Adding Value to Sauvignon Blanc the Story Behind Brancott Estate Chosen Rows

NZSVO Sauvignon Blanc Workshop 2019 - Session 4: Future Directions – Where to from Here?

Adding Value to Sauvignon Blanc The story behind Brancott Estate Chosen Rows

Patrick Materman Pernod Ricard Winemakers Global Winemaker Chief Winemaker - Brancott Estate

Sauvignon Blanc Expressions

Style - Fresh/ Aperitif/ Crisp/ Lower winemaker influence - Concentrated/ Food wine/ Greater texture and structure - Age-worthy – wines that will improve with bottle age

Terroir - Rapaura – Ripe, Tropical yet Flinty and crisp - Brancott – More herbaceous yet textural and richer - Awatere – Nettles, Pungent yet ripe and refreshing

Artefact / Winemaker influence - Fermentation characters including complex sulphides / reductive notes - enhancement of thiols and other aromas - malolactic fermentation - lees contact - oak usage Cooler Climate Moderate Climate Primary Sauvignon Blanc Aroma Compounds

Methoxypyrazines Methoxy-3-isobutyl pyrazine (MIBP or IBMP) (Capsicum/Bell Pepper)

3-Mercaptohexan-1-ol (3MH) Volatile thiols (Grapefruit)

3-Mercaptohexan-1-ol acetate (3MHA) (Passionfruit)

4-Mercapto-4-methylpenta-2-one (4MMP) (Cat Pee/Boxwood/Broom)

C6 Alcohols Hexanol (Grassy/Green)

Range of 3MH and 3MHA values - Laura Nicolau et al. Thiol Levels in Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (measured in 2009)

3MH 3MHA

ng/L ng/L

4500 600

4000 500 3500

3000 400

2500 300 2000 200 1500

1000 100 500 0 0 0 2008 2 4 2004 6 2002 8 2000 10 0 20081 2 20063 4 20045 6 20027 8 20009 10 11 2006 year year

There is a linear drop in 3MH levels over time 3MHA levels drop exponentially through conversion to 3MH

This Photo by Ambition

Create a Sauvignon Blanc which…

• Breaks through the existing price point ceiling

• Provides a ‘halo’ effect for the Brancott Estate range

• Has great palate weight and texture

• Has longevity

• Shows a strong sense of place…still speaks of Marlborough

9 Credentials

• Long history of producing numerous styles of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (since 1979)

• Strong team experience – both in viticulture and winemaking

• Excellent vineyard portfolio with over 2,000 Ha of company owned and managed vineyards across Marlborough

• Ability to draw on both industry and internal research work on Sauvignon Blanc

• Modern quality focused winery

10 How we went about it

In 2008 we…

• Formed a working group across viticulture and winemaking to define the ‘Icon Project’

• Threw away the ‘rule book’…preconceptions from how we’d made Sauvignon Blanc to date.

• Came up with a list of ‘things that could alter style’ – vineyard through to bottle

• Generated a list of vineyard and winery ‘trials’ for Vintage 2009

• Enlisted the help of Denis Dubourdieu as a consultant

• Invited key influencers from AU, NZ, UK and USA to attend a Global ‘Icon’ Sauvignon Blanc tasting and to discuss style and direction for our ‘Project’….created early engagement

11 How we went about it

In 2009 we…

• Pruned 14 of our top Sauvignon Blanc blocks from right across Marlborough to 2 canes.

• These blocks were shoot thinned, hand leaf plucked and bunch thinned to one bunch per shoot

• All blocks were hand harvested and fruit sorted

• All fruit was whole bunch pressed, and 500 L per tonne taken as press cut.

• Numerous winery ‘trials’ were carried out…yeast strains, indigenous, MLF, oak (type and format) etc.

• Extensive lab analysis was done at all stages and data reviewed

• A proposed blend and numerous components were lab bottled, but no wine released.

• From this we learnt what the key success factors were…which vineyard blocks and which treatments to explore further in subsequent vintages.

12 Phenylethanol

mg/L 300 250 OAV 20 200

150 OAV 9.4 100

50 OAV 2 0 commercial wines, B404, wild ferment B406, wild ferment n=6

mg/L 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 perception threshold in model wine: 14 mg/L 5 0 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 year Stability of phenylethanol in Brancott SB Outcomes

• 2010 vintage produced the style we were after.

• All components were from Brancott Vineyard and most were indigenous ferment in large format oak

• In 2011 we ran pre-release tastings for the ‘influencers’ we’d engaged in 2009 and a number of others

• In February 2013 we released the 2010 vintage and ran media and trade events in the UK, USA, Australia and New Zealand.

• Since 2009 we have only bottled the following vintages 2010, 2013, 2015, 2016; only doing so if the season and blending options allow us.

• Ratings and media coverage have been consistently positive

2010 2013 2015

14 Brancott Estate - Dror ‘Reflection’ Sauvignon Blanc/Sauvignon Gris

Adding value through story telling – association with design/art

• Collaboration with NY based designer Dror Benshetrit – installation on Brancott Vineyard

• Cellar Door and Travel Retail exclusive

• Wine adopts same philosophy as Chosen Rows, but is more ‘Bordeaux Blanc’ inspired.

• Blend of Sauvignon Blanc (52%) and Sauvignon Gris (48%)

• Oak more present than Chosen Rows – use of puncheons as well as foudre Conclusion • Great opportunity to create style diversity with Sauvignon Blanc

• Commitment and strong teamwork needed – vineyard, laboratory, cellar, winemakers, marketing and sales

• Use research findings to help make informed decisions and deliver reliable outcomes

• Key factors driving style of these wines are… • Vineyard location – clay based soils and sub-regional climate • Minimising thiol levels through hand harvesting is key to age-worthiness • Low press cuts driving low pH levels (3.0 - 3.1) • Indigenous fermentation • Large format oak • Post-ferment lees contact

• Strong interest in these styles from ‘influencers’ and discerning consumers

• Need to somehow communicate style so consumer’s expectations are met

• Ability to add further value through story telling – e.g. Collaboration with designer

• Scarcity value – small volumes, high quality, never discounted, sold in the right places

16 In Conclusion: Jeff Sinnott, President NZSVO Inc.