Patrick Emerson’s Taste of New Zealand, Part 4.

The time had come to say our good-byes to Hawke’s Bay and our good friends at Alpha Domus winery, but not before a proper celebration. Paul Ham, GM of Alpha Domus prepared a whole lamb cooked on-the-spit for us, and also opened some very special wines. The 1998 Alpha Domus “Navigator” was not only the oldest wine I tasted in New Zealand, but was my absolute favorite. It was a Bordeaux-style blend, predominantly from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, and was in its prime with roasted coffee notes and earthy, ripe dark plum flavors. Tasting anything over 10 years old is unusual in a country with such a young wine-making tradition. Enjoying fantastic food and wine around the candle-lit family long table in the winery was a real highlight of our trip.

After leaving Hawke’s Bay we drove about four hours south to Martinborough, North Island in the Wairarapa region (not to be confused with the large South Island grape-growing region of Marlborough in the Wairara region!). There are no four lane highways in New Zealand other than those around the major cities, and some of the roads we drove on in the mountains even merged into a single lane. You close your eyes and just hope and pray not to meet a truck flying around the corner toward you.

Unfortunately, we did not get a great view of the countryside on the journey because the weather was quite dreary with soft fog covering the fields and mountains. In fact, other than in Nelson, the weather was similar to this for much of our trip. Being a small island, the weather changes rapidly. We often found ourselves in t-shirts basking in glorious sunshine one moment, only to be huddled in sweaters and raincoats the next. The best pre-trip advice I received from David Duckhorn, our group leader, was to “bring a warm jacket”!

I was a bit surprised when we arrived in Martinborough. It was a speck town compared to what I was expecting, with only 7,000 residents. Upon arrival, our group was separated and whisked around several wineries to view vineyards and meet and taste with local winemakers.

I was under the impression that this was a warm growing region, but in fact it is a very cool climate focused on the Pinot Noir grape. I was told that sometimes the grapes will not ripen at all and the farmers will lose the entire vintage. They are an insular and reticent group, staunchly proud of the wine they make against the elemental odds, but are also very generous and genuine, inviting us into their kitchens to taste. It was there that I tasted Margrain Pinot Noir 2006, and it was the only bottle I dared pack for return to the US in my over-stuffed suitcase.

The Pinots produced in Martinborough have high-toned, pure red fruit flavors, especially cherry, pomegranate and rhubarb notes, bordering on some earth and vegetal spice. They are lighter styled with a purity and tension that is the trademark of great Pinot Noir in a good vintage. I particularly enjoyed both the 2006 and 2007 vintages.

Other producers that I’d recommend keeping an eye out for are:
Ata Rangi, Escarpment, Kusuda, Palliser, Schubert and Te Kairanga Estates.

After the visits and tastings, we had the pleasure of eating at the tiny “French Bistro” run by Michael Guy and Wendy Cambell in the heart of town. The streets of central Martinborough were designed to emanate from the square in the shape of a British Union Jack, and all the street were named after places that the adventurer and founder of the town (John Martin) had visited.

We enjoyed an after dinner pint of the finest (and well-named!) New Zealand “Emerson” Ale while watching the final of the Men’s Australian Open at the local hotel. Then it was off to our rental house located across the road – on Las Vegas Street.

More to come!

Cheers,
Patrick