Topic: TN: Boxers and pinot (New Zealand, pt. 10, long, img)
Author: Thor Iverson (Boston, MA)
Date: 20030623114108

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Los Angeles

Darth Vader and the pelvis

New Zealand

Waiheke and the malbec fetish Five wines with penguin All in the family Heaven at the Green Dragon Inn High, fast, and stupid The glacial pillow Training day Kiwi rugby & the undecanted aria

Inquisitive fritters

"Where'ya from?"

"United States. Boston, on the upper East Coast."

"Where'ya been?"

"Well...Auckland, Waiheke Island, Queenstown, Milford Sound, Franz Josef..."

"Ah. Milford Sound." A knowing nod. Understated: "Nice place."

"Yes. Absolutely."

"How d'ya like it here?"

"Beautiful country. Really stunning. Great food, great wine, great people."

"And where'ya headed?"

"Up the coast. We're visiting Pegasus Bay Winery, then all the way to Blenheim."

"It's a great drive. You'll love it. You should see..."

Edward, not so tan

By now, we've come to call this The Conversation. We've had it with almost everyone we've met in New Zealand, and we're having it again here at the Christchurch office of Budget Car Rental. It breaks down into three parts: 1) where we've been, 2) where we're going, and 3) if we like what we've seen. There's something almost disarmingly naïve about the final question, which opens the inquisitor to any possible answer, any potential criticism. Then again, perhaps the naïvité is merely inferred; could any New Zealander really expect a negative answer? No, our experience thus far insists, it is naïve...it's the same easy openness with which the Kiwis seem to approach life. It's not that they're fishing for compliments, it's that they really want to know that you're seeing the right places, doing the right stuff, having a great time. They care.

It's so un-American.

As is our final breakfast at The Manor. Corn fritters with chewy slabs of bacon, once again washed down by rich, fragrant, heady coffee. Rental stuffed to its rather tiny gills with luggage and the vinous bounty of the Central Otago, we bid a fond goodbye to Christchurch, the last actual city on our three-week itinerary. And then, we're headed north.

The boxer rebellion

Through quiet identi-'burbs and into rolling agricultural plains, it's a bright, sunny, blue-domed day in the Canterbury countryside. A low mountain range rears up on the seaward side of the road, trapping the hot air and searing solar rays that desiccate the surrounding grasslands. Long, sun-cracked driveways lead to wineries whose vineyards are distant, isolated pools of green in an otherwise brown and yellow sea. This is the Waipara.

The parking lot at Pegasus Bay is expansive, dusty, and virtually empty. As is the interior of the winery's spacious tasting room, both modern and "Olde English" at the same time; a darkened barrel room can be viewed through large interior windows on a wall currently undergoing reconstruction, while the furniture and fixtures are burnished wood and old-looking metal. There's just one other couple in the tasting room, and a sharp-eyed, well-tanned, young-ish man behind the counter. We introduce ourselves to Edward Donaldson, the marketing guru of this decidedly familial operation, and he immediately starts pouring us tasting portions of wine as an accompaniment to an introductory declamation on the winery's history and status.

The Olde and the new

Pegasus Bay 2001 Sauvignon/Semillon (Waipara) – This is it. To the undoubted disappointment of the casual drop-by visitor, there's no varietal sauvignon blanc here. The Donaldsons take the über-grape of New Zealand's international market, thumb their collective noses at said market, and make a white Bordeaux. Well, OK, maybe not exactly a white Bordeaux. The semillon fermented in 3-year old French oak and undergoes malolactic fermentation, while the sauvignon blanc stayed in tank. The final blend then sat on the lees for a while. The result? Passion fruit, lime, grapefruit, a blend of green and red apples, and a pollinated texture bolstered by great acidic structure. Big, but rather short, survey says: drink soon before it turns surly. Surly. Sur lie. Hey, that's a pun. How'd that happen?

Pegasus Bay encompasses about 85 acres of vines, most of which are destined for the winery's eponymously-labeled wine. The younger and lesser grapes might be blended with purchased grapes from around the Canterbury region into their Main Divide line of inexpensive, fruit-forward, somewhat internationalized (their characterization, not mine) wines. But as for the Pegasus Bay label, all the grapes are estate-grown, and their stated goals are structure and elegance rather than boisterous fruit.

