Writing in the February issue of Decanter Jasper Morris MW (he buys Burgundy for Berry Bros & Rudd so he has a bit of a vested interest) compares New World Pinot to Burgundy. He concludes his comments on Central Otago (which are not really that positive) by saying: "the region is still inconsistent and it remains to be seen whether the exceptional quality from one or two iconic wineries has not started a stampede of plantings which the region cannot quite sustain."
This is really going to piss many people off. But there is some truth to what he says. There is still some inconsistency, but is that a negative? Would Burgundy be as good, or as interesting, if every bottle and every vineyard tasted the same. Don't we celebrate the individuality of different vineyards or blocks within vineyards in Burgundy? Why don't we do the same in Central Otago? In Central Otago we have multiple climate zones - Lake Hayes, Gibbston, Bannockburn (there are actually two or three within Bannockburn), Lowburn, Pisa Flats (3 km either side of Kawarau Estate), the Pisa Terraces (eg Rockburn) Wanaka Road North of Smiths Way, Wanaka (two or three zones really Domaine Jaquiery is much colder than Rippon), and then there is Bendigo and the plantings on the east shores of Lake Dunstan, and finally Alexandra with probably three zones as well. Of course our wines will be inconsistent! Sit down with a Kawarau Estate, a Pisa Range Estate, a Rockburn, an Amisfield, a Mount Edward, and a Aurum (not their reserve which comes from Lowburn 5 km down the road). These wines are all pretty much neighbours. Yet they are so different. Each has a different winemaker. Each uses different barrel mixes. There are different clones used. The vines are of different ages. And the soils are different - they even change within each vineyard. They also use different management practices in the vineyard. With the exception of Rockburn which is up on a terrace they are in a near identical climate zone.
Now I am getting pissed off......................................................
