Visiting
New Zealand's
wine regions
Part 16: Daniel Schuster, Waipara
192 Reeces Road, Omihi, Waipara Valley, New Zealand
Website: www.danielschusterwines.com
The
final stage of my all-too-brief visit to New Zealand’s wine
country took me to Waipara – a region I’d been keen to visit
after hearing a lot about it. It’s about half-way down south
Island, and a short drive from Canterbury. Waipara is a growing
region, with a real momentum to it. The vineyard area is growing,
with big companies such as Montana, Nobilo and Villa Maria now
involved here.
Growing grapes here can be quite tricky, though: last
year the flowering was disastrous, and cold Decembers have been
problematic of late. Despite this, Waipara has a growing
reputation for producing great Pinot Noir and Riesling. For more
on Waipara, visit the Waipara Valley wine growers’ website www.waiparawine.co.nz)
My first visit (of just three – there was a lot more
I’d have liked to have done here) was at Daniel Schuster. Daniel
is well known as a wine consultant, and works at Ornellaia in
Italy and Stag’s Leap in Napa, among others. He began working in
the New Zealand wine industry in the 1970s, and founded his own
project in 1986.
Daniel was travelling when I visited, so I was received
by his wife, Mari, and winemaker Nicholas Brown (below right).
Nicholas has been working here since 2002, but has also worked in
Italy and the USA during this spell.
The
approach at Schuster is quite different to that of the majority of
New Zealand producers. The vines are unirrigated and spur pruned,
planted at a very high density (6000 per hectare). Sustainable
farming methods are employed, with the Schusters moving towards
organics. Composting, with the biodynamic preparations, is
practised.
One of the hills is sandstone over clay, the other is
clay over limestone: this is why Danny chose this particular site.
In addition to their own vineyards, which total 6 hectares, the
Schusters also buy Pinot Noir and Riesling from the Hull family,
who have 10 hectares nearby.
When the grapes arrive in the winery, they are left
overnight to cool. Conveyers are used for sorting, and then the
red grapes are destemmed and go to vat. Open top vats are used:
the wood holds the heat generated by fermentation well. A four-day
cold soak is followed by an indigenous fermentation, and then a
basket press is used for pressing.
The whites are pressed with a bag press. Riesling is
whole-bunch pressed, and sometimes left on skins for a few hours.
Fermentation is in stainless steel. Chardonnay is whole-bunch
pressed, the juice is settled, and then it goes to puncheons.
Daniel Schuster Petrie Vineyard Selection Chardonnay
2004
From a riper year than normal, with 20% malolactic
fermentation. Herby, brightly fruited nose is fresh with some ripe
tropical notes and hints of lemon. The palate has a herby,
minerally edge to it. It’s precise with high acidity and nutty
depth, as well as a long finish. Unusual but nice. 89/100 (NZ $32)
Daniel Schuster Petrie Vineyard Selection Chardonnay
2002
A cooler year, so not so much fruit richness. Smoky, minerally
nose which is fresh and quite tight. The palate is savoury, bold
and intense with lovely tight, savoury intensity and high acidity.
Really impressive. 92/100
Daniel Schuster Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Marlborough
From five different parcels in the Rapaura Road area. Lovely
aromatic, herby nose shows some restraint, and a bit of
complexity. The palate is bold, herby and rounded with a lovely
texture. Quite broad and complex with a lovely finish. 91/100 (NZ
$26)
Daniel Schuster Waipara Riesling 2006
Half from the Hull vineyard, and the rest is parcels of juice
from around Waipara. Fantastic rich nose is ripe, melony and full
with a limey spiciness. The palate is broad and smooth-textured
but with a lovely minerally, lemony-fresh fruitiness backed up by
some spice. Finishes very long and sweet but it’s dry enough for
food. 92/100 (NZ $23)
Daniel Schuster Twin Vineyards Pinot Noir 2006
Canterbury
Not deep coloured – often a good thing with Pinot.
Wonderfully sweet, aromatic nose of open red fruits with nice
purity. The palate is bright and quite pure with a supple fruity
character and some elegance. Fresh and pure. 91/100 (NZ $29)
Daniel Schuster Waipara Selection Pinot Noir 2006
This is the fruit from Danny’s vineyards that doesn’t make
the top selection, plus valley floor fruit. Fresh, bright, forward
fruity nose is quite pure with some focused spiciness. The palate
is lively and pure with lovely focus and great precision and
brightness. There’s a sappy freshness, but also some richer
notes. Beautiful. 93/100 (NZ $45)
Daniel Schuster Omihi Selection Pinot Noir 2006
A selection of 20 barrels of estate fruit. Smooth, sweet, pure
aromatic nose with a bright red fruit character. Sweet but
restrained, and quite complex. The palate is open and bright with
lovely depth and supremely elegant red and black fruit. More
elegant and poised than the Waipara selection. A serious effort.
94/100 (NZ $90)
Daniel Schuster Hull Family Vineyard Late Harvest
Riesling 2004
Delightfully aromatic nose. Quite bright and with a lovely
full texture as well as good acidity. Smooth and quite intense.
Delicious. 89/100
Wines tasted 11/07
Find these wines with wine-searcher.com
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