North Canterbury, New Zealand (4) Bryter Later
Third stop was another new producer for me: Australian James Opie has a hospitality background and loves music, and makes natural wines with a classical sensibility under the Bryterlater label. (https://www.bryterlaterwines.co.nz/ ) The name comes from a Nick Drake song. These wines are quite thrilling including some of the best PetNats I’ve tried. The labels are also inspired by synaesthesia.
His first vintage was at a winery called Black Jack in Victoria. They were family friends and he was working in hospitality at the time. He then followed this up with vintage in the Nahe region in Germany, and also rode his bike all the way round Burgundy.
Then James came down to study enology at Lincoln University in 2013, and while he was there worked at Black Estate in 2013 and 2014, and also worked at the excellent gatherings restaurant in Christchurch.
His other vintage experiences include Balgownie, Josef Chromy, Framingham, Sutton Grange, Treolar (Roussillon) and Langham (UK).
When I visited, he’d just finished working full time at The Crater Rim, which he says is only one of two places on South Island with a disgorging line. Now he’s committed full time to Bryter Later.
Bryter Later Petina Pinot Noir Pet Nat 2024 North Canterbury, New Zealand
11.9% alcohol. Clone 5, three cane, from Barbour vineyard. James takes a thoughtful approach with his Pet Nats. He presses the grapes, settles overnight and then barrel ferments everything. At about 50 g/l sugar he racks to tank, then when the sugar has dropped to 18 g/l he adds a small dose of sulfites (10 ppm) and bottles. This is focused and fine with lovely bright cherry and lime fruit, a nice mousse in the mouth and a slight saltiness. Great precsion and balance here. 94/100
Bryter Later Swell Sauvignon Blanc Pet Nat 2024 North Canterbury, New Zealand
12.9% alcohol. James thinks the density of fruit here is a bit too much, but it’s a nice wine. Lovely focus and intensity. Pure and lively with subtle salinity and some herbal notes. Like a lime margherita with some fino sherry. 92/100
Bryter Later Still Life Sauvignon Blanc 2024 Waipara, North Canterbury, New Zealand
James says he’s trying to make Sauvignon like Chardonnay, with low yields. This is from an organic vineyard with no skin contact, and a long, wild fermentation. Textural and expressive with pear, white peach and a big whack of citrus. Nice acidity. Refreshing and crystalline. 94/100
Bryter Later Still Life Sauvignon Blanc 2023 Waipara, North Canterbury, New Zealand
13.1% alcohol. Very fine with a chalky edge to the bright crystalline citrus fruit. This has focus and precision and a touch of structure with nice saltiness. Such focus with an amazing mouthfeel. 95/100
Bryter Later Svelte Riesling 2023 North Canterbury, New Zealand
These are the only machine picked grapes that James uses. Goes into press, left on skins for 24 h, then pressed to puncheons. The first vintage went to Pe Franco in keg, and the second went to Wine Diamonds in keg, so this is the first vintage that has been bottled. It comes from a hot vineyard on the gravels with some clay. This is very stylish with nice chalky minerality. Really textural with some depth here. Crystalline and very fine. 94/100
Bryter Later Brambles Rosé NV Waipara, North Canterbury, New Zealand
This is a patchwork quilt of the valley and is the only non-single vineyard wine in the range. It’s 20% 2022 Brambly red (Pinot, Syrah, Riesling) supplemented by direct pressed 2024 rosé. Lovely textural cherry and pear fruit with a hint of apple. Textural with some salty hints. Very expressive and fine with some richness , but also freshness and granularity. 92/100
Bryter Later Ernest Pinot Noir 2024 Waipara, North Canterbury, New Zealand
One-third 10 d carbonic maceration, two-thirds 60% whole bunch lasagna layer style. This is textural with lovely ripe black cherries. Dense and textural with smoothness. Shows power with some softness on the palate, and notes of iodine and spice. Real interest here: such a textural style of Pinot Noir. 95/100
Bryter Later Ernest Pinot Noir 2022 Waipara, North Canterbury, New Zealand
13.1% alcohol. So distinctive. Beginning to brick a bit at the rim. Powerful and layered, salty and tangy, with some olive tapenade character. Very mineral with some iodine notes, some strawberry, some spice and some grip. A wonderful melange of savoury and sweet. 94/100
Bryter Later Ernest Pinot Noir 2020 Waipara, North Canterbury, New Zealand
12.5% alcohol. Just one 10 ppm sulfite addition here. Developing nicely with sweet cherry and raspberry fruit as well as a touch of sour cherry. This has fine texture and some subtle earthiness, showing smoothness allied to precision. 93/100
