Nothing says, celebrate like a glass of bubbles. To toast the end of one tricky year, wine editor Joelle Thomson shares the top local bubbles she rates, says editor Trudi Brewer.
“Today, our country’s winemakers produce wines that can rival world classics and this year I’ve been staggered at the high quality of our bubbles. Not to mention their affordable prices.”
Wine writer Joelle Thomson
To say that New Zealand wine has come a long way in a short time is to make a wild understatement. Less than 50 years ago, Kiwi winemakers were focussing mainly on fortified wines and three-litre bag-in-box vino. If you can’t remember either, you’re lucky to have narrowly missed, shall we say, an interesting time in New Zealand wine history. Today, our country’s winemakers produce wines that can rival world classics and this year I’ve been staggered at the high quality of our bubbles. Not to mention their affordable prices.
The best local bubbles come from Marlborough and Central Otago, with a small trickle from Hawke’s Bay and the Wairarapa too. There are now 13 members of Methodé Marlborough, a quality-minded bunch of winemakers who make bubbles the same way as champagne. The members include the Allan Scott Family Winemakers, Cloudy Bay, Daniel le Brun, Hunter’s, Johanneshof Cellars, LV, Nautilus, No 1 Family Estate, Pernod Ricard, Saint Clair, Spy Valley, Tohu and Whitehaven. This means their wines go through a second fermentation in the bottle and are aged on yeast lees for at least 18 months, in many cases far longer. This provides fresh bakery aromas from all that time on yeast lees, which are leftover from fermentation. As they break down into the wine, the lees give loads of richness and depth – just like great champagne.
Here are my four favourites from the Methodé Marlborough, grower led society committed to the production of world-class sparkling wine for you to enjoy this festive season
Cloudy Bay Pelorus NV $35
Cloudy Bay Pelorus NV $35.
Cloudy Bay Wines first made its name with intense Sauvignon Blanc and has since forged a reputation for top-quality whites, including Pelorus bubbly, which is creamy, dry and super tasty with a full body and dry finish. It is deliciously good value for money and a great match for a crispy roast chicken.
Graze with: Chicken nibbles with an aioli dip – this matches the creamy taste in the wine.
Serve with: crispy roast chicken, with a crunchy green salad on the side.
Joelle’s rating: 18.5/20
Hunter’s MiruMiru Rose NV $35
Jane Hunter’s love of pink bubbles led her winemaking team produce this one, which is made from 55 per cent Pinot Noir with 42 per cent chardonnay and a smidgeon of Pinot Meunier along for the ride with 3 per cent of the wine. It is a classic champagne combination and the wine was aged in the bottle on yeast lees for 18 months. It’s a dry style with 6.4 grams of residual sugar per litre and a delicious full body with elegance to burn.
Graze with: Thai red curry, preferably with duck – gamey flavours taste gorgeous with this wine.
Serve with: Slivers of prosciutto on slices of sourdough – a simple match for a great bubbly.
Joelle’s rating: 19/20
Hunter’s MiruMiru Rose NV $35
Nautilus Cuvee Marlborough Brut NV $39.
Nautilus Cuvee is inspired by the best of the best - Bollinger Special Cuvee. Both bubbles are made mostly from lightly pressed Pinot Noir (so that no colour translates through to the wine). Pinot provides powerful toasty flavours when aged and this wine (like its big sibling Bolly) is aged on yeast lees for three years. It also contains between 5% to 15% of older wines in the blend, which adds even more complexity than its long ageing. At this price, it is staggeringly good value for money – and super tasty. For a fun comparison, buy a bottle of champagne and taste them alongside each other - viva the beauty of Nautilus Cuvee!
Graze with. Seafood nibbles – fresh and simple.
Serve with: Roast duck or duck confit – push the boat out for a great bubbly.
Joelle’s rating: 18.5/20
Whitehaven Cuvee Samantha, $40
Whitehaven Cuvee Samantha, $45
Whitehaven Wines is the newest member of Methodé Marlborough and was founded by Sue and Greg White and named after their daughter, Samantha, who works at the winery. This bubbly is a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. All grapes in the wine were handpicked at low sugar levels (Brix of 18-19°) to retain delicate flavours with high acidity. They were whole bunch pressed and went through full malolactic fermentation to soften the acidity before being blended and aged on lees (a stage during the maturing process) for 22 months, developing savoury flavour notes to match the creamy toasty, taste of this lovely new bubbly.
Graze with: Humous with walnut crackers.
Serve with: Pan-fried gurnard with lemon zest.
Joelle’s rating: 17.5/20