Brancott's winemaker dismisses criticism of "one dimenstional" Sauvignon Blanc
The long entrenched belief that New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is a “one dimensional” varietal is fast disappearing, according to Brancott Estate’s chief winemaker.
This comes at a time as winemakers in the region are ramping up their efforts to highlight the subtle sub regional differences in the wines, and look into the impact of using different winemaking technques.
Brancott Estate was the very first New Zealand winery to plant Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand back in 1973, in the estate then known as Montana. Now, of the total 36,000 plus hectares of vineyards planted with Sauvignon Blanc in New Zealand, more than 24,000 hecatres are in Marlborough with the vast majority – over 21,000 – Sauvignon Blanc.
The variety has become synonymous with the Marlborough region, with its highly distinctive gooseberry flavours. However, this has resulted in some criticism that Marlborough is only capable of churning out one style of wine which is “one dimensional”.
“It’s worth remembering as well that the Marlborough region has had less than 40 vintages and the global popularity of the varietal is relatively recent,” said Patrick Materman, Brancott Estate’s chief winemaker in an interview in Drinks Busienss.
“Also winemakers only get one vintage a year to experiemenet with, so it takes time to perfect and then release new expressions or new technques.”
The next step in Marlborough’s development is to highilight the differences in different areas of the region, said Materman, in an attempt to premiumise and protect the reputation of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.
“We recognise the need to showcase the diversity and expressiveness of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and we are seeing a lot more discussion about subregions, terroir and the impact of different winemaking techniques,” he said.
“This is being reflected in a changed perception of what Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc should taste like and we are seeing a greater recognition of different expressions of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc at an industry level, and greater consumer interest in, for example, sub-regional, wild-fermented or oak-influenced Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.”
Research has identified three clear profiles of Marlborough’s famous grape. Wines from Rapaura were noteable for their aromas of passionfruit, while the SouthernValleys produced wines with a more herbal characer with stone fruit, citrus and gooseberry notes, and the wines from Awatere Valley had distinct grapefruit and tomato leaf aromas.
Materman reported growing interest in Brancott Estate’s Terroir Series Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc, which he claimed delivered the signature savoury, herbal notes that the area is known for.
"So as more people understand that there is a particular profile from a particular sub region, and understand how winemaking techniques like oak infusion or wild fermentation make more approachable, food-friendly wines, they will start to seek out particular expressions for specific occasions. We are seeing this start to happen and we will continue to do our part to educate consumers on how the different locations or techniques impart particular flavour and aroma profiles.”
The biggest hurdle to overcome, said Materman, was in communiciating this diversity while not undermining the strong and successful identitiy that Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has carved out for itself aournd the world.
He added that Sauvgnon Gris had the potential to open up new consumer interest in Marlborough, though currently only 113 hecates in New Zealand are planted with the grape. He added he was also focusing more heavily on Pinot Noir, which is increasingly becoming appreciated by a global audience.