With our 20% off New Zealand sale still ongoing, and this being the last week of our additional buy six bottles get a seventh free on Greenhough Sauvignon Blanc, here is the second part of our interview with the talented winemaking New Zealander, Andrew Greenhough.

Questions 1-5 click here.

6. There’s a lot of ‘showy’ Pinots out there (some from New Zealand) – what some call ‘blockbuster’ styles. What is your take on those wines and how do they sit with your philosophy at Greenhough? Again, have you seen your style evolve much and if you were to project outward say 10 years, where would you think the style will get to?

In the extreme, big, ‘blockbuster’ Pinots can risk a loss of varietal character and while showy can sometimes be one dimensional and a little boring, these styles often score well in competitions. Pinot Noir is by no means the only variety where this is the case. For me, these styles can lack complexity and interest particularly at the higher price point where I am looking for other characters beyond big fruit and obvious power – elegance, supple texture, multi-layers of flavour, with concentrated fruit as the basis for spicy, savoury, structural elements.

I think that there are a whole range of different Pinot styles out there now and that’s probably a good thing. The  softer structured styles which are very fruit sweet and forward can deliver great drinkability and if  targeted at the more price conscious end of the market these characters are no doubt essential. There is skill in achieving styles which are appropriate to varying price points and target markets. I have definitely become more conscious of the need to make the Greenhough range of wines, (as distinct from the Hope Vineyard),  fruit driven, balanced and approachable while retaining some degree of complexity. The Hope Vineyard Pinot Noir has over the years evolved away from and emphasis on sweet fruit to become more savoury. I think that older vines and better viticulture are providing more concentration and texture which is more supple and integrated. I expect that this will be a continued evolution over time.

7. Ireland tends to shun many Chardonnays and shy away from them. Tell us about your Chardonnay style. Can you make the case for us to explore Chardonnay again?

I really hope so as I rate Chardonnay from NZ as exceptional value for money. The Greenhough Nelson style is fruit focused for drinking as soon as it is released and over the next 2-3 years. It is 100% fermented in French oak and aged for approx 5-6 months, released in the same year that it is made. The oak fermentation is aimed to provide some savoury complexity through lees influence and warmer ferment. However, oak flavour is minimal and very much in the background as the percentage of new oak is very small. It’s a fresh, uncomplicated Chardonnay style which makes great drinking with or without food. On the other hand, the Hope Vineyard Chardonnay is aged for a full year in French oak which is still reasonably restrained though the new oak component is typically around 25%. It is a taughter, more structured style with added complexity and cellaring potential. Definitely more of a food style. I guess it is pretty easy to make a good case for drinking Chardonnay, (and specifically NZ Chardonnay), provided that it is a variety that you enjoy. I drink more Chardonnay than any other white wine and while many are not to my taste those that are represent superb drinking.

8. How have you gone about site selection for your different wines? Do you think its showing in the style of wines you are making?

Our range of wines and styles are based more around clonal selection than site selection. Obviously the site specific Hope Vineyard wines are a reflection of place and over a period of years exhibit certain consistent characteristics even given seasonal variation. This is the site which we have become intimately familiar with over the past 20 years. But these wines are also built around particular, generally older blocks of vines within the vineyard which over time have proved their quality. For example, the Mendoza and UCD15 clones of Chardonnay are the basis of the Hope Vineyard wine with their particular citrus expression, concentration and defined structure. Winemaking is also varied according to the particular stylistic emphasis which is aimed for in the wine. Over time there may be an evolution of new single vineyard wines based on the heavier clay soils of our Upper Moutere vineyards should a distinct character related to site become apparent

9. We see international reviews of Greenhough wines around and about, but few awards. What’s your attitude to competitions and shows and the quest for a ‘gold’?

Years ago we entered wine competitions regularly and received our share of gold medal results across all varieties. We no longer do this regularly though occasionally will enter something offshore – perhaps in a new market or if there is a request for us to do so. To some extent wine competitions are a bit of a lottery and hit and miss. If show results are to be a strategy for marketing and brand profiling then there needs to be a comprehensive ‘scatter gun’ approach taken in order to maximize chances of top results. I would not describe our wine styles as ‘showy’ and they may not suit the competition format as well as many others. We prefer to submit wines to wine writers and some of the specialist wine publications for assessment and review.

10. If you had a one year sabbatical to make wine somewhere else in the world where would it be and why?

Germany I think.  I have spent time in France on several occasions and had hands on vintage experience in Burgundy. It would be interesting to explore Riesling styles and winemaking practices at first hand in a small, top quality winery.  The Germans seem to successfully combine traditional and highly technological approaches to most things including winemaking and I am sure this would be enlightening. In terms of their viticulture there is a strong emphasis on sustainability, (organic and biodynamic management practices),  and a generally holistic attitude to winemaking – something that rests well with us.

