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NEW ZEALAND REDS

Simon Tam

If New Zealand were to run a competition to name its national grape, sauvignon blanc would probably win hands down. The exuberant and pungent flavours of this varietal have put the country firmly on the global wine map with names such as the Cloudy Bay brand and Marlborough, the northern tip of New Zealand's South Island, now a familiar sight on the wine lists of fine-dining restaurants around the world.

But the New Zealand wine industry is seeking to step beyond its formidable reputation in the white wine stakes and to let its beautiful reds take a bow.

While pinot noir has been widely touted as New Zealand's next best thing, the country's merlot, cabernet sauvignon and syrah are no wallflowers either. Merlot and cabernet sauvignon varietals are in the Bordeaux style and cultivated in similar climatic conditions, and yet they are unmistakably New World in their fruitiness and freshness.

With more than 80 per cent of New Zealand's plantings of merlot, cabernet sauvignon and syrah grapes, the Hawke's Bay region is promoting itself as the premier red wine location in the country. Located on the country's North Island, at the same latitude in the Southern Hemisphere as Madrid in the north, Hawke's Bay boasts a warm maritime climate.

The Gimblett Gravels wine-growing district is particularly special; the gravelly soil a result of the flooding and abatement of the Ngaruroro River in 1876.

The stones that make up the landscape not only ensure that water is drained, so that the roots have to reach hard for them, but they also store sunlight in the day and release it to the vines at night. This unique soil type enables the grapes to ripen beautifully and has produced some wonderful cabernet-merlot blends.

However, this area was largely considered wasteland until pilot Chris Pask took a gamble on its potential and purchased a 40-hectare block at the end of Gimblett Road in 1981. Pask is revered as the founder of the now-famous wine-growing region. He pioneered the planting of red varietals as the first grower to plant cabernet sauvignon. He was not only the first to make Bordeaux varietal red wine in 1985 but his 1985 and 1986 wines were acclaimed in shows and tastings across the country. Pask was followed by soil chemist Dr Alan Limmer who planted cabernet sauvignon, syrah and later gew?rztraminer in his Stonecroft Vineyard in 1983.

Notable among the wine producers in this region is Craggy Range, whose 100 hectares were destined to become a quarry. Thankfully, the potential of the soil was recognised by Terry Peabody and Steve Smith, master of wine, and the rest is history. Craggy Range grows merlot, cabernet franc and syrah in its Gimblett Gravels vineyards under the simple philosophy of making wines that speak intensely of where they come from.

In exceptional vintages, selections are made from estate-grown vineyards and released as part of the Prestige collection under the labels 'Sophia' and 'The Quarry'. The wines are variations on the Bordeaux red varieties blend, each rich and precisely constructed. 'Le Sol', the Prestige range syrah, is luscious and elegant.

In fact, what is even more fascinating in recent years is the development of the syrah grape in the Gimblett Gravels area. While cabernet sauvignon and merlot have always been the staple grape of the district, it is the syrah wines that are garnering world praise recently.

New Zealand syrahs, as their name suggests, are in the style of the Northern Rhone. Unlike the full-bodied and fruity shiraz from Australia, the relatively cooler climate in New Zealand favours the production of medium-bodied and savoury syrah. Hawke's Bay lays claim to 61 per cent of New Zealand's syrah-growing area, though syrah is admittedly a small percentage of all plantings in the region.

Further south, on the northwestern tip of the South Island is Nelson, the sunniest place in New Zealand and great for grape-ripening. The moderating effect of the mountains in Nelson also enables the production of some unique wines that reflect the local terroir.

Rieslings from Nelson have been particularly well received and are very food friendly.

And, while they are by no means going to threaten the planting of sauvignon blanc in New Zealand, bottle to bottle they exhibit a lot more variety.

The character of the rieslings range from bone-dry all the way to lusciously sweet.

Back on the North Island, about an hour from Auckland, is Waiheke Island where the Stonyridge Vineyard resonates quality, particularly through its Larose range.

The blend, which is dominated by cabernet sauvignon, is made from handpicked grapes grown in vineyards where the typical yields are as low as 20 hectolitres/hectare (two tonnes/acre).

The ridge, which gives the vineyard its name, shelters the land from the cold southwesterly winds. With 20 vintages under its belt, many of which have gone on to become cult favourites, Stonyridge speaks for New Zealand's experience in producing some classic Bordeaux blends from cabernet-merlot grapes.

Meanwhile, in the short span of a decade, Toby Gillman's vineyard has been producing some noteworthy wines in the Matakana region.

Thriving in the iron-rich volcanic clay is a predominance of cabernet franc with a smattering of merlot and malbec.

With just 1.5 acres, Gillman knows his wines intimately and wants to keep it that way. His passion for wine since his teenage years and his experience in Bordeaux are evident in the wines produced. The 2003 and 2007 cabernet-merlot blends are among some of the most exciting wines in New Zealand production.

Among the whites, pinot gris is growing in stature, partly due to its ease of pairing with a variety of food styles.

In fact, in the Cathay Pacific Wine and Spirit Competition held in Hong Kong last year, Wairau River Pinot Gris 2009 was deemed the Best Wine with Dim Sum.

With wine-growing regions spanning the latitudes of 36 to 45 degrees and covering the length of 1,600km, the varieties of grape varietals used in wine produced in New Zealand shouldn't come as a surprise.

The challenge for the country will be in which direction they choose to take the style of the wine - sweet or dry, fruity or mellow.

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