Virtuoso Life - September/October 2008 - (Page 70) TASTING NOTES markets. But Marlborough is not just a onetrick pony – other varieties flourish there as well, most notably pinot noir. Marlborough pinots are fresh and racy with bright fruit and lovely acidity. Because their vineyards are fairly young, the wines can lack complexity, but the potential for making excellent wines is there and becomes more apparent with each passing vintage. SIP: Brancott 2006 “T” Terraces Pinot Noir ($32). Other brands from Marlborough to watch for include Cloudy Bay, Foxes Island, Fromm, Kathy Lynskey, Nautilus, Seresin, Spy Valley, Stoneleigh, Whitehaven, and Wither Hills. Stay: Explore the area with Southern World and stay at Timara Lodge, a four-room boutique property set on 600 garden-dotted acres in the province of Marlborough. From approximate $631, including breakfast daily and dinner with local wines. Waipara South of Marlborough, on the east coast of the South Island, is Canterbury, a large, sprawling area with just a few thousand acres of mostly widely dispersed vineyards. One place with some concentration of vines is the subregion of Waipara, due north of Christchurch, the region’s biggest city. Waipara has only about 3,000 acres of vineyards, but pinot noir represents a significant portion of those plantings. There are some mature vineyards here and quite a few recently planted spreads. (The area is also fast becoming the best New Zealand place for another noble variety: riesling.) The top winery in the area, Pegasus Bay, has been producing quality wines since the 1991 vintage, and pinot noir is one of its flagship wines. In recent years a number of other wineries in this emerging region have chimed in with surprisingly good pinots. SIP: Pegasus Bay 2005 Pinot Noir “Prima Donna” ($75). You’ll also find excellent offerings from Camshorn, Daniel Schuster, Mountford, and Muddy Water, as well as from Waipara Springs. Pegasus Bay’s pinot is a top pick from Waipara. Stay: The magnificently restored Otahuna Lodge, just 20 minutes from Christchurch, 70 V I RT U O S O L I F E
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