Sincere thanks to Andrew Greenhough. To view his fantastic range, which we are adding more wines to shortly, click here.

“Of all the wineries scattered across the Waimea Plains, this small producer at Hope, south of Nelson city, has the quality edge.”

Michael Cooper,
Pocket Guide to Wines of New Zealand

Andrew Greenhough is one of the success stories of the New Zealand wine industry. Every vintage his Greenhough range astounds us, not only in that all-important matter of price vs quality, but in the variety and unique styles that he brings to our range of New Zealand wines.

We’ve asked Andrew 10 questions, 5 of which are below and 5 of which will be posted next week. It’s well timed as there is currently 20% off all of our New Zealand wines, including Greenhough, until the end of August. In addition, until the end of July, we have buy 6 get one free on the Greenhough Sauvignon Blanc – a genuinely fantastic offer you’re not likely to see again for a long time… if ever.

1. You could have chosen any region in New Zealand to make wine. Why did you choose Nelson?

To a certain extent Nelson chose us. We knew of Nelson as a beautiful region close to the sea, national parks, ideal climate and culturally very interesting. All of these things were important to us. Certainly there was no desire to move to many of the other wine growing regions which did not offer such a complete package. The wine industry back in 1990 was relatively un-evolved by today’s standards – Central Otago for example was in its infancy as were a number of the smaller wine regions and so there was not the same very strong association with wine that many now have. That said, if we had our choice again today, we wouldn’t go anywhere different! There was an opportunity to buy land and a small operating winery in Nelson within a region already producing excellent wines and this became an appropriate way into the industry for us.

2. Make the case for Nelson Sauvignon Blanc – what gives it an edge over other New Zealand styles and how have you evolved your style as you’ve got to grips with the land. Are there ‘no go’ areas with Sauvignon Blanc you feel strongly about. How do you feel it is evolving?

Nelson Sauvignon Blanc has a definite ‘top of the south’ character with vibrant, lively fruit flavours ranging from the more herbaceous through to ripe citrus and tropical. Generally Nelson Sauvignon expresses a degree of restraint and subtlety, (that is a little less pungent than some), good palate weight and mineral freshness. For me this makes Nelson Sauvignon a more food friendly style than many. Some winemakers prefer to emphasise more pungent, herbaceous characters and others a riper, more tropical style. Both work well, though for me the most successful styles are in the riper spectrum with herbaceousness in the background. There has been an evolution towards riper styles of New Zealand Sauvignon across regions. Also some more complex styles employing wild fermentation, barrel ferment and lees aging. These are interesting and delicious when the balance of these elements is well handled and fruit flavours are in the riper spectrum. For me the inclusion of a very small percentage of new oak fermentation (less than 5%) adds more dimension to the mid palate of the wine. The oak should not be at all apparent however and the style should retain a fresh, uncomplicated fruit focus. Moderate yields are essential to achieve good natural sugar/acid balance in the fruit along with generally riper flavours and phenolics. This balance means that we are able to successfully make a genuinely dry style of Sauvignon.

3. We hear Nelson hosted the International Aromatics Symposium in February with Ernst Loosen (of German fame) present to cast an eye over progress and to lead panel discussion. How did the event go?

As a region, Nelson has a climate which allows it to produce a relatively wide range of varieties extremely well – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and the aromatics. While Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir have become popularly associated with Marlborough and Central Otago respectively, the aromatics were ‘up for grabs’. Without doubt, Nelson is able to consistently produce some of the country’s best Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris and in February 2010 hosted the second triennial Nelson Aromatics Symposium. It’s an event which allows us to attract an important and influential audience, to raise the regional profile and show off the quality of our wines in general.  This year the focus was on Riesling and Gewurztraminer. The 160 delegates included international wine writers, wine trade, winemakers and enthusiasts who spent a day tasting and discussing their way through a range of regional and international wines. It was a great opportunity to pitch a selection of New Zealand wines alongside some iconic French, German and Austrian examples. The event was a great success. Come visit us for the next one in 2013!

4. Your range is expanding each year – more recently Pinot Blanc and sweeter, low alcohol Rieslings added. On top of your traditional range of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir what are you most excited about in your grape varieties or evolving styles going forward. Do you have a favourite child in the pack?

