Chardonnay lovers should stock up now

Press, 24 May 1988, Page 10

Chardonnay lovers should stock up now

Maurice Hunter’s

GRAPEVINE

The ravages of cyclone Bola will be felt long after the suffocating mud has been cleared from the roots of the vines and all the debris carted away. In addition to a wet, humid February, the torrential rain dumped on North Island vineyards, ruined many of the early ripening crops, particularly muller thurgau, and grape tonnages where sharply down, notably in the Gisborne area. But there is some good news from Hawke’s Bay, were the later ripening varieties were not so adversely affected. Cabernet sauvignon, pinotage, and pinot noir were picked in good condition. The Hawke’s Bay chardonnays also came in very well. Since Gisborne is the source of many good chardonnays, there is bound to be a shortage of this variety. The Aussies have been exporting theirs at a great rate, and have been raiding ours for whatever they have been able to get at around $2OOO a tonne, which means inevitable price rises.

, The message is that Chardonnay lovers should buy in now, up to the limit of their resources. Prices are already high and we may well find that, instead of being able to

drink our favourite wine at fairly regular intervals, it will have to become a “special occasion beverage.” In this regard a good recommendation is Babich’s ’B7 Chardonnay. A blend of Auckland and Gisborne fruit, pale gold with a distincive, fruity aroma, it has been aged in Nevers oak barrels. The balance of fruit and wood, with a clean acid, medium length finish, is complex. It is a sound, well made wine and, at about $l4, is good value. The ’B6, incidentally, is a similar style and, at a little over $ll, is an even

beter buy. In the higher price bracket, over $2O, is Babich Irongate Chardonnay 'B6 released on an allocation basis. The grapes were grown in river silt and shingle in the Irongate, Hawke’s Bay, vineyard and the wine fermented and matured in new Nevers oak. It is an attractive gold with reflecting lights in the glass, a big, buttery flavour and very long soft after-taste. The oak is evident, but not overpowering and the firm acid indicates a long life with, excellent prospects. This is a fine Chardonnay

which ranks among New Zealand’s best. Sometimes it a pleasant experience to be caught on the hop. I had no intention of opening the Robard and Butler Amberley Rhine Riesling ’B6 when I did. It won a silver award at last year’s competition and will be released in October, which is when I was going to start talking about it. But if I leave it until then, I will probably have lost my notes, since I’m that sort of disorganised person. And if I talk of it now, the readers will probably have forgotten what I have said. It’s all very confusing and I am sorry, but you are going to hear about it now ...

At first sight of the deep gold colour in the glass it appeared to be one of those intensely fruity auslese styles — but no! It is dry, with a yeasty bouquet. It is remarkably firm in body, with the full fruit giving promise of honeyed development. It has a crisp, lingering finish with very good balance and is definiely one for the cellar.

It is really quite exciting to discover that a rhine of this standard can be produced from Canterbury grown fruit. I wish I had kept it now. It is bound to be just so much better by October.