Thanks to Peter Jackson, you can’t take in the staggering beauty of New Zealand wine country without referencing the Misty Mountains of Tolkien’s Middle Earth. But as you work your way down New Zealand’s South Island, you’ve passed the Middle; this is more like End-of-Earth we’re talking about here, the most southern of Southern Hemisphere vineyard land.
This wine is an exceptional Pinot Noir from Canterbury, the appellation just to the north of world-renowned Central Otago; it’s among the best-value Pinot Noirs I’ve yet discovered from New Zealand, or anywhere, for that matter. If you haven’t tried New Zealand Pinot Noir, this is the perfect time and price. It truly over-delivers.
While the North Island of New Zealand has a slightly warmer, wetter maritime climate—and is better-suited to Syrah, Chardonnay, and Bordeaux varietals—the South Island has gained world renown for Pinot Noir and Riesling. Canterbury and Central Otago are cool, high, alluvial plains that enjoy protection from prevailing winds due to the rain shadow effect of the Southern Alps—akin to the Vosges Mountain Range’s influence on Alsace, France (just west of Canterbury lies the stretch of the Southern Alps that served as the Misty Mountains in the “Lord of the Rings” films). The soils are well-drained mixtures of gravelly loam, mica, and schist, lending minerality to Pinots that, for me, capture the elegance and finesse of Burgundy with the clarity of fruit and varietal purity of Oregon.
David and Leigh Teece started Mt. Beautiful Winery with the dream of producing the best farm-to-table expression of Pinot Noir from David’s homeland. They describe the “weather-beaten” landscape of Canterbury—an extreme terroir known for cold winters and hot, very dry summers—as a place “that attracts pioneering types.” With veteran Fin Grieve in charge of their sustainably farmed vineyards and globetrotting winemaker Sam Weaver in their cellar, their dream has become a reality through meticulous attention to detail and serious hands-on dedication in the vineyards. Although machine vineyard work and harvesting is widespread across New Zealand, Mt. Beautiful prides itself on working the vines manually and harvesting by hand.
The Teece’s ultimately identified a multiplicity of soil types in their vineyards, including a few patches of limestone and a more dominant type called Phoebe, a mixture of glacial outwash, volcanic ash and loess. The property is named for the 1,400-foot Mt. Beautiful, which shelters the vineyards from strong Alpine winds. Derived from the highest-elevation vineyard of the estate, this 2014 is a serious Pinot Noir with a real mineral imprint, aged for ten months in French oak (only 25% of which is new). There’s genuine cool-climate finesse and energy, along with great depth and ripeness. It trumps just about every other Pinot I’ve tried at this price point.
The 2014 Mt. Beautiful Pinot Noir exhibits a highly reflective, dark ruby core with slight garnet and pink hues on the rim. The enchantingly floral nose layers fresh violets, roses, wild sage and lavender over a core of black cherry, huckleberry, pomegranate, blueberry and black mushroom. The medium-bodied palate reveals fresh acidity and a limestone-y minerality that frames the fruit on the palate. For me, it had one foot in Chambolle-Musigny and another in the Willamette Valley—not too shabby for $23!
It’s taut enough, in fact, to benefit from some air: Decant for 30-45 minutes and serve in Burgundy stems between 60-65 degrees. For a feast fit for the hungriest of guests, prepare this New Zealand recipe for Lamb Cutlets with Herb Pistou and Potato Rosti and eat up.