I don’t really have a regular favourite. It varies from vintage to vintage. The Pinot Blanc is a wine which we began making in 2003 from some of the oldest vines in our home vineyard, (and in the region), planted in 1976. For many years this very small volume wine was blended into our Chardonnay. We have since planted a few extra rows of vines and produce a very limited number of cases of this single vineyard wine. It is dryish in style, fermented and aged in old barrels with a focus on palate texture and richness rather than fruitiness. It is a very interesting wine and has gained an enthusiastic following. We have always had success with Riesling. Our first gold medals in the mid 1990s were for this variety. The off-dry, Hope Vineyard Riesling is also made from our oldest vines and expresses ripe citrus flavours. More recently we have introduced the Apple Valley Riesling, a lower alcohol, sweeter wine in a vaguely German Spatlese style expressing juicy, apply freshness. This is a style which has gained a lot of momentum in New Zealand and works extremely well with our higher acid levels balancing naturally with higher residual sugar. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay continue to be an absorbing challenge in the vineyard and winery. Alongside the Sauvignon, It has been a very positive evolution having clearly defined two quite distinctive styles of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, together with Riesling within our range.

5. Tell us about what drives you in making Pinot Noir? Where do you think New Zealand is at in terms of regional style?

Pinot Noir is a never ending challenge and that keeps it interesting in both the vineyard and winery. There is always the desire to understand the fruit better and to allow it express itself clearly and consistently over time. It will reflect the place where it is grown and assume a recognisable identity. A thorough knowledge of the site and an accurate interpretation of the season and its influence on fruit is essential. This context becomes clearer with every passing vintage. It is always exciting to be making a wine variety which has such a dedicated following and importance in the scheme of New Zealand wine. I suppose it is possible to define regional styles in a broader sense and with time this may become more clear cut. In some wines these are clearly evident but there are always wines that do not fit the regional mould. Winemaker influence and philosophy does play an important part in the way that the wine expresses itself and often this can cloud the issue and over ride the regional thing. I think that regional character of Pinot will inevitably become clearer over time and this will be a good evolution. In the meantime, continued striving for quality, site selection, increased vine age and evolution of sustainable, organic and biodynamic practices will contribute to more recognizable and individual examples of NZ Pinot Noir.

To be continued next Wednesday…

Click here to view the range from Andrew.

Andrew Greenhough, winemaker at Greenhough Wines in Nelson, New Zealand, recently sent us through his 2010 vintage report. For a lot of inexpensive wines the difference from one vintage to the other is barely noticeable. You know what your getting every time. But often when a winemaker is sourcing from his own vineyards there can be subtle differences from year to year. Greenhough is one of those wineries with the quality edge and I’m confident the 2010 vintage will be no different. Quality-wise I mean.

The general consensus is that the season, (especially later), was kind and that beautiful fruit was harvested. That’s pretty much the story I have to tell based on the Nelson experience. I’ll give you a bit of detail!

Spring was cool as it often is, though here in Nelson we are lucky that frost does not threaten. This cool weather persisted through into early summer which set things back and delayed vine development for most of the growing season. The result was a more extended, (but stress free harvest), which began and ended about 10-12 days later than typically. The same cool weather also affected flowering and led to a lighter than average crop across most varieties. Not a bad thing given the need for a smaller national vintage and the difficulty which we may have had ripening a bigger crop in a cool year. January and the first half of Feb was also wetter than usual and this was some cause for concern at the time. But by mid February, summer had truly arrived and the weather continued dry and warm right through until the end of April and the conclusion of the harvest. Fruit was picked in near perfect physical condition. The later timing also resulted in a gradual and more extended period of ripening at a time when daylight hours were shortening and nights were significantly cooler. The result was great flavour development, varietal definition and sugar/acid balance.

If there’s one thing we have learnt over the years, (2010 was our 20th vintage here), it’s that no season or vintage is ever the same. Often the variations are quite significant. 2009 was a magnificent year and we are delighted to have a number of excellent wines from this vintage still un-bottled, let alone released. But it was notable for its very hot December and January which advanced fruit development, followed by a much cooler, damper February. An earlier than usual harvest, it was quite different to 2010. It will be interesting to see how this shows in the finished wines. My guess is that the 09′s will be have slightly softer acids and generous, rich fruit while the 10′s will be more elegant and defined with marked varietal character.

In the winery, we have just completed blending the 2009 Nelson and Hope Vineyard Pinots. We will leave these in tank for several months before bottling. Both the 2009 Gewurztraminer and Pinot Blanc are due for bottling in the next month. These have had a full year on yeast lees for the first time – the PB in seasoned oak and the Gewurz in tank. It is great to see the way that this has added real depth and richness and while the primary characters have been subdued a little there is more complexity. The Gewurz is pleasing for its more subtle, (rather than over-the-top), exotic fruits and lower alcohol than previously – a good thing. The 2009 Hope Vineyard Riesling is also in a drier style than recent vintages at 14g/L R/S, down from about 20g/L. We have also made a Rose in 2010. It is a relatively light style in terms of alcohol as is more appropriate for this style of wine.

Current wines available from Greenhough