Does Gisborne-based Vinoptima produce the best Gewurztraminer in New Zealand? By a mile. But does it have much competition? Hardly.
Marlborough-based Johanneshof and Te Whare Ra are doing some good things with the variety but the general standard of New Zealand Gewurztraminer isn’t great, in my opinion. They’re very clean but often they’re clean to the extent that they are b.o.r.in.g.
Aromatics vary from vaguely citrussy to richly floral. Some examples taste slightly soapy – like an old lady’s washbag.
While most are full bodied, they lack depth and complexity. Many lack concentration – are the yields too high (You can’t get 12hl/ha out of this baby and expect it to be interesting, not looking at you sauvignon blanc producers) and make up for what they lack with glycerol, sickly aromas or residual sweetness.
While the varietal has naturally low acidity, the country’s cool, maritime climate should bring greater freshness than is evident in the glass.
Why, then, is a producer in one of the country’s warmest wine producing regions making the most interesting and freshest wines?
Nick Nobilo, the man behind the Gewurztraminer-only Vinoptima Estate, believes there are a number of factors that are playing their part. Firstly, there’s the alluvial/clay/silt loams of his Gisborne vineyards. In his opinion, growing Gewurz on stony soils, such as Marlborough “tends to produce a leaner style, certainly pungent but they don’t have texture.” Marlborough growers might not agree, however. Local Gewurz growers have been quick to remind me of my MW notes on Gewurz – it’s all about phenolic drive.
And then there’s the vines. In the 1970’s, long before BRL Hardy (now Constellation) came along and snapped up his family company, Nobilo Wines, Nick persuaded a grower in Gisborne to plant Gewurz in addition to the grape of the day – Muller Thurgau. Over time, the pair selected the 50 best vines from the 500 vine plot, took cuttings and developed their own ‘clones’. While Nick was still tied up with the family business, making gallons of Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurz from the vineyard was winning many awards in New Zealand. After the sale of Nobilo Wines to BRL in 2000, Nick made the move to Gisborne and started his vineyard with cuttings from that very vineyard.
Vinoptima’s top wine is US$70-80 retail, which doesn’t make it accessible to all. Thus it has released a new, less expensive version aimed at on-premise sales. While it can’t match its big brother for aromatics and opulence, Bond Road is a totally different style: structured and taut with less overt aromatics. It’s not a showy all fur-coat no knickers gewurz but focuses on fruit purity and freshness – this is achieved through earlier picking and a lower level of residual sugar than the Reserve wine.
Perhaps my only criticism is release dates: the 2008 Vinoptima Reserve is the current release. It’s drinking well now and while the suggested drinking window is 10 years plus, I’d be cracking on with pulling the cork now (if you can – mine broke in three and then had to be pushed into the bottle, which will be music to the screwcap fan base here in NZ, sigh…) or the next 2-3 years.
Nobilo explains his decision to release so late: “The key element of Gewurztraminer is the phenolics not the acidity. I do a lot of pre-fermentation cold maceration on skins so I get quite a bit of phenolic extraction and phenolics are just tannins. Red wines need time for the phenolics to integrate – so does Gewurz.”
The man has 52 vintages under his belt so he clearly knows a bit although you have to question his sanity concentrating solely on one grape variety that’s a hard sell. Commercial suicide? “It’s had its challenges. But if you are going to produce a Rolls Royce you don’t want to be building Toyotas as well.”
Vinoptima Reserve 2008, Ormond Vineyard
Rich fragrant and honeyed with good aromatic intensity: orange peel, subtle rose petal bouquet. And what a gobfull to follow: intense concentration, full bodied and mouth-coatingly rich. It’a s little hot on the finish (14%) and while the acidity is characteristically low – this being gewurz after all – there’s enough to refresh the palate. An element of grainy tannin on the finish give away the phenolic nature of this variety. For the price, I’d expect a longer finish but it still kicks the rest of the country’s Gewurz into touch.
Score: 90/100
Tasted: 14 July, 2013
Geek facts:
Alcohol: 14%
R/S: 16g/l
Vinoptima Estate Bond Road 2009
This ain’t a showy gewurz: focusing on fruit purity and freshness. Pale gold green in appearance. Closed nose – not the whack of fruit expected: there’s citrus and a very subtle rose petal note but you really have to work at it to get it – Nick later reveals that it was picked early. Taut on the palate, there’s a freshness you don’t find in the other examples. Very pure with good concentration of fruit, which integrated the 14% alcohol well. Linear finish.
Score: 87.5.100
Tasted: July 14, 2013
Geek facts:
Alcohol: 14%
R/S: 13.9
pH: 3.7
