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If the only thing that comes to mind when you think about New Zealand wine is Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, you are not alone. While that powerhouse region in the north of the country’s South Island churns out around 70 percent of all New Zealand wine, Martinborough, a tiny region in the south of the North Island—at almost the same latitude but across the Cook Strait—makes only 2 percent of New Zealand’s bottles. With differences in soil, climate, and most of all winemaking philosophy, Martinborough is a small but mighty region with Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Syrah, and even sparkling wine that are worth looking out for. And tasting our way through quite a few producers at the recent Toast Martinborough wine festival only deepened our respect for this region.
One of three subregions of the larger Wairarapa region, Martinborough has literally nothing but over 4,000 miles of frigid Pacific Ocean water between itself and Antarctica, leaving it open to brisk winds that are one of its main weather features. This cold climate aids the creation of an elegant style of Pinot Noir—the region’s signature grape—that is favorably compared to versions from Burgundy. “We have deep fruit, but we also have the spicy, savory character and good tannin structure, so we’re sort of a Gevrey-Chambertin type region, elegant but also with really good fruit ripeness coming through,” says John Kavanagh, chief winemaker at Te Kairanga. And most of the vineyards are in a 30,000-year-old riverbed that was raised up by an earthquake, creating an elevated terrace above the river plain. “It’s very free draining, very high in minerals, and very good for growing intense fruit flavors into the vines,” Kavanagh says.
Tom Turner, the new winemaker at Martinborough Vineyard, was previously working at a larger winery just across the strait in Marlborough. While he attributes the quality of Martinborough Pinot Noir to the cool southerly air front, he says the standout difference between the two regions is the size and the scale of the winemaking and production. Referring to the opportunity to take over the cellar at Martinborough Vineyard as “a dream come true,” he thinks the other major factor at what he calls a tiny winery is the focus on “small batch, hands-on winemaking.”
Martinborough selections to try
Besides retaining freshness and acidity in Pinot Noir, the cool winds help to increase the tannins and color in the grapes. “The prevailing wind causes the vines to produce small, firm berries,” says Peter Louw, assistant winemaker at Palliser Winery, who previously made wine in his native South Africa. “The natural response of the vines is to make the skins tougher, and all your tannin and color comes from the skin.” While his counterparts back home rely on pump overs and press downs to extract tannins and color from red grapes, Louw says at Palliser—which is known for its méthode traditionelle sparkling wines as well as Pinot Noir and a full range of whites—he can “work with nature rather than against it.”
Winemaker Helen Masters has been turning out highly regarded Pinot Noir at Ata Rangi for 20 years; she says besides having summertime day temperatures that are cooler than other New Zealand regions, Martinborough’s deep alluvial gravels with clay elements are great for the cultivation of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Ben Tombs, chief winemaker at Craggy Range, works with vineyards here as well as in Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough. In addition to soil and climate, he says intense spring winds and low summer temperatures slow down vine growth and ripening and “this very long, often challenging growing season gives rise to deeply complex, perfumed Pinot Noir that are absolutely delicious and unique.” We agree. We chose Craggy Range 2020 Aroha Pinot Noir from the Te Muna Road vineyard as Robb Report’s “Best of the Best” wine from New Zealand in 2023.
Because of the region’s overall small quantities, Craggy Range’s Pinot Noir is one of the few that is relatively easy to find at retailers and restaurants. It’s the only Martinborough wine that Arthur Hon, beverage director at the Modern in New York City, has on hand. “Martinborough Pinot Noir has always been my favorite expression of Pinot Noir from New Zealand because it strikes a beautiful balance between structure and primary notes,” Hon says. Rather than Burgundy, he compares it to versions from Oregon, “where the fruits and the acidity frame the wine from the nose to the palate.”
Although exports of New Zealand wine seem to be on the rise, it’s much easier to find Martinborough wine in the region where they are grown. At Wharekauhau Lodge, a luxury estate that’s a 20-minute helicopter ride from Wellington, director of hospitality Nicolas Simonucci says he has 326 different wines in the cellar, and that 99 percent are from New Zealand, with half of those from Martinborough. Wharekauhau (pronounced for-ee-KO-ho) has the biggest collection of library vintages of Martinborough wines in the nation. Although many first-time guests’ awareness of New Zealand wine is focused on Sauvignon Blanc, Simonucci steers curious clients toward local Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and compares them to wine from their ancestral home. After choosing the right example to pour, he says visitors “are always amazed because they would never imagine that they could produce incredible wines here, in the middle of nowhere, at the level of Burgundy.” So while Martinborough wines may be a bit difficult to get your hands on right now, they’re well worth your time when you do.
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