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This week’s blog is from the lovely Katy Prescott, Global Sales and Marketing Chick at Nautilus Estate in Marlborough. It sounded like a great preliminary discussion leading up to the regionality theme which will be such a major part of Pinot Noir NZ 2013.

70 of the UK’s top trade and media tasted a selection of New Zealand’s most respected Pinot Noirs at the London Wine Trade Fair in a tasting organised by the Family of Twelve last week. Tim Atkin MW lead the discussions around regional terroir with aplomb, mentioning the incredible progress that NZ Pinot Noir had made and the skill of many of the producers. Tim will be speaking at the Pinot Noir NZ 2013 event and his knowledge and enthusiasm for the wines were in evidence here.

While (as is often the case with these tastings) definite conclusions were difficult to draw, particularly with varied winemaking styles and techniques, a “Martinborough” style was identified by the tasters:- fine and with savoury spice nuances. Marlborough was more difficult to define with a move to hillside plantings giving wines more richness and weight than they might have been known for in the past.

Other regions included Auckland, Gisborne, Nelson and Waipara Valley and while clear differences were evident between the wines, it was felt they were as much driven by producers’ approach as by terroir.

 It was also clear from the comments that the audience felt that comparisons with Burgundy were a thing of the past – we should be confident in our own style and our own expression of terroir.

These wines were all felt to represent good value in the UK market with prices ranging from 15-45 pounds, and no other region from Burgundy, Oregon or California, would be able to offer such consistent good quality at all price points.

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