Let the Aussies have their moment of glory

CHEERS: Barton on Wine

I have a sneaking suspicion that the results of the International Chardonnay Challenge in Gisborne last week reflect the direction in which the Prince of Whites is headed, rather than chardonnay as we know it.

If that is the case, then quite clearly we have been gazumped by the Aussies in the race to produce a style of chardonnay that will be more appealing to consumers who, during the past few years, have turned their backs on the variety.

Not only did the Australians waltz off with the wine of show and runner-up awards, but they also collected 14 of the 18 gold medals awarded to the best of the 400-and-something chardonnays entered in the 10th edition of the challenge.

That's quite a turnaround for a country caned just a few years for producing over-oaked chardonnay and quite a kick in the you-know-whats for us, recognised internationally as a producer of some world-class chardonnays.

I would like to think that part of the problem was the entry into the fray of some of Australia's top producers and the absence from the line-up of some of ours. But frankly, that just doesn't wash. Many of these producers, for whatever reason, rarely if ever show their wines, leaving it to others to fly the flag, usually with great success.

But not this time. And I wonder whether it would have mattered anyway.

You have only to compare the results of Cuisine magazine's recent NZ chardonnay tasting with the results from the challenge, which looks, of course at a wider, international range. The best Cuisine's No1 ( Sacred Hill 2007 Riflemans Chardonnay) could do in the challenge was earn a bronze medal. And many other respected New Zealand labels suffered a similar fate.

So what were the judges, presided over by Jane Skilton, an Auckland based Master of Wine, actually looking for?

Good chardonnay in all its many forms I would suggest, but especially what they would describe as "cutting edge chardonnay", which is what they call the stuff with line and length. What that means, in simple terms, is wine with elegance, finesse, flavour and length – higher natural acidity, less alcohol, less overt fruit flavours more minerality and a defter touch of nougat, nuts, whatever you want to call it.

If these are the sort of wines the punters want the news is actually better than it sounds.

Thanks to our cooler climate, we should be able, as one winemaker puts it, to "make 'em with our eyes closed."

Meanwhile, we will just have to let the Aussies have their moment of glory and look forward to a taste of Xanadu 2009 Reserve Chardonnay, the winning West Australian (Margaret River) wine described by Ms Skilton as "seamless with truly beautiful integrated oak, delicious and subtle." It costs A$80 (NZ$98) a bottle and will be released in New Zealand later in the year.

The runner-up, Mistletoe 2009 Reserve Chardonnay, from the Hunter Valley, might not be as readily available. It is made only in small quantities.

No such problem with Mt Riley 2009 Seventeen Valleys, Saint Clair's 2008 Omaka Reserve, Waimata Wines 2009 Cognoscenti and Daniel Le Brun 2002 Blanc De Blancs, the gold medal-winning New Zealand wines.

The result in which the average punter will probably be most interested, however, is the Top 6 selection – six gold or silver medal-winning wines that are easily available, or will be when they are released; that are good value and, most importantly, representative of the many stylistic variations possible in chardonnay.

They are: Goldridge Estate 2009 Premium Reserve Chardonnay (about $20); Church Road 2009 Hawke's Bay Chardonnay (about $26); Penfolds Thomas Hyland 2008 Chardonnay (about $16); Saint Clair 2009 Marlborough Unoaked Chardonnay (about $21); Clearview Estate Unwooded 2009 Chardonnay (about $19); Cumulus Wines 2009 Rolling Unoaked Chardonnay (about $19).

And best value wine under $15: Mount Olympus W5 2008 Marlborough Chardonnay (about $14) which is sold by an online discounter.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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