This isn't always easy to achieve in the Waipara. While Christchurch and the vineyards of the Canterbury Plain are exposed to the ocean and its cooling maritime breezes, Waipara delivers fruit from the darker, riper realms thanks to the heat- and wind-protective qualities of the surrounding hills. In fact, what Pegasus Bay calls their "good years" are those with restrained fruit, more structure, and more elegance. Shortly, we'll have a chance to see, and taste, this in action.

Pegasus Bay 2001 Pinot Noir (Waipara) – "A good vintage," opines Edward. "Not really that hot." Much is made by him of the contrast between this and the previous vintage. The 2001 autumn was dry, allowing a fair amount of tannin extraction, whereas the cooler 2000 required quicker pressing for balance. The more recent vintage also underwent a cold soak and some whole berry fermentation, was left on the skins (in 25 different vats) for two to three days, then pressed off about two days after achieving full dryness; the 2000 was pressed before it reached this point, leaving a nearly imperceptible amount of residual sugar in the wine. The 2001 also spent 18 months in French oak (30% of it new), though it hardly shows the influence; slightly cooked red cherries and graphite mark this stony, structured, and ultimately a bit roasted pinot noir, which is showing a bit tight and cranky this morning. And as for the 2002 pinot? Another cool vintage, and the skin contact was increased vs. the similar 2000. But then, we'll taste any number of 2002 components in a few moments.

Matt & Lynnette: rested, fully-dressed

Winemaker Matt Donaldson arrives, his min-'fro and outrageous tufted beard in full bloom. We'd met him in Auckland, looking a little worse for wear after a day of tastings; this morning, he looks like his wear-worsening happened the previous evening. For Matt is resplendent in wrinkled t-shirt and...well, they're not shorts, exactly. They really look pretty much like boxers. It is this single event, almost more than anything else on our entire visit, that really drives home the unstudied casualness of the Kiwis. Can anyone imagine this happening in Bordeaux, in Tuscany, in Napa?

Assuring us that he didn't just roll out of bed, but rather out of morning in the cellar and the vineyards, Matt leads us into the barrel room. He's a haphazard and chaotic barrel taster, skipping hither and yon and in seemingly constant indecision as to the next wine to thief. As a result, the narrative in my notes is a bit hard to follow, and I'm sure that I've mistranscribed some of the details. Nonetheless, a rather extensive barrel tasting follows.

"The pinots have just finished their malolactic," warns Matt, "and they've just been sulfured as well." This is something we'll run into again in Martinborough, and it makes many of the wines rather hard, and sometimes impossible, to taste. Nonetheless, we give it a go. In true Burgundian fashion (something that proves to be more significant than we initially realize), we taste reds before whites.

Sip, rinse, spit

Main Divide 2002 Pinot Noir (Swanson vineyard) (barrel sample) (Waipara) – From vineyards west of Christchurch. Cranberry, strawberry, lightly floral, but fairly difficult to taste through the sulfur.

Main Divide 2002 Pinot Noir (barrel sample) (Waipara) – A different clone (he doesn't specify which), and having just finished its malolactic it hasn't yet been sulfured. Crisp apple and raspberry, showing much fruitier than the previous sample.

Pegasus Bay 2002 Pinot Noir (Burnham vineyard) (barrel sample) (Waipara) – Spice, black pepper, firm and a little skunky from the sulfur.

Vineyards (not tended by flying horses)

Pegasus Bay 2002 Pinot Noir (East Block) (barrel sample) (Waipara) – Lightly sulfurous, balanced, strawberry, black and red cherry, fruity and structured. Impressive.

Pegasus Bay 2002 Pinot Noir (West Block) (barrel sample) (Waipara) – An early-ripening parcel, with an equally-early malolactic; thus, farther along its development curve than other samples. Concentrated black plum, with sulfur and some significant mercaptans.

Pegasus Bay 2002 Pinot Noir (West Block) (barrel sample) (Waipara) – An unsulfured barrel. Spicy black cherry and plum, balanced and complete.

Pegasus Bay 2002 Pinot Noir (West Block) (barrel sample) (Waipara) – Scott Henry-trellised vines. Plummy, floral, and pretty with a bit of butter; this is being tasted immediately post-malo.

A brief detour:

Pegasus Bay 2002 Syrah (barrel sample) (Waipara) – Big, lush purple fruit spiced with black pepper. There's something worthwhile going on here, and I hope they pursue further experiments with this grape. Indeed, it's just one of a number of very intriguing syrahs we'll taste in New Zealand.

