We left Churton replete with both the most delicious lunch and careful instructions on how to get to Dog Point Vineyard from Mandy Weaver. In what was to become a recurring theme of our brief sojourn in Marlborough, Jane and I argued over which road was the correct one, shot past turn-offs and eventually, after a handbrake turn of which Michael Schumacher would be proud, (especially in a 1.3L Toyota Corolla) arrived at Dog Point Vineyard in a cloud of dust and gravel. Presumably this must have attracted some attention as awaiting us in the car park were Kevin Judd, James Healy and Ivan Sutherland, leaving Jane to speculate about the Marx Brothers (or the Three Stooges?).
Much has been written about the gradual departure of all the original protagonists from Cloudy Bay so no need to cover it again here but safe to say it is the careers of these three men that have been watched with the most interest. We attempted to gain some insight into the development of Healy and Sutherland’s Dog Point but, looking back through my notes, it seems after all the jokes, gossip and discussions on cheese and small goods, there was precious little wine stuff left to report. And Kevin could be described as laconic only on a good day so little more was gleaned on the evolution of Greywacke, though he did appear to be tickled that Jane thought the label for his Pinot Gris was a photo of a woman’s bum (it is actually a close up of a vine leaf. I won't say any more.).
The three men were however generous (not to mention entertaining) hosts, rushing off to gather barrel samples and eager to share their wines. First up were Kevin’s wines, at this stage a trio of whites to sample (there is also a pinot noir and chardonnay to come). The 2009 Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc is a ripe, verdant and subtle wine, Marlborough but more. Herbaceous nose with wild fennel and red capsicum, the palate is smooth and quite generous, almost broad in style though retaining crispness with green apple and grass. Good, and elegant too. There is a second style in the offing: wild ferment, some barrel. The 2009 Greywacke Pinot Gris is sourced from a single vineyard in the Brancott Valley and is a rather lovely wine, complex and biscuity with fresh pears. Dry with a clean finish, it was brought up in barrel as there was not enough to justify a tank. Lastly was the 2009 Greywacke Gewurztraminer a heady, floral wine with violets, roses and honeysuckle, very pretty. Firm acidity gave a perfect counterbalance of crispness and liveliness to the palate and a clean citrussy finish. The three wines were smart, thoughtful and subtle but with plenty of character – I suppose therefore begging the question, "Do wines, like dogs, resemble their owner (maker) ?"
Next up were four Dog Point wines, with the much-lauded Section 94 to start. When tasted, this wine was still in barrel, where it resides for five months before release, but not far off bottling. The 2008 Dog Point Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc has a wonderful nose: mushroomy, cooked celery, wafts of herbs and hay; definitely not your typical Marlborough sauvignon and an excellent exerciser of one’s brain as it defied pigeonholing in both variety and provenance. A very textural palate, rather savoury with a decent length finish. Intriguing, though possibly not everyone’s cup of tea. The barrel sample of the 2008 Dog Point Chardonnay had Jane inhaling deeply with its enticing nose of brown biscuit and struck match, underlain with mealy, nutty notes. The palate is rich and appealing with good mouth feel, fine balance and length. Sophisticated chardonnay and smart stuff.
Vines with an average age of 16 years supplied the fruit for the 2008 Dog Point Pinot Noir, that is fairly long in the tooth by Marlborough standards. The wine is a dense purple and very aromatic. Youthful but complex, dry and textural, it fell slightly short on the palate but like the chardonnay showed very good balance and poise. It is always quite tricky to paint an accurate picture when tasting barrel samples (unless of course one is R. Parker Esq.) and I would hesitate to draw firm conclusions but this is a wine I looked forward to tasting again once it was finished and ready. The final wine on offer was a Late Harvest Gewurztraminer, made from fruit cleaned up from the vineyard after it had been picked for another wine. Slightly aldehydic at this stage of its élèvage, it also showed the distinct floral character of gewurz, concentrated and rich with a lovely honeyed undertone. Ripe and fine, with a fine, clean finish and good length it was a delicious finale.
Good show all round then, and proving that these three have been content to neither rest on their laurels, nor exploit them in the cash cow manner beloved by many Marlborough brethren. It can be fashionable to mock Marlborough wines and other New Zealand regions often garner more glamorous or innovative reputations but as we drove away (at a more sedate pace than our arrival) from the Greywacke/Dog Point posse, Jane and I reflected that the combination of experience, intelligence and a willingness to experiment while remaining true to the integrity of fine wine has come up trumps. It was heartening to see just how much passion and pleasure wine still gives Kevin, James and Ivan and as a result, both labels are ones to watch, savour and enjoy.
(EJ)