Tasting Report: Central Otago Pinot Noir 2012
Central Otago is a benchmark in many respects. Sure, it may be unfashionable in sophisticated wine circles to compare one region to another on the basis of wine style or terroir (they’re all unique), but Central Otago is the envy of every modern wine region on the basis of many things – perhaps most of all, sheer success.
With just over 25-odd years in the game, it is staggering to see what has been achieved. Taking just the last decade, it is a region, a matrix of vineyards and a band of highly committed people that has taken the wine world by storm.
Their unique culture built around their work growing grapes and making wine has developed at a blistering pace. But the fortunes of more than merely themselves ride on the shoulders of Central Otago wines and winemakers. They carry much of the weight of New Zealand’s pinot noir ambitions, forging the way ahead and breaking new ground, attracting interest at a high level, as well as garnering broader consumer appeal.
If anyone ever argued the importance of the human role in elaborating and expressing terroir, then Central Otago is one of the greatest examples of man making a difference. In lesser hands, this place would still flourish, but the shine would not be as deep and the rise ascent to fame and fortune not as fast. There’s something special about the people here – those who have visited will know what I mean.
Add to the equation an excellent vintage like 2012 and this provides the platform for the region’s reputation to forge ahead strongly. This is a vintage that has delivered wines of real clarity and definition. It has fanned things out neatly in terms of style so that terroir can be read more clearly than in other more lusciously fruited years.
The season was an ideal one from the point of view that things chimed in at the right time. Spring started off warm to get things moving in the vineyard then cooled off. Weather at flowering was idyllic and the mid-summer was warm followed by more moderate late summer weather. Vineyards delivered good flavour and tannin ripeness and balanced sugars, and harvest was nicely spaced and evenly paced.
When in good form, this region’s signature pinot noir is a weapon of mass seduction. It is bursting with fruit and flesh, packed with ripe fruit aromas and sweet fruit flavours, and many of the most fruity examples are regularly rewarded in national and international competitions and tasting panels.
But my preference is unashamedly for the wines that offer structure. You see, the ultra-fruity aspect of Central Otago pinot noir is a given – it’s always going to be there and virtually anyone growing and making pinot noir in the region can achieve it. As a collective character it is remarkable but, as an individual character less so.
The wines that will ultimately carry this region forward are those that have clearly defined structure, and by that I am talking tannin ahead of more simple fruit flesh bolstered with acidity.
The other simmering issue is that of capturing and defining characters that reference more contained locales within the bigger regional context. That may take a while, though many producers are already bravely exploring in this direction.
They’re a courageous bunch of winemakers in Central Otago and the wines, along with those that admire them, are all the better for it.
Note: I have included one wine from 2011, from Rippon Vineyard. This is a producer that releases later and the quality is such that it would be remiss to exclude them from the tasting on that basis. There’s also a review of their 2012 Tinker’s Field Pinot Noir which was shown in a recent Masterclass as an early preview. This will not be released until 2015.
Nick Stock is a renowned Australian wine writer, author, presenter and filmmaker who reports on his worldwide wine tasting experiences for JamesSuckling.com.