Back to the pinot noir. Matt explains that they're doing extensive replanting of their pinot vines, concentrating on Pommard and Clone 5, though they're trying out some others.

Pegasus Bay 2002 Pinot Noir (young Clone 5 vines) (barrel sample) (Waipara) – Raspberry and violet, with good acidity and a long, sweet finish.

Neither rich nor fertile

Pegasus Bay 2002 Pinot Noir (Clone 115) (barrel sample) (Waipara) – Dark plum, black cherry, strawberry; gorgeous fruit.

As a group, the pinots show the expected range of red fruit aromas and flavors. The best barrels are, in themselves, balanced and complete; the worst are no worse than good. What never entirely disappears is a nice, balanced structure and a "pretty" sort of fruit that seems much improved over the slightly overcooked 2001. Given the winery's goals, it will be interesting to see how this plays out once barrel treatments and blending have been completed.

Pegasus Bay 2002 Malbec (barrel sample) (Waipara) – Just finished its malo. Chewy walnut, dark cherry, boysenberry, and structured, drying tannin. But this sample has tremendous aromatics. There really is something interesting going on with New Zealand malbec, in multiple regions.

Pegasus Bay 2002 Merlot (barrel sample) (Waipara) – Dark, dusty blueberry; a good all-around wine but hollow in the middle and dominated by its structure.

Main Divide 2002 Chardonnay (barrel sample) (Waipara) – From a cooler vineyard near Christchurch, having undergone a partial malolactic blocked by sulfur. Fresh grapefruit, lemon-lime, peach, and cashew.

Main Divide 2002 Chardonnay (barrel sample) (Waipara) – From a cooler vineyard near Christchurch, its malolactic stopped at a different point. Orange frosting and vivid grapefruit.

Lorena Bobbitt cuts the pinot

Pegasus Bay 2002 Chardonnay (barrel sample) (Waipara) – No malolactic. Vivid pineapple and orange, fruit-dominated.

Pegasus Bay 2002 Chardonnay (young Clone 6) (barrel sample) (Waipara) – Big spicy mango and papaya, picking up a little vanilla from the wood, balanced and massive.

Pegasus Bay 2002 Chardonnay (Mendoza Clone) (barrel sample) (Waipara) – Concentrated grapefruit, big acid, and long.

These are good chardonnays, but in a fairly straightforward, New World style. If there's an attempt to say something unique about Pegasus Bay/Waipara chardonnay, I'm missing it. This is not a criticism, just an observation that there's nothing here that stands out in the way that the pinot does.

Pegasus Bay 2002 Semillon (barrel sample) (Waipara) – In contrast to the 2001, this has been sitting on its lees in stainless steel for the past eight months, if I understood Matt correctly (or, it's possible that there was miscommunication between Edward and myself regarding the 2001). Herbal grass sorbet with stinging green acidity here; one could be forgiven, blind, for guessing Loire sauvignon blanc, except for the rather aggressive intensity. Anyone looking for similarities between New Zealand sémillon and the justifiably famous Hunter Valley version across the Tasman Sea will be profoundly disappointed. But as a blending grape, it seems to make New Zealand sauvignon blanc more "sauvignon-y," especially when the ripest sauvignon grapes have shed most of their expected green characteristics (which are really only significant in underripe sauvignon). We'll explore this concept more in Marlborough, but for now it seems that Pegasus has joined the leading edge of a growing trend in New Zealand sauvignon production.

Pegasus Bay 2002 "Noble" Riesling (barrel sample) (Waipara) – Picked mid-June, 10-15% botrytis-affected, in steel. Minerally and full of ripe apricot, great and lively with sweet acidity and a concentrated red cherry note. Wow!

No, no, you're supposed to drink it

Pegasus Bay 2002 "Finale" (barrel sample) (Waipara) – Nobly-rotted chardonnay, something that (as I've said before) always seems like it should be better than it is. Well, here it lives up to, and even surpasses, its potential. It's still cloudy from a recent milk-fining, and while it's currently in stainless steel it will eventually spend up to two years in barrel. Lush blood orange and spicy white plum, white peach, apricot, and hazelnut are followed by a drying, yet complex and opulent finish. Truly incredible.

