the terraced vines sit on both rocky riverside gravels and deeper clay and silt soils. The venture started as a passion for the land and continues today with a commitment to the land and people who tend it - nurturing the soil and vine, and focusing on sustainability to ensure guardianship of the land for generations to come.

Since the beginning, Spy Valley has been accredited under New Zealand Sustainable Winegrowing - an initiative that promotes economically and environmentally sustainable vineyard management. This sustainability initiative encompasses their own winery and vineyards, as well as grower vineyards, and they have seen firsthand how the environment has benefitted. At Spy Valley, some of these sustainability initiatives include biodiversity, minimal irrigation, reduce energy usage by various means such as the use of solar panels. Spy Valley also uses low-toxic and environmentally products in the vineyard and winery. The principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle are prevalent throughout Spy Valley. While their bottles are made out 96% recycled glass, they also crush their own glass to make a fine dust that they mulch and distribute below the vines, thus enhancing light reflection. When I took a stroll through the vineyard with Tricia, she talked about the fine glass dust that sits in the vineyard and that we must be careful. The mission at Spy Valley is to produce quality wines that ensure a sustainable business for the future, while also benefitting the environment. Spy Valley wines come through LCBO VINTAGES throughout the year, but are also available via their Agent - Noble Estates Wine & Spirits.

The fifth and final stop of the day was a 25 minute drive northeast into the mountainous locality of Koromiko, about 20 km north of Blenheim, to visit Johanneshof Cellars. This artisan boutique winery was established in 1991 by Edel Everling, from Germany, and Warwick Foley, a 5th generation New Zealander. Edel's family had been making wine for five generations, while Warwick, as a teenager, planted one of Marlborough's first vineyards on the steep hillside land in Koromiko in 1977. With a long history of European tradition combined with Kiwi ingenuity, they have combined old world knowledge and customs with new world terroir to produce a collection of outstanding New Zealand fine wines.

In keeping with Europe's century old wine culture, Edel and Warwick created New Zealand's first underground rock cellar in 1993. It was tunnelled into solid sandstone and is located underneath their hillside Maybern Vineyard. I had the pleasure of taking a tour and experiencing an intimate tasting in the cellar with Edel and Warwick and their lovely 2009 EMMI Brut Méthode Traditionnelle (reviewed below) which spent 7 years on the lees. The cool, stable temperature and high natural humidity of their underground cellar provides ideal storage conditions to allow the maturation of wines, which are aged in French barriques and German barrels.

Another unique thing about Johanneshof Cellars is the aforementioned Maybern Estate Vineyard. It stretches up behind the estate, on a 30 degree slope, northwest facing, and oversees the winery and cellar door below. The Maybern vineyard is not irrigated and is the only vineyard in Marlborough to have Kenepuru (sandy silt) soils over a bedrock of schist and iron-rich sandstone. All of the wines are made on-site by Edel and Warwick by combining traditional winemaking techniques with modern technology, including the use of gravity to move the wine throughout the facility. Johanneshof Cellars is a member of New Zealand Winegrowers, New Zealand Sustainable Winegrowing, and a founding member of Méthode Marlborough.

Since I was a bit pressed for time because I had a plane to catch to Hawke's Bay, I didn't get a close look at the vineyard, nor the winemaking facility, and instead tasted through almost the entire portfolio that consisted of many lovely wines (a few of my favourites are reviewed below). Unfortunately, the wines from Johanneshof Cellars are not available in Canada at the time of my visit, but they are seeking representation.

This concluded my short trip through Marlborough wine country by visiting eight wineries over two days. The Sauvignon Blanc wines I tasted were lovely, as expected. I was pleasantly surprised by the high quality Pinot Noir wines, as well as the fresh Pinot Gris. The biggest surprise were the white wines made with Albariño and Grüner Veltliner - two grapes not widely planted, but growing in popularity.

Full wine reviews of some of my many favourites wines from Marlborough are below, and my next post is a visit to Hawke's Bay for a full day of wine tasting. Pricing is in Canadian dollars, unless otherwise noted, and would be approximate given the timing of this post.

