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Wooing Tree
Revisiting Central Otago, New Zealand, part 3
Stephen
Farquharson in front of the wooing tree
Website:
www.wooingtree.co.nz
Wooing Tree is a single vineyard (26 hectares, with 18 hectares of
Pinot Noir) just on the outskirts of Cromwell, surrounded by
residential properties. Just opposite is a Cromwell landmark: the
rather bizarre big fruit sculpture.
It is owned by Plumpton (UK)-trained Stephen and Thea Farquharson
and Stephen’s sister and brother-in-law, Jane and Geoff Bews. They
bought the land in 2001 and planted it in 2002 with assistance from
consultant viticulturist Robin Dicey. The first vintage was 2005,
and the wines are made by Pete Bartle at VinPro.
Wooing Tree is named after a big tree that sits in the middle of the
vineyard. This is a bit of a local landmark and when the land was
being developed as a vineyard, pressure from Cromwell residents
meant that it was saved from being chopped down, so it stayed, and
the vineyard was named after it.
I visited with Stephen Farquharson, who picked me up from
Queenstown. We stopped off for some cherries on the way (Central
Otago is famous for them) and had a quick look at the new motor
racing circuit (Highlands – www.highlands.co.nz),
before a brilliant tasting looking at all the Pinot Noirs that
Wooing Tree have produced to date.
The first vintage with fruit from this vineyard was 2005, which won
the trophy for Pinot Noir at the Air New Zealand awards in 2006. The
soils are light, free-draining wind-blown loess, fairly typical for
the region, with lots of schist mixed in. 'When we dug down we got
to gravel,' says Stephen. Most of the Cromwell basin is similar.
This is a flat site and it can be frosty, so irrigation is used for
frost fighting in the form of overhead sprinklers.
I was impressed by these wines, particularly the more recent
vintages. 'People don't realise it, but we do get quite big vintage
variation in Central Otago,' says Stephen. This is seen in the
wines.
Two successes here are the Blondie and the Rosé. They come from the
same single vineyard, so it's tricky to decide what goes into them
because everything is good. The grapes for these are picked before
the Pinot used for the red wines, and the only difference is an hour
or so of skin contact. Blondie started as a small production white
Pinot Noir for the tasting room, but now 800 cases are made.
A part of the vineyard is used for the Sandstorm Reserve, and for
this, yields are reduced a bit, and it stays in barrel a bit longer,
too.
THE WINES
Wooing Tree Blondie 2013 Central Otago, New Zealand
Fresh and lively with rounded fruit. Primary and textured with
freshness and some grapiness. Very stylish. 89/100
Wooing Tree Rosé 2013 Central Otago, New Zealand
Bright pink in colour. Aromatic and vivid with nice cherry and
cranberry notes. Sweet cherry fruit dominates. 88/100
Wooing Tree Pinot Gris 2011 Central Otago, New Zealand
Barrel fermented from rogue vines in the vineyard; these have
now been pulled out. Textured, fresh and supple with some tangerine,
a hint of green and some grapiness. Focused and attractive. 89/100
Wooing Tree Chardonnay 2011 Central Otago, New Zealand
Stylish, restrained, with a creamy edge to the fresh, textured,
slightly nutty fruit. Some warmth and depth here, but restrained at
the same time. 90/100
Wooing Tree Pinot Noir Beetle Juice 2012 Central Otago, New
Zealand
This is named after the Cromwell chafer beetle, and it won Air
New Zealand gold in 2013. It's a second label of 1500 cases. Juicy,
bright and lovely with vivid black cherry and red cherry fruit.
Joyful, direct, floral and fun. 93/100
Wooing Tree Pinot Noir 2005 Central Otago, New Zealand
14.5% alcohol. First vintage. Sweet, ripe, warm with subtle herb
and garrigue notes as well as fine cherries on the nose. The fresh,
supple palate is warm with some iodine and herb complexity. Finely
balanced with vibrant fruit, still. 94/100
Wooing Tree Pinot Noir 2006 Central Otago, New Zealand
14% alcohol. Warm and sweetly herbal with nice cherry fruit with
some plums. Nicely aromatic with some savoury notes. The palate is
fresh and supple with fine-grained tannins and a hint of pepper.
Showing nice evolution and drinking well now. 93/100
Wooing Tree Pinot Noir 2007 Central Otago, New Zealand
14.5% alcohol, from half bottle. Some earthy, leathery notes on
the noe, which is meaty, ripe and savoury. Sweet cherries and plums.