And with this, our barrel tasting is finished.

Flight of the Pegasus

Matt's fiancée and co-winemaker, Lynnette Hudson (NB: since our visit, they've married), joins us, looking a bit sleepy herself, though she also assures us that she's been hard at work all morning. A peaceful picnic-style table in the restaurant's verdant garden is chosen for lunch. Matt rummages around in the cellar, eventually returning with far more wine than we can reasonably drink, while Lynnette discusses winemaking philosophy.

It's clear from the outset that ripeness and fruit intensity are easy to achieve in the Waipara. Perhaps too easy. Pegasus Bay tries to achieve something more structured and balanced, and to do this they're incorporating decidedly European ideas into their work. Lynnette, in fact, has just returned from several months work in Burgundy, and some of what she's learned will inform future vintages of the wines, especially the benchmark pinots. The tasting that follows, alongside a series of small plates of terrific food provided by the winery's restaurant, demonstrates this philosophy at work.

Toil & ferment

Pegasus Bay 1999 Sauvignon/Semillon (Waipara) – Much softer than the 2001, showing mixed grasses, hay, birdseed, and elegant passion fruit and kiwi flavors. Quite good, and probably optimal at this point in time.

Pegasus Bay 1999 Chardonnay (Waipara) – Clove, nutmeg, and vanilla cream; tastes as if it has been somewhat overtaken by its winemaking.

Pegasus Bay 1998 Pinot Noir "Prima Donna" (Waipara) – This is the flagship pinot, a barrel selection made in the best years...and in contrast with nearly every other wine of its type made anywhere in the world, it's chosen for a surplus of elegance rather than power. It's the "anti-reserve" wine, and it's a killer. Lush, soft red fruit tending towards coconut-flecked strawberries, with a long, complex, and earthy finish; this wine tastes only somewhat like Burgundy, but it's one of the most outrageously Burgundian-styled pinots I've encountered in the New World. Majestic wine with more than a few years left to go. Matt and Lynnette both promise that future vintages will be even better, thanks to improved clones and subtle changes in the winemaking.

Pegasus Bay 1999 Riesling (Waipara) – I admit to some surprise that dry riesling can be produced in this region, but this a credible effort, showing the sort of spiced minerality one expects from maturing riesling.

Pegasus Bay 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot (Waipara) – Just bottled and a bit shocked as a result, showing mostly primary blueberry and plum aromas and not much else.

Pegasus Bay 1998 Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc "Maestro" (Waipara) – Another of the flagship line (all the top bottlings carry opera-related names, an outgrowth of the operatic passions of Matt's father). Simultaneously lush and huge, with a richly heady mélange of fruit – blackberry, black cherry, boysenberry, blueberry, and plum – supported by great acidity and strong, yet ripe, tannin. The finish is long and black-peppery, with solid chocolate characteristics; an excellent wine with a long future ahead of it.

Pegasus Bay 2001 "Aria" (Waipara) – Late-harvest riesling. Sweet kiwi and lemon with green apple, but short and not all that sweet. Theresa adores this, but I'm less certain. The barrel sample of the 2002 seems much better.

A noble Finale

Pegasus Bay 1999 "Finale" (Waipara) – Here's a bottled version of the nobly-rotted chardonnay about which I'd raved in the cellar. Nutmeg and clove spice up an ultra-concentrated peach core. Really spectacular stuff, somewhat in the mode of Maculan's groundbreaking Torcolato (though of course, made from a different grape) in its combination of complexity and intensity paired with freshening acidity. It's not quite as good as the Torcolato, but then few dessert wines are.

And with that, we're finally done. It has been an eye-opening tasting, revealing the potential of this unheralded (outside New Zealand) wine region. The entire lineup is polished, refined, and approaches true excellence at several points. The greatest weakness of New World wines – a lack of real structure, which is usually "replaced" by excess winemaking – is decreasingly in evidence here, and all signs point to continued improvement along these lines. With their international experience, Matt and Lynnette seem prepared to bring Pegasus Bay to the top echelon of the New Zealand hierarchy (though its dedicated devotées would argue that it's already there).

Edward joins us for a few minutes, dropping off some press material, then returns to the tasting room. Lynnette looks like she might prefer a post-prandial nap. Matt leans back, relaxed and confident.

"So," he begins. "Where'ya headed next?"

All images ©Pegasus Bay Winery.

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