“Where in the world does the best Pinot Noir come from?” It hasn’t been too long since this question had only one answer: Bourgogne, aka Burgundy.
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Bourgogne comes by its reputation honestly: Pinot Noir has been grown there for wine for 2,000 years, and Burgundy in something akin to its current form goes back to the 14th century if not before. The soil, the climate, and perhaps most of all the vine growing and winemaking tradition are tuned to Pinot greatness.
For much of modern history, few producers in other places competed seriously for equal stature with Bourgogne, although it wasn’t for lack of trying. Pinot cuttings soon went to Germany and Austria. It wasn’t long before growers within France gave it a try, particularly in the Loire and Alsace. By the middle of the 19th century, plantings popped up in Northern Italy and in California. Oregon and New Zealand joined the Pinot rush within living memory.
But by and large, Burgundy remained the lofty standard, and the conventional wisdom remained that no one else could do it like Burgundy. The climate wasn’t right. The soil wasn’t the same. And nobody – nobody – had Burgundy’s tradition and experience.
That all may be true. It explains why top Burgundies like Domaine de la Romanee-Conti Montrachet Grand Cru can still command an average price topping $10,000.
But a few dogged growers in the U.S. and elsewhere kept trying. They looked for vineyard land with similar soil and climate, and they experimented with Pinot Noir clones, growing techniques, and winery skill. Eventually, regions like Oregon’s Willamette Valley, the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast in California started achieving very good Pinot. Some of them actually tasted a bit like Burgundy. Others came up with wines that were good but different.
New Zealand’s Southern Alps make a dramatic backdrop for Lowburn Ferry wine estate, from Central Otago: Everything to know and wines to try, an October 2018 Decanter article by Anne Krebiehl MW.
And then, toward the end of the last century, a new name popped up on wine lovers’ radar: Central Otago. This relatively young wine region lies near the southern end of New Zealand’s South Island. Although it’s on the 45th parallel south of the equator – about the same distance south as Bordeaux and Oregon lie north – it’s the world’s southernmost wine region.
It’s also one of the newest: Save for a couple of 19th-century pioneers whose efforts did not survive, its modern era didn’t begin until Gibbston Valley Central Otago wines went on sale in 1987.
Blessed with climate, geology, altitude, and sunlight that bode well for great Pinot Noir, the region’s reputation grew quickly as more producers joined the rush.
Central Otago has quickly earned a reputation for wines that, if not Burgundy lookalikes, boast a special class and finesse all their own. This week’s featured wine, Innocent Bystander, actually comes from an Australian producer that owns a Central Otago property. The wine speaks for itself as a fine, complex, and balanced Pinot Noir that can stand comparison with Oregon or even Burgundy.
New Zealand’s Central Otago is winning a growing reputation for quality Pinot Noir. What’s your experience with the wines from this region?
Because Innocent Bystander is priced above $20, I have to leave it behind our subscription paywall. Because I buy all the wines I review at retail and do not accept wine samples or other gratuities from the industry, I rely on the support of paid subscribers to help cover the cost of the wines I review.
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