The palate is bright and lively with a spicy undercurrent and some
structure. A warm, meaty style. 91/100
Wooing Tree Pinot Noir 2008 Central Otago, New Zealand
14.5% alcohol. Fresh and slightly herby with warm, spicy
underpinning to the cherry and plum fruit. Quite structured with
nice grip, fresh cherries and herbs. There's some elegance here
alongside the structure. 93/100
Wooing Tree Pinot Noir 2009 Central Otago, New Zealand
14.5% alcohol. Lovely aromatics. Pure and fresh with red cherry
fruit and some fine spiciness on the nose. The palate is textured
and pure, showing precision. Fine, open, supple. Lovely wine. 94/100
Wooing Tree Pinot Noir 2010 Central Otago, New Zealand
Air New Zealand gold in 2012. 3000 cases annually. Lovely
focused, floral cherry fruit nose with some herbs and spice. There
are attractive provencale herb notes here as well as fresh cherries
and plums, and I like the spicy complexity. Fabulous wine. 94/100
Wooing Tree Pinot Noir 2011 Central Otago, New Zealand
14% alcohol. Nicely floral, perfumed cherry fruit nose. Fresh,
supple, peppery palate with nice freshness and silky red cherry
fruit, as well as subtle green notes. A beautiful wine. 95/100
Wooing Tree Pinot Noir 2012 Central Otago, New Zealand
14% alcohol. Fine, fresh with subtle dried herb notes. The
palate is precise and bright with superb balance and lovely silky
red cherry and plum fruit. 95/100
Wooing Tree Sandstorm Reserve Pinot Noir 2007 Central Otago, New
Zealand
14% alcohol. Warm, spicy and herby with rich, ripe fruit on the
nose. The palate is supple and sweetly spiced with some richness and
warmth. Bold and nicely complex. 92/100
Wooing Tree Sandstorm Reserve Pinot Noir 2008 Central Otago, New
Zealand
14.5% alcohol. Warm, sweet nose has some spiciness as well as
caramel notes. The palate is supple and open with nicely focused
cherry and plum fruit supported by spicy tannins. 93/100
Wooing Tree Sandstorm Reserve Pinot Noir 2009 Central Otago, New
Zealand
Rich and quite ripe with nice spice and herb notes in the nose
as well as sweet cherries and plums. There's a bit of oak influence
on the nose. Lovely, open, smooth, fine palate with supple cherry
and plum fruit. 94/100
Wooing Tree Sandstorm Reserve Pinot Noir 2010 Central Otago, New
Zealand
Fresh and a bit minty with structured cherry and plum fruit.
Nice density, and shows a savoury, spicy edge, some elegance, and
tight-wound tannins. Needs time to open out. 93/100
Wooing Tree Sandstorm Reserve Pinot Noir 2011 Central Otago, New
Zealand
Sleek, pure red cherry and plum fruit. Fresh, elegant and floral
with some pepper notes. The palate is fresh and pure with elegant
bright cherry and plum fruit. Real finesse, focus and purity. A
lighter, more elegant vintage. 95/100
Wooing Tree Sandtsorm Reserve Pinot Noir 2012 Central Otago, New
Zealand
Fresh red cherry and raspberry fruit nose is ripe, lush, pure
and aromatic, with a liqueur-like quality. The palateis fresh and
focused with a hint of pepperiness and some meaty undertones to the
pure raspberry fruit. Lovely wine. 95/100
Wooing Tree Tickled Pink 2012 Central Otago, New Zealand
Late-harvested Pinot Noir first made in 2009, with 110 g/litre
residual sugar. Sweet, rounded, pretty with nice cherry and plum
fruit. 88/100
CENTRAL OTAGO
CENTRAL
OTAGO PINOT NOIR 2014
 Central Otago masterclass
Burgundy masterclass
24 fine wines tasted at the Grand Dinner
VISITING CENTRAL OTAGO (2014)
Gibbston
Valley
Chard
Farm
Wooing
Tree
Folding
Hill
Mount
Difficulty
Lowburn
Ferry
Grasshopper
Rock
Doctors
Flat
VISITING CENTRAL OTAGO (2010)
Felton
Road
Mount
Difficulty
Pisa
Range
Carrick
Rippon
Amisfield
Peregrine
Gibbston
Valley
Wines
tasted 02/14
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