October 2009 - Mike in New York
Posted by Doug Paulding on his blog at ISante Talk on October 11, 2009 at 12:52pm.

Click here to read the whole article online.

With all the talk of global warming and carbon footprint we hear about from around the world, New Zealand has committed itself to being 100% sustainable by the year 2012. Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand is an organization that has developed the framework for companies to continually work towards improving all aspects of their performance, environmentally, socially and economically, in both the vineyard and the winery. Jackson Estate winery has taken this commitment to the extreme. From fertilizers to carton materials, reducing power and water usage, using recycled aluminum screw caps and recycled glass for its bottles and even special labels made out of potato and bamboo, Jackson Estate wants us to know it is doing more than its share in reducing their footprint while also educating consumers about their environmentally friendly approach to viticulture and vinification.

I met with Jackson Estate’s head winemaker Mike Paterson recently at a luncheon at Eleven Madison Park, a four star restaurant in Manhattan’s Flat Iron district at East 24th Street and Madison Avenue. Mike developed a big interest in wines by working in wineries in California, Burgundy and Australia. He then studied viticulture and oenology at New Zealand’s only wine program at Lincoln University. He wanted to introduce us to two Sauvignon Blancs, one Chardonnay and two Pinot Noirs. Jackson Estate is in Marlborough, one of New Zealand’s primary grape growing regions and one of the world’s best production areas for Sauvignon Blanc. The first wine of the day was their 2008 Stich Sauvignon Blanc. It was light bodied with a fresh fruit component of big citrusy grapefruit and orange zest, tart and crisp with good acidic backbone. Mike poetically called this wine “Marlborough in a glass”.

The second wine we tried was their 2007 Grey Ghost Sauvignon Blanc. Mike told us there was no need to make another traditional Sauvignon Blanc. They set out to create a new and different flavor to this wine. The Grey Ghost is a single vineyard wine “way more savory, nutty and floral” than other SBs. Unlike most SB wines, the Grey Ghost is introduced to old oak barrels, which provides some structure and flavor components. The citrus flavors and white peach came through loud and clear, but the oak added a toasty flavor that was delicious.

Next, Mike poured the 2007 Jackson Estate Chardonnay. This wine was light to medium bodied, tart, lemony citrus with a silky mouth feel. It was aged in oak adding some light honey and toast flavors. They wait until bottling to add sulphur as a preservative. Mike insists this creates a more harmonious wine. Only 1000 cases of the Chardonnay were produced.

We then tasted the 2007 and 2008 Vintage Widow Pinot Noirs. The 2007 was reportedly one of the best harvests for Pinot Noirs in New Zealand. Medium to full bodied, it showed notes of plum and red cherry with good tannins and a hint of sweet oak influence. The 2008 had bright cherry notes with soft licorice and hints of ground black pepper. These wines are structurally sound, very delicious and retail from $22 to $32 making them big in the price to value ratio. Mike told us “We’re still defining our wine boundary region in New Zealand” so like other areas of the wine world, they are still an ascending wine region. Serve the Sauvignon Blancs as an afternoon wine or as an aperitif. The Chardonnay pairs beautifully with salads, appetizers or fish or chicken dishes. And the Pinot Noirs will pair with almost any entrée, enhancing virtually any dining experience.

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