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Tarras Vineyards

There can be few wine regions that have burst onto the international stage so convincingly as Central Otago. A sparsely populated region of New Zealand's South Island until recently best known for a late-19th century gold rush, Otago has today joined the world pantheon of established wine regions. Today it is not gold that the region is best associated with, but Pinot Noir instead, although there are successful wines made here using varieties as diverse and Pinot Gris and Syrah, not to mention the almost ubiquitous Sauvignon Blanc.

This 21st-century vinous 'gold rush' has seen thousands of new vines planted, such as those extolled by Hayden Johnston of Tarras Vineyards. Johnston owns the Canyon Vineyard, which lies on the site of an abandoned sheep station near Bendigo, close to where Otago's main river, the Clutha, drains into Lake Dunstan. The vines lie on the incline of a natural basin at an altitude of 400 metres but are protected from the prevailing northerly winds, as well as colder southerly gusts, by surrounding mountain slopes. The soil underfoot is wind-blown glacial loess, and the vines a mix of Burgundy (as opposed to Champagne) clones of Pinot Noir all planted in 2003. The vines see a green harvest to control yields, which are typically 4-5 tonnes per hectare (very roughly 32-40 hl/ha).

About 10 kilometres to the north of The Canyon and almost on the banks of the Clutha is another newly established vineyard, The Steppes. These vines belong to Hayden's business partners, Gary and Nancy Carlston, and this site was also established in 2003, under the auspices of Robin Dicey of Mount Difficulty Wines. Again it is Pinot Noir that rules here, the 19 hectares of vines dominated by well-chosen clones of Pinot Noir which bury their roots into a mix of gravel and loess. The site is less well protected than The Canyon, and thus frost can menace the vines in spring. With concern over ripening the vines are pruned hard to give just one bunch per shoot, and the eventual yield is typically about 3 tonnes per hectare (again, very roughly, about 24 hl/ha).

Both of these sites come under the umbrella of Tarras Vineyards, managed by Johnston with the help of viticulturist Chad Douglas and winemaker Carol Bunn, and with such young vines it is stating the obvious that they have only a few vintages under their collective belt. Nevertheless the portfolio of wines produced have already taken an admirable handful of accolades, and it has been a pleasure for me to be able to taste them recently, the bottles brought over to the UK by Johnston himself. The range kicks off with a Sauvignon Blanc sourced from a vineyard in the Wairau valley near South Island's northern tip, but the multitude of Pinot Noirs that follow are Central Otago through and through. These include two rosés, an entry-level estate wine and a more select cuvée christened Florian, and three red cuvées, one each from the two vineyards discussed above and an estate wine, a blend from both sites. The current practise is to channel the best fruit into the two single vineyard wines, whereas what remains goes into the blend, and all the wines see 30% new oak before bottling. This scheme is one that has evolved over the past few years, however, so although it applies to the 2008 vintage it can not be retrospectively applied; for example, the 2006 estate wine was sourced solely from the Canyon Vineyard (and very good it is too). (11/11/09)

Contact details:
233 Maori Point Road, Tarras, RD3 Cromwell, Central Otago
Telephone: +64 (0) 274 466 877
Internet: www.tarrasvineyards.com

Tarras Vineyards - Tasting Notes

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Tarras Vineyards Florian Pinot Noir Rosé (Central Otago) 2008: This rosé is a limited production (just six barrels produced) blend of wines produced by both saignée (from The Canyon) and by direct pressing (from The Steppes). Bottled under screwcap. A fairly richly coloured wine for a rosé. A nose of vibrant fruit, lightly steely and nettly, lightly creamy, peach skin over lemon citrus character. Quite richly rounded on the palate, creamy but with good acidity to match, nicely defined and fresh, with lively acidity behind the fruit which has a delicious, gently rounded character. This little note of richness comes through to the end, but always well balanced by tingly, nettly acidity. Surprisingly good, dry but fleshy wine. 16.5/20 (October 2009)

