IN 1984, half a dozen New Zealand winemakers boarded a plane for Perth, Australia. Their purpose was to track down David Hohnen, an ambitious young winemaker, who, in the space of a few years, had not only transformed his Cape Mentelle vineyard into a household name but also his region, Margaret River.
They found him, closing up after a long day, and after a tour of the vineyard and a tasting, they left him with a bottle of their home-grown produce, a French grape variety known as sauvignon blanc.
It was a historic gesture. Thrilled by the explo
sion of fruit in the glass, Hohnen dashed to New Zealand, convinced of its winemaking future. He scoured the land for a vineyard, and eventually settled on Rapaura in the Wairau Valley, Marlborough, near the top end of the South Island. He called it Cloudy Bay, a name coined by Captain Cook on his voyage to New Zealand in 1770.
With the help of young winemaker Kevin Judd, in less than a decade they redefined the taste of sauvignon blanc with an explosion of flavours such as green pepper, lychee, apricot, gooseberry and lime – all underpinned by a piercing acidity.
Judd is still at Cloudy Bay, making wines with what he calls a little more "zing", or perhaps minerality. The 2008 sauvignon is everything you would expect from Cloudy Bay: crisp acidity, tropical notes of passion fruit and pineapples, with just a hint of spiciness. And yet tasting it with Judd in Edinburgh recently, some of the excitement has gone.
Its main problem is that while Cloudy Bay has improved, so has the field. New Zealand is now the epicentre of premium sauvignon. Stunning wineries such as Ata Rangi, Babich, Dashwood, Dry River, Felton Road, Jackson Estate, Hunter's, Palliser Estate and Trinity Hill have established themselves as worthy successors to Hohnen and Judd.
Recently, something else has happened. Plantings of chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot gris and syrah have shone, producing an elegant, Old World-style sophistication. Hawke's Bay, on the west of the North Island, is producing some wonderful syrahs, with a flavour of cracked peppercorn and a lush, warm finish. Pinot noir in New Zealand is often a little riper than elsewhere, with rich, red-berry fruit flavours.
But it is New Zealand's chardonnay that has really impressed. They tend to be less oaked than those found in Australia and generally have a crisp, flinty style more akin to Chablis; yet unlike their French counterparts, they possess tropical flavours of ripe melon, nectarine and restrained, buttery oak. Judd's 2006, he says, is the best he has made, and I can see why – it's stunning: restrained, yet still imparting power and flavour.
The wines of Staete Landt vineyard have only just found its way to the UK. Situated in Rapaura, it produces a wine of subtlety, purity and complexity.
2007 Sauvignon Blanc, Staete Landt, Marlborough, New Zealand, £10.45A real find. The nose has all the hallmarks of New Zealand sauvignon: mango, papaya and passion fruit with a grassy, mineral character. The acidity and balance are superb – a class act.
2006 Chardonnay, Staete Landt, Marlborough, New Zealand, £13.95This is one of the best chardonnays from New Zealand. A delightful creamy, almond character on the nose with notes of nectarine. It's bone dry and has an intense, crisp burgundian feel. Outstanding.
2006 Chardonnay, Cloudy Bay, Marlborough, New Zealand, £18Judd says it's the best chardonnay he has produced, and I believe him. It's the balance and poise of this wine that really stands out. Fabulously creamy, with a lean and lively acidity, it has an Old World-type elegance.
Stockists WoodWinters Wines and Whiskies (01786 834 894,
www.woodwinters.com); Raeburn Fine Wines (0131 343 1159,
www.raeburnfinewines.com); Peter Green (0131 229 5925)
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