The Grapevine: Two New Zealand regions offer new slant on pinot

By Laurie Daniel

BLENHEIM, New Zealand --

Pinot noir has become New Zealand’s signature red wine. Vineyard acreage is up more than 900 percent over the past 10 years. It recently overtook chardonnay as the No. 2 grape variety, in terms of acreage. (Sauvignon blanc is No. 1.)

Pinot noir is “the red wine footprint that we will put on the world,” says Jim Robertson of Pernod Ricard New Zealand, which produces wines sold under the Brancott brand in the United States.

The lush, deeply colored wines of Central Otago have grabbed much of the attention, but there are other areas of New Zealand that are successfully producing very good, sometimes outstanding, pinot noir. Two of the best known are Marlborough on the South Island, better known for its pungent sauvignon blancs, and Martinborough on the North Island.

Marlborough: If you’re looking for lower-priced New Zealand pinot, Marlborough is a good place to start because the country’s biggest wineries are growing and making pinot here. Pinot production in Marlborough still is dwarfed by sauvignon blanc, though, and it’s difficult to persuade independent growers to plant pinot. Pinot grapes fetch a price that isn’t much higher than that paid for sauvignon blanc, even though pinot is more difficult and expensive to grow and yields must be kept lower.

Still, it’s not hard to find Marlborough pinot that costs $20 or less. These wines usually don’t offer a lot of concentration or complexity, but they are pretty, easy-to-drink wines. Some people refer to them as “picnic pinots.”

This category includes the 2007 Saint Clair “Vicar’s Choice” Pinot Noir ($19), a wine with juicy strawberry and raspberry flavors and supple texture; the 2006 Brancott Reserve Pinot Noir ($18), which is plump and round, with dark fruit and bright acidity; the 2006 Dashwood Pinot Noir ($18), a spicy, bright wine with raspberry and cherry flavors; the 2006 Villa Maria “Private Bin” Pinot Noir ($20), which displays pretty, slightly tart raspberry fruit and a hint of sage; and the bright, lively 2007 Opawa Pinot Noir ($18).

If you’re willing to pay more — usually around $30 — you can find Marlborough pinot noir with more weight and complexity. One of my favorites is the 2006 Wither Hills Pinot Noir ($30), which offers ripe, plump cherry flavors, racy acidity and a hint of dried thyme. The 2006 Saint Clair “Doctor’s Creek” Pinot Noir ($30) is rich and ripe up front, with raspberry fruit and some meaty undertones.

The 2006 Nautilus Pinot Noir ($25) is a good value, offering bright, vibrant flavors of cherry and raspberry, some spicy notes and a supple texture. Another good one for the money is the pretty, lush 2006 Cable Bay Pinot Noir ($25).

Martinborough: This region can produce some stellar pinot, but it’s not as consistent from vintage to vintage as other regions. The area is exposed to cold winds from the south, so the weather can be unpredictable. And even though conditions are usually fine during harvest time, yields can be way down because of frost or bad weather earlier in the season, when the vines are flowering. In 2007, for example, “most of us were down 80 percent,” says Jeff Barber of Pond Paddock Vineyard (whose wines, unfortunately, aren’t available here).

But I had the good luck to visit when many wineries were showing their pinots from 2006, an excellent vintage. “If we could have ’06 every year, we’d be very happy,” Barber says.

Martinborough pinots, in general, are more expensive and harder to find than those from Marlborough. But in a good year, like 2006, they have wonderful elegance and complexity.

One good buy is the 2006 Te Kairanga Pinot Noir ($20), which starts out lush and soft, with spicy raspberry, then firms up on the finish. It’s tight but promising. The 2006 Palliser Pinot Noir ($28), which is plump and supple, with cherry, raspberry and spice and medium tannins, will arrive in stores soon.

It’s considerably pricier, but the 2006 Craggy Range Te Muna Road Pinot Noir ($52) is vibrant and supple, with cherry and raspberry fruit and some mineral notes. The 2006 Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir ($50), from one of the area’s earliest wineries, is dark, spicy and a little muscular, with firm structure. Finally, it’s expensive, but the 2006 Dry River Pinot Noir ($90, available this fall) is dark and complex, with dark cherry and black raspberry fruit, tremendous depth and a supple texture.