New Zealand 2017 white wines: A vintage recap and what to try

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New Zealand 2017 : A very difficult season with a cool start, poor summer and wet, warm and cloudy autumn bringing high botrytis pressure. Those who picked early were most successful. Central Otago escaped the worst of the unsettled weather, although it was a very small crop.[/breakout]

This is 'Sauvignon Blanc with the volume turned down' [subscriber-content]While New Zealand’s 2017 harvest was the third largest crop on record, it was much smaller than anticipated - blame the heavens, which dumped their watery loads at all the wrong times.Just as Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was ripening on the vine, Debbie and Cook - two ex-tropical cyclones - descended on New Zealand on 4-5 and 12-13 April respectively, turning green grapes brown. [caption id="attachment_395847" align="aligncenter" width="650"] The flooded Wairau after cyclone Cook hit. Credit: hillersden.com[/caption] For varieties that had ripened before the April rains arrived, including Chardonnay , there were more reasons to be positive. However, during the critical ripening period, the country experienced low sunshine hours which, when combined with the wetter conditions, resulted in less flamboyant Sauvignon flavours, less concentration, modest alcohol levels and crisp acidity. In short, 2017 produced Sauvignon Blanc with the volume turned down. Despite the iffy weather, there are still many attractive whites that will offer plenty of enjoyment from youth to the medium term. While some of the more commercial producers are already moving to the 2018 vintage, some of the most interesting barrel-fermented whites from 2017 are yet to emerge from the slumber of the cellar, and the full story of the vintage remains an open chapter. A tale of two islands On the North Island, particularly in the Auckland area, many battles with rain and rot were lost. Destiny Bay on Waiheke Island did not pick a single grape, and many flagship reds in the northern reaches of New Zealand became rosés. At the southerly reaches of New Zealand, encirled by mountain peaks, Central Otago dodged the worst of the wet weather in late summer and autumn, but it was nevertheless a cool and windy growing season that led to small crops and a later harvest. The region’s Pinot Noirs are yet to be released, but both the Chardonnays and Rieslings are pristine and vibrant. [/subscriber-content] 15 New Zealand 2017 whites to try: [wine-collection] You might also like: Mature New Zealand wines from the cellar Premium New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc – panel tasting results