Tarras Vineyards Pinot Noir (Central Otago) 2008: Bottled under screwcap. A blend from the Steppes and Canyon vineyards, the wine spent 10 months in oak, 30% new. It has a vibrant hue, with only moderate density typical for Pinot Noir. The nose has a good combination of smoky cranberry fruit and mushroom, with a creamy-glycerol, honeyed edge. With a little time it shows more coffee and raspberry notes, but always with that sweet-crunchy paradox that defines many Otago Pinots I think. Fleshy but balanced, crisp and crunchy, this wine shows a gentle extract and core of tannins through the midpalate, underpinning a wealth of mushroom, olive, coffee and cranberry character. Lots of sappy fruit at the finish, lots of punch and grip, with a tightly compacted closure. Good wine, nicely evolved and with harmonious structure, this is ready to go now. 16+/20 (October 2009)

Tarras Vineyards The Steppes Pinot Noir (Central Otago) 2008: Bottled under screwcap. Another very young cuvée which has seen 10 months in oak, 39% new. The colour is vibrant and of a fairly rich hue. Again we has some very dark fruit character here, with notes of plum and red cherry, blunted somewhat by a serious layer of oak which contributes a sweet, smouldering, chargrilled aroma to the nose. A pleasing and incisive start, then a broader character as the fruit stretches over a seam of spicy, peppery oak to match the character found in the aromas. Overall it is a big, polished, slightly sweet and certainly very structured wine which desperately needs time to integrate. There's plenty of wood tannin in the finish that should see it safe. 16.5+/20 (October 2009)

Tarras Vineyards The Canyon Pinot Noir (Central Otago) 2008: Bottled under screwcap. Like The Steppes, this cuvée has also seen 10 months in oak, 39% new. A good, dark, dusty red-black hue in the glass. Very dense and solid blackberry and plum fruit style, round and smoothly polished, with a firm layer of oak wrapped around it. The palate is firm, muscular, with rich but not exuberant fruit as the nose suggests, with plenty of peppery acidity coming through on the midpalate, and also rather dry and spicy tannins. Richly composed, with spicy and savoury oak in the end over good plum fruit. Good sappy finish, with lots of spicy, honeyed savouriness. There is really very good potential here, but this wine needs time to integrate; leave well alone for a year or two. 17+/20 (October 2009)

Tarras Vineyards The Canyon Pinot Noir (Central Otago) 2007: Bottled under screwcap. Quite a darkly coloured wine, and a sweetly fruited nose, initially full of charred oak and smoke, but then more dominated by the aromas of beetroot, sweet cola and dark liquorice. The palate is softly structured, rounded, with no hard edges anywhere, and if anything there is a touch of smoking oil. The aromatic profile found on the nose comes through here, with notes of oak dominating the fruit, although with some appealing notes of thyme and other herbs too, and a core of tannins at the middle of it all. Some good Pinot Noir character evident here, but the wine seems dominated by wood on this tasting. Today I prefer the wines of the preceding and following vintage, but I suspect this wine is just going through an awkward phase and perhaps it will show better with some time in bottle? A cautious score here. 15-16+?/20 (October 2009)

Tarras Vineyards Pinot Noir (Central Otago) 2006: Bottled under screwcap. Sourced from the Canyon vineyard alone. A fine, deep hue in the glass, a dusty red at the core and a cherry-pink at the rim. At first the nose releases wave after wave of crispy bacon aromas, before settling down to release gentler notes of mushroom, dust and slightly hot black cherry fruit. The palate is nicely polished, composed, rich and full of ripe and spicy tannins. Cherry fruit, with a little tinge of beetroot, backed up by a broad, rich, meaty substance. Lots of sweet character here, but there is a savoury structure to it as well. Very good wine, capable of improving in the cellar for a few years yet. 16.5+/20 (October 2009)