Tasting Notes:

VILLA MARIA SINGLE VINEYARD SOUTHERN CLAYS SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019 - Southern Valleys, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#447474) (XD) - $29.99
Bottled recently. A single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc with grapes coming from the Southern Clays sub-region within the Wairau Valley that has tight, dense clay soils. With many months on yeast lees, this has fresh, lemony, stone fruit, citrus, herbs, and some yeasty/leesy characters, as well as earthy mineral aromas. On the medium-full bodied palate, it is rich, creamy and nicely textured with very nice citrusy, peach, and grapefruit flavours supported by juicy acids. Very good length on the finish. Needs another 1-2 years to really show itself. Score: 91+ pts

VILLA MARIA SINGLE VINEYARD SEDDON PINOT GRIS 2018 - Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#497361) (D) - $34.90
From a cool, long ripening site with wind blown silt soils on the southern bank of the Awatere River. One-third of this delicious wine was wild fermented used barrels and had 6 months of lees contact. This single vineyard Pinot Gris has a medium-high intensity nose that is clean and elegant with peach, nectarine, and citrus aromas, plus some leesy, stone fruit, and spice characters. It’s medium-full bodied, fleshy, richly textured and a touch creamy in the mouth. Off-dry on the palate with honeysuckle, ripe stone fruit, peach, ginger spice flavours. It has balanced acids and finishes long with ginger spice, peach, and citrus notes. Score: 92 pts

VILLA MARIA TAYLORS PASS PINOT NOIR 2016 - Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (XD) - $59.99 NZD
Made with Clone 5, 667, and 777 on a terrace furthest away from the Awatere River with an interesting soil split between stony and silty for clones 667 and 777, leading to the grapes being picked in lots and vinified separately. The nose is fresh, elegant, and perfumed with sweet baking spice, raspberry, rhubarb, and cherry aromas, plus some blueberry and mulberry notes. The medium-full bodied palate has lovely, velvety tannins that have some grip on the back palate. Very nice aroma replays on the balanced flavour profile, lingering through to the long, succulent finish. Enjoy over the next 5-7 years. Score: 92

NAUTILUS ESTATE CUVÉE MARLBOROUGH BRUT NV - Traditional Method, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (XD) - $39 NZD
Made in the traditional method since 1989, consisting of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay and aged for a minimum of 36 months on the lees in used oak barrels. Lovely, fragrant aromatics deliver biscuity, toasty, yeasty, and lemon citrus notes that have more citrusy and grapefruit replays on the crisp, dry palate. Bubbles are fine while acids are crisp and refreshing. Excellent length on the dry finish. Score: 91 pts

NAUTILUS SOUTHERN VALLEYS PINOT NOIR 2016 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#606913) (XD) - $29.95
Indigenous yeast fermented, with some whole bunch fermentation, and matured in French oak for 11 months. Fresh, medium+ intensity nose is earthy with beetroot, rhubarb, cherry, and spice aromas. It’s medium+ bodied and nicely balanced with lovely aroma replays, plus cran-cherry flavours, supported by fine-grained tannins that offer some structure on the back palate. Balanced throughout with a long, clean finish. Enjoy over the next 6-8 years. Score: 90+ pts

NAUTILUS CLAY HILLS VINEYARD PINOT NOIR 2016 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (XD) - $68 NZD
25% whole bunch fermented. Clean, refined and elegant nose features earthy, beetroot, cherry, rhubarb, and subtle sweet spice aromas are quite complex. The medium-full bodied, structured palate is spiced with lovely raspberry replays, plus touches of tea leaf and supported by succulent, juicy acids. Tannins are on the firm side, but well-integrated. Excellent length on the finish with savoury beetroot, rhubarb, and spice notes. Score: 92 pts

ALLAN SCOTT CECILIA BRUT MÉTHODE TRADITIONNELLE NV - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (XD) - $26 NZD
Vegan-friendly and predominantly Chardonnay blended with Pinot Noir that spent 18+ months on lees, this has a fairly aromatic and clean nose with biscuity, leesy, yeasty, and citrus aromas with touches of seaweed. It has fine mousse and crisp acids on the palate with citrus and grapefruit flavours, plus biscuity and pastry notes. Long, crisp, and dry with touches of saline on the finish. Score: 90 pts

ALLAN SCOTT WHITE LABEL SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (XD) - $18.95
The restrained, medium-high intensity nose is elegant and clean with ripe tropical fruit, passion fruit, kiwi aromas, and whiffs of minerality. Nicely balanced on the medium-full bodied, slightly creamy palate with very good fruit concentration. Lovely, balanced aroma replays on the flavour profile and supported by vibrant acids that continue through to the long, ripe finish. Vegan-friendly. Score: 91 pts

ALLAN SCOTT SCOTT BASE PINOT NOIR 2018 - Central Otago, South Island, New Zealand (XD) - $38 NZD
Lovely, perfumed aromas of raspberry, black cherry, currant, and spice, with some beetroot and earth. It’s medium+ bodied with firm, structured tannins and nice raspberry and black cherry replays layered over earthy tones on the flavour profile. There's fresh, balanced acidity, and a long savoury finish with raspberry and black cherry notes. Should improve in 2-3 years. Score: 91 pts

SPY VALLEY ENVOY SAUVIGNON BLANC 2015 - Johnson Vineyard, Waihopai Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#429308) (XD) - $29.95
Naturally fermented in French oak for 6-10 months, this has a highly aromatic and complex nose with smoky, flinty, citrusy lemon/lime aromas and hints of herbally and grassy notes. It’s medium-full bodied with lovely smoky, herbaceous, herbally, green pepper flavours, plus hints of white peach. It has a very nice texture with juicy acids and a long, juicy finish. Should continue to drink well over the next 5 years. Score: 91 pts

SPY VALLEY ENVOY GEWURZTRAMINER 2018 - Johnson Vineyard, Waihopai Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (M) - $34.90 NZD
Fermented in small oak barrels, this has a lovely, highly aromatic nose of floral, lychee, rose, candied ginger, and honeyed spice notes. The medium-full bodied palate is rich and spiced with nicely balanced, medium sweet aroma replays. Lively acids freshen the juicy palate. Lovely honeyed spice flavours linger on the long, clean finish. Score: 92 pts

SPY VALLEY HANDPICKED SINGLE ESTATE PINOT NOIR 2016 - Southern Valleys, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (XD) - $32.90 NZD
Handpicked as individual vineyard blocks and vinified separately until final blending. Naturally fermented and aged for 11 months in French oak. Lovely, black cherry, spice, earthy, beetroot, and rhubarb aromas that echo on the nicely balanced, lightly oak spiced, medium-full bodied palate with very good fruit concentration. Acids are very good, while tannins are smooth and finely-grained. More black cherry, currant, and cherry with spice notes linger on the long finish. Score: 91 pts

JOHANNESHOF CELLARS METHODE TRADITIONNELLE EMMI BRUT 2009 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (XD) - $41 NZD
A blend of 75% Pinot Noir and 25% Chardonnay that spent 7 years on the lees. This sparkling wine has a lovely, highly aromatic and complex nose featuring biscuity, leesy, toasty, fine lees, pastry and some citrus notes. mature fine bubbles and acids. Fresh acids, juicy, lovely citrusy still quite fresh. The medium-bodied palate is citrusy with fine, mature bubbles and still quite fresh acidity. Fine pastry, biscuity, and brioche flavours that continue through to the long, slightly minerally finish. Fine bubbly! Score: 93 pts

JOHANNESHOF CELLARS PINOT GRIS 2019 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (D) - $25 NZD
Tank sample. Restrained stone fruit, white peach, and some earthy characters on the nose. The medium-full bodied palate is fat, fleshy, and concentrated with lovely off-dry flavours of honeysuckle, quince, and peach flavours supported by balanced acidity. Some herbal, stone fruit, and white peach flavours linger on the finish, with very good length. Score: 90 pts

JOHANNESHOF CELLARS RIESLING 2019 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (D) - $24 NZD
Fresh, honeysuckle, floral, lemon-lime and stony mineral aromas in a dry profile emanate from the glass. It is medium+ bodied on the palate with a nice, fleshy texture and off-dry flavours of white peach, lime zest, mineral, and herbs. It has juicy acids while the long, complex finish has herbally, white peach, quince, pear and floral characters. Score: